What Does an Accounts Payable Clerk Actually Do All Day?

If you've ever wondered what happens between when an invoice arrives and when a vendor gets paid, you're about to find out. The accounts payable clerk is the unsung hero of every finance department—the person who ensures bills get paid on time, vendors stay happy, and the company doesn't run out of cash.

But here's the uncomfortable truth: most AP clerks spend 80% of their day on repetitive manual tasks that could be automated. They're buried in data entry, document filing, and email chains when they should be focusing on cash flow optimization and vendor relationships.

Let's pull back the curtain on a typical day in the life of an AP clerk, identify the time-wasting bottlenecks, and show you how modern teams are reclaiming hours every week.

A Day in the Life: Hour by Hour

Here's what a typical 8-hour shift looks like for an accounts payable clerk at a mid-sized company processing 500-1,000 invoices per month:

8:00 AM – 9:30 AM: The Email and Mail Deluge

The day starts with the inbox. Invoices pour in from everywhere:

• 50-100 emails with PDF invoice attachments
• Physical mail with paper invoices to scan
• Vendor portal downloads from suppliers who use their own systems
• Internal purchase requests forwarded by other departments

For each invoice, the clerk must:

1. Download or scan the document
2. Rename the file with a consistent naming convention
3. Save it to the appropriate folder
4. Log it in a tracking spreadsheet or system

Time spent on document intake alone: 1.5 hours daily

9:30 AM – 12:00 PM: The Data Entry Marathon

This is where the bulk of manual work happens. For every invoice, the AP clerk manually enters:

• Vendor name and address
• Invoice number and date
• Line items (descriptions, quantities, unit prices)
• Tax amounts and totals
• Payment terms and due dates
• General ledger codes
• Cost center allocations

For a company with 40 invoices per day, assuming 5 minutes per invoice, that's over 3 hours of pure data entry. And that's if everything is straightforward—complex invoices with multiple line items take 10-15 minutes each.

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: Lunch Break

Finally, a chance to rest those typing fingers.

1:00 PM – 2:30 PM: Three-Way Matching Purgatory

This is where things get tedious. For every invoice, the AP clerk must verify:

1. Does the invoice match the purchase order? (quantities, prices, terms)
2. Does the PO match the receiving report? (was everything delivered?)
3. Do all three documents agree?

When discrepancies appear—and they always do—the clerk begins the investigation:

• Email the purchasing department about the PO variance
• Contact the warehouse about missing items
• Call the vendor about pricing discrepancies
• Document everything for the audit trail

Average time per invoice with issues: 15-30 minutes

2:30 PM – 4:00 PM: Exception Handling and Approvals

Invoices without POs need special attention. The clerk must:

• Identify the appropriate approver based on expense type and amount
• Chase down signatures or digital approvals
• Follow up on pending approvals from last week
• Escalate overdue approvals to management

Then there are the problem invoices:

• Duplicate invoices from vendors who sent the same bill twice
• Missing information that requires vendor callbacks
• Rejected invoices sent back by approvers with questions
• Price discrepancies that need resolution before payment

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Payment Processing and Vendor Communication

Finally, the payment side of accounts payable:

• Batch approved invoices for payment runs
• Select payment method (check, ACH, wire, card)
• Handle vendor inquiries about payment status
• Process early payment discount opportunities
• Update payment records and status

The day ends with tomorrow's pile already building in the inbox.

The Hidden Time Sinks Nobody Talks About

Beyond the core tasks, AP clerks face constant interruptions:

Activity	Time Per Week
Answering vendor payment inquiries	3-5 hours
Searching for lost or misfiled invoices	2-3 hours
Correcting data entry errors	2-4 hours
Chasing down approval signatures	3-5 hours
Audit preparation and documentation	2-3 hours
Month-end reconciliation	4-6 hours

Total hidden overhead: 16-26 hours per week—that's potentially half the job that doesn't even involve processing invoices.

The Real Cost of Manual AP Processing

Let's quantify what this manual approach costs your organization:

Metric	Manual Process	Automated with Scanny AI
Cost per invoice processed	$12-$15	$2-$4
Average processing time	8-10 days	1-2 days
Error rate	4-8%	<1%
Late payment rate	15-25%	2-5%
Early payment discounts captured	20-30%	80-90%
Invoices processed per FTE	5,000-8,000/year	25,000-40,000/year
Time to close AP at month-end	5-7 days	1-2 days

The average company leaves $50,000+ in early payment discounts on the table annually simply because invoices aren't processed fast enough.

Where Automation Changes Everything

Modern AP automation doesn't replace the clerk—it eliminates the tedious work so they can focus on high-value activities. Here's how each task transforms:

Before: Manual Invoice Intake

1. Open email
2. Download PDF attachment
3. Rename file with convention
4. Save to correct folder
5. Log in tracking spreadsheet
6. Repeat 50-100x daily

After: Automated Document Capture

1. Invoices arrive via email, upload, or integration
2. Scanny AI automatically extracts and validates data
3. Documents indexed and searchable instantly
4. No manual touchpoints required

Time saved: 90 minutes per day

The Invoice Extraction Schema

Here's what intelligent OCR captures automatically from every invoice:

