How to create a batch payment in Farm Focus

Batch payments allow you to pay multiple invoices at once in Farm Focus. You can set up a batch payment, select a payment date, and export the file for online banking. Farm Focus calculates the total batch payment and its impact on your bank balance, helping you manage cash flow effectively.

Create a new batch payment

1. Check invoices

   • Go to Needs Action and review the invoices you want to pay.

   • Ensure the invoice amount and Other Party are correct.

2. Navigate to Bill Payments

   • Go to Actuals > Bill Payments.

   • Ensure the correct bank account is selected (displayed in the top-left corner).

   • The Bill Payments screen lists invoices by due date.

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3. Select invoices for payment

   • Tick the invoices you want to pay.

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   • If an invoice has a green icon, click it and follow the instructions. 

   • To amend invoice details, click the three dots (...) next to an invoice and select View Invoice.

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4. Create a batch

   • Click Create new batch.

   • Select the payment date.

   • Review the number of invoices, total batch amount, and impact on your bank balance.

   • If required, print the batch payment before exporting for authorisation.

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5. Export the batch file

   • Click Export batch file to download the payment file.

   • Upload the file to your online banking for processing.

   • The invoices in the batch will now display a batch number in Needs Action for easy reconciliation.

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6. Approving Bill  Payments (optional)

Farmers can approve bill payments  either individually or in bulk. In the bill payment screen:

Individually

• • Click on the contextual menu of the invoice you wish to approve.  Select Approve payment

  • A token appears stating the payment has been approved and the initials of the person who approved it

  • Once approved, the user has option to unapprove - click on the contextual menu of the invoice. Select Unapprove payment

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Bulk

• • Tick the invoices you want to approve.  

  • Click Approve payment. A token appears stating the payment has been approved and the initials of the person who approved it

  • Once approved, the user has option to unapprove payments individually. Click on the contextual menu of the invoice. Select Unapprove payment

Uploading the batch file to your bank

1. Log in to your online banking and check you have permission to process batch payments.

2. Locate and import the batch file.

3. Ensure the correct bank account is selected.

4. Process the payment through your bank’s system.

5. The transaction will appear in Farm Focus the next day if you have Bank Feeds set up.

Additional information

• To use Bill Payments, add a bank account to your contacts: Settings > Contacts.

• The invoice number exports as the reference. You must enter the Code and Particulars in the contact settings.

• Copy and paste the bank account number from the invoice to avoid errors.

• Sort invoices by due date, invoice date, amount, or Other Party using drop-down arrows.

• Merge payments: If you have multiple invoices for the same Other Party, enable this option to combine them into one payment.

• Ensure the Other Party name matches exactly with your contact list to avoid errors.

• If you have Direct Debits set up, avoid storing bank details for those contacts to prevent duplicate payments.

Troubleshooting

Is Bill Payments available in all banks?

• Yes, but your account must support batch payments. A business banking account may be required. Check with your bank.

• Bill Payments is not available in Australia.

Removing an invoice from a batch

• Before export: Click the three dots (...) and select Remove from batch.

• After export: Ensure the invoice is removed from both Farm Focus and your bank’s payment list.

Creating multiple batches

• You can create multiple batches with different payment dates and view the impact on your predicted bank balance.

Cancelling a batch

• Remove an entire batch before or after export to return invoices to the main list.

Re-exporting a batch

• If you lose the exported file, retrieve it from your Downloads folder.

• If missing, cancel the batch and create a new one.

• It is recommended to keep the batch as a draft until ready to download.

Green icon error

• Indicates missing information, usually with the Other Party contact details.

• Click the icon and follow the instructions to resolve the issue.

Approving bill payments

• Only the user who approved an invoice can unapprove it.

• Once an invoice moves to the Completed page, the Approved by tag is removed. 

• The approval process does not stop an invoice from being paid — it’s simply a way to track which invoices have been checked and approved.

Printing options

• Print a full list of invoices.

• Print draft or exported batch payments for authorisation.

What if my payments aren’t available to select?

• Ensure the invoice’s bank account matches the one selected in Bill Payments.

Bill payment feature is only available in New Zealand.