Send back or reject?
Send back returns the invoice to an earlier approval step or to the submitter for correction – the approval carries on. Reject is final: the request closes and the invoice ends up Rejected.
Sending back
- Available from the second step on; on the first step only when the request has escalated past its deadline.
- In the dialog you choose where it goes: back to the submitter (for revision) or to an earlier approval step. The preselected target can be set per step in the approval policy; by default it is the previous step.
- A reason is required (up to 2000 characters).
- Sent to an earlier step, the invoice stays in approval and that step decides on it again.
- Sent back to the submitter, the invoice leaves the approval, returns to the state it was submitted from, and can be submitted again once corrected – which starts a new approval request.
Rejecting
- You can give a reason; it is required only if the approval policy says so.
- The request closes, the invoice becomes Rejected, and this approval cannot be continued.
If something only needs clarifying (a missing detail, the wrong cost centre), send it back; if the invoice must not be paid, reject it.