Purchase Orders & Bills

Managing spend, approvals, and payments can be tricky — especially if POs, bills, and supplier payments are scattered across emails, PDFs, and spreadsheets. ROLL’s Purchase Orders & Bills feature keeps everything in one place, giving you clarity, control, and efficiency across your financial processes.

🎥 Check out the video below for a guided walkthrough of this feature.

FAQs

What’s the difference between a Purchase Order and a Bill?

A Purchase Order (PO) is created when you request goods or services from a supplier — it’s your formal order. A Bill represents the supplier’s invoice once those goods or services have been delivered.

Can I create a Bill without a Purchase Order?

Yes, you can create a standalone Bill in ROLL — no PO required. Not every cost starts with a purchase order. For ad-hoc expenses, subscriptions, or supplier invoices that weren’t pre-approved, you can:

Create the bill manually in ROLL, or
Forward a PDF invoice to your unique ROLL Bills email address to generate a draft bill automatically.

Standalone bills will still be linked to a specific project for accurate cost tracking and reporting.

How does Bill Approval work in ROLL?

In ROLL, approving a bill doesn’t trigger an internal approval workflow — it’s simply your way of confirming that the bill details are correct and that it’s ready for payment. Think of it like marking a bill as “checked and approved for processing.”

Do POs & Bills sync with Xero?

Yes. Bills in ROLL sync automatically with our native Xero integration. When a bill is marked as paid in Xero, ROLL updates the payment status automatically — keeping both systems aligned and accurate.

Purchase Orders don’t sync with Xero, but you can still export them for reporting or record keeping.

Can I create one Purchase Order for multiple projects?

Not in ROLL. Each PO is tied to a single project to keep budgets clean and cost tracking accurate. If you’re ordering similar items for multiple projects, simply duplicate the PO and update the project reference.

Can I export my POs and Bills?

Yes. Export purchase orders and bills anytime as a CSV or PDF for reporting, sharing, or accounting.

Can I attach files or notes to a PO or Bill?

Absolutely. Add quotes, receipts, or supplier emails as attachments, and include notes for extra context — keeping all related info together.

What happens if I edit or delete a PO or Bill?

If a bill has synced to Xero, edits made in ROLL will update in Xero automatically. If the bill has already been paid, you’ll need to handle any changes directly in Xero. Purchase Orders can be freely managed within ROLL.

Key Features

Create Purchase Orders: Draft, send, and track POs quickly.
Bill from POs: Select what to bill or convert a PO into a bill.
Email PDFs to ROLL: Already got a bill? Send it to ROLL to create a draft for review and approval.
Track Project Costs: Get improved visibility of project spending and costs.
Quick Costs: Manage small, ad-hoc costs alongside POs and bills.
Xero Integration: Two-way sync ensures your financials are always up to date.
Export & Reporting: Export POs and bills for reporting, accounting, or audits.

Benefits

Reduce manual work & errors: Streamline the creation and approval of POs and bills.
Improve accuracy & efficiency: Track costs and approvals more precisely, reducing duplicate or missed entries.
Enhance financial control: Keep budgets in check and monitor spending in real time.
Strengthen supplier relationships: Timely approvals and payments help maintain trust.
Enable audit trails: Keep a clear, documented history for compliance and legal protection.
Data-driven decisions: Gain insights into spending patterns to guide smarter business decisions.