Intake FAQ & Troubleshooting

Common questions and error solutions for invoice intake in PayInvoice Next.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What file formats are supported for invoice upload? PDF is the recommended format. JPEG and PNG image files are also supported. The OCR engine works best with clear, high-resolution PDFs.

Q: How long does OCR processing take? Most invoices are processed within 1–3 minutes. Complex multi-page invoices or low-quality scans may take longer. The Invoice Inbox page auto-refreshes while OCR is in progress.

Q: Can I submit the same invoice twice? The system runs a duplicate check on every incoming invoice. It compares the file hash, invoice number, and supplier combination. If a duplicate is detected, the status is set to "Duplicate" and the record links to the original submission. You will not be charged for duplicate processing.

Q: How does automatic supplier matching work? The system tries to identify the supplier in this order: GSTIN match (highest confidence), PAN match, email address match, then name match. If no automatic match is found, you can manually assign the supplier on the Invoice Inbox record.

Q: Can I retry OCR if it fails? Yes. Open the Invoice Inbox record that shows "OCR Failed" status. If the file is readable, you can trigger a retry. The OCR Retry Count field tracks how many attempts have been made. If the file itself is the issue (corrupted, blank, or unreadable), re-upload a better copy.

Q: What happens if the email has multiple attachments? Each attachment that appears to be an invoice is processed as a separate Invoice Inbox record. Non-invoice attachments (e.g., cover letters, remittance advice) are typically ignored by the intake processor.

Q: Can I track an invoice using the tracking number? Yes. The tracking number follows the invoice from the moment it arrives in the Inbox through OCR, IPU creation, matching, and approval. Search by tracking number in the Invoice Inbox or Invoice Processing Unit list views.

Q: What is the Digital Mailroom channel? The Digital Mailroom handles e-invoices received from the GST portal. These records arrive with IRN data and may initially show "Pending PDF" status while waiting for the physical PDF to be linked.

Q: Can suppliers check the status of their submitted invoices? Yes, if they have Supplier Portal access. Suppliers can view their submitted invoices and current processing status through the portal.

Error Messages and Solutions

"Cannot trigger OCR: no invoice file attached" No file was attached to the Invoice Inbox record. Open the record, attach the invoice PDF in the Invoice File field, and save. Then retry OCR.

"Cannot trigger OCR for document in status 'OCR Processing'. Valid statuses: Pending, OCR Failed" OCR is already running on this invoice. Wait for the current processing to complete. If it seems stuck, check back after a few minutes — the system has a timeout that will mark it as failed if processing takes too long.

"Cannot trigger OCR: tracking number not set" The record is missing its tracking number. This typically indicates the record was created outside the normal intake flow. Contact your system administrator.

"N8n OCR webhook URL not configured. Please configure in IPU Settings." The OCR integration has not been set up for your organization. Contact your system administrator to configure the OCR webhook URL in IPU Settings.

"Invoice Inbox [ID] not found" The record you're trying to access does not exist. Verify the record ID and check that you have permission to view Invoice Inbox records.

Status shows "Duplicate" The system detected that this invoice has already been submitted. The original submission is referenced in the record. If you believe this is not a duplicate, contact your Accounts Manager to review and clear the duplicate flag.

Status shows "Rejected" The invoice was rejected during processing. Check the Error Message field in the Error Details section for the specific reason. Common causes include: invalid file format, unreadable content, or compliance violations.

"OCR Warning" appears but status is "OCR Completed" A non-fatal warning was raised during extraction — for example, low confidence on certain fields like the invoice date or a line item amount. Review the extracted data for accuracy before proceeding. The OCR Confidence percentage indicates overall extraction reliability.

Low OCR Confidence (below 70%) The OCR engine had difficulty reading the invoice. This often happens with: handwritten invoices, very low resolution scans, watermarked documents, or invoices in non-standard layouts. Consider requesting a clearer copy from the supplier.

Related Pages

• Intake Field Reference — Understanding what each field means
• Submit an Invoice via Email — Email submission guide
• Submit an Invoice via Portal — Manual upload guide
• Invoice Intake Overview — How the intake process works