{
  "documentType": "invoice",
  "schema": {
    "fields": [
      {"name": "vendorName", "type": "string"},
      {"name": "vendorAddress", "type": "string"},
      {"name": "vendorTaxId", "type": "string"},
      {"name": "invoiceNumber", "type": "string"},
      {"name": "invoiceDate", "type": "date"},
      {"name": "dueDate", "type": "date"},
      {"name": "poNumber", "type": "string"},
      {"name": "lineItems", "type": "array", "itemFields": [
        {"name": "description", "type": "string"},
        {"name": "sku", "type": "string"},
        {"name": "quantity", "type": "number"},
        {"name": "unitPrice", "type": "number"},
        {"name": "lineTotal", "type": "number"},
        {"name": "glCode", "type": "string"}
      ]},
      {"name": "subtotal", "type": "number"},
      {"name": "taxRate", "type": "number"},
      {"name": "taxAmount", "type": "number"},
      {"name": "shippingAmount", "type": "number"},
      {"name": "totalAmount", "type": "number"},
      {"name": "currency", "type": "string"},
      {"name": "paymentTerms", "type": "string"},
      {"name": "bankDetails", "type": "object"}
    ]
  },
  "validationRules": {
    "totalAmount": "must equal subtotal + taxAmount + shippingAmount",
    "dueDate": "must be after invoiceDate",
    "lineItemTotals": "sum must equal subtotal"
  }
}

Every field extracted in 2-3 seconds instead of 5-10 minutes of manual typing.

Automated Three-Way Matching

The real game-changer is automatic matching. When properly configured:

{
  "matchingWorkflow": {
    "invoiceToPO": {
      "matchFields": ["poNumber", "vendorId", "lineItems"],
      "toleranceRules": {
        "priceVariance": "5%",
        "quantityVariance": "0%",
        "totalVariance": "$10"
      }
    },
    "POtoReceiving": {
      "matchFields": ["poNumber", "items", "quantities"],
      "partialReceiptHandling": "allow"
    },
    "autoApprovalThresholds": {
      "perfectMatch": "auto-approve",
      "withinTolerance": "auto-approve",
      "outsideTolerance": "route to exception queue"
    }
  }
}

85-90% of invoices match automatically without human intervention. The AP clerk only reviews the exceptions—typically 10-15% of volume.

The Transformed AP Clerk Role

When you eliminate 80% of manual processing, the AP clerk's job transforms:

From Data Entry Specialist To...

Financial Operations Analyst

Instead of typing invoice data, the modern AP clerk:

• Manages vendor relationships: Negotiates better payment terms, resolves disputes proactively
• Optimizes cash flow: Schedules payment runs strategically to capture discounts
• Analyzes spending patterns: Identifies cost savings and consolidation opportunities
• Ensures compliance: Monitors for fraud indicators and policy violations
• Supports audits: Provides instant access to any document with full audit trails

The New Daily Schedule

Time	Manual AP Clerk	Automated AP Clerk
8:00-9:30	Document intake & filing	Review overnight processing reports
9:30-12:00	Data entry marathon	Exception handling & vendor calls
1:00-2:30	Three-way matching	Strategic payment planning
2:30-4:00	Approval chasing	Spending analysis & reporting
4:00-5:00	Payment processing	Process improvement initiatives

The job becomes strategic rather than tactical.

Real Implementation: A Typical Workflow

Here's how a modern AP department operates with Scanny AI:

Step 1: Multi-Channel Invoice Capture

Invoices flow in from multiple sources automatically:

Email: invoices@company.com → Scanny monitoring folder
Vendor Portals: API integrations pull invoices automatically
Scan Station: Paper invoices scanned directly to processing queue
Mobile App: Field receipts uploaded from phones
EDI: Large vendor electronic invoices ingested directly

Step 2: Intelligent Data Extraction

Within seconds of receipt:

{
  "extractedInvoice": {
    "vendorName": "Industrial Supply Corp",
    "invoiceNumber": "ISC-2025-78432",
    "invoiceDate": "2025-12-28",
    "poNumber": "PO-2025-3421",
    "lineItems": [
      {
        "description": "Safety Goggles - Model SG-400",
        "sku": "SG-400-BLK",
        "quantity": 100,
        "unitPrice": 12.50,
        "lineTotal": 1250.00,
        "suggestedGLCode": "5420-Manufacturing-Safety"
      },
      {
        "description": "Work Gloves - Heavy Duty XL",
        "sku": "WG-HD-XL",
        "quantity": 50,
        "unitPrice": 8.75,
        "lineTotal": 437.50,
        "suggestedGLCode": "5420-Manufacturing-Safety"
      }
    ],
    "subtotal": 1687.50,
    "taxAmount": 135.00,
    "totalAmount": 1822.50,
    "dueDate": "2026-01-27",
    "paymentTerms": "Net 30 / 2% 10"
  },
  "matchingResults": {
    "poMatch": "FOUND - PO-2025-3421",
    "receivingMatch": "FULL - RR-2025-8976",
    "priceVariance": 0.00,
    "quantityVariance": 0,
    "recommendedAction": "AUTO_APPROVE"
  },
  "processingTime": "2.3 seconds",
  "confidence": 0.97
}

Step 3: Automated Routing

Based on business rules:

• Perfect matches under $5,000: Auto-approved, batched for payment
• Matches over $5,000: Routed to department manager for one-click approval
• Exceptions (price, quantity, no PO): Queued for AP clerk review
• New vendors: Held for vendor master verification

Step 4: Payment Optimization

The system automatically:

• Identifies early payment discount opportunities
• Schedules payments to maximize discount capture
• Balances cash flow with payment obligations
• Alerts on payment term negotiations opportunities

Getting Started: Your AP Automation Roadmap

Ready to transform your accounts payable operation? Here's a practical implementation plan:

Week 1: Assessment

• Document current invoice volume and sources
• Map existing approval workflows
• Identify top 20 vendors by volume
• Calculate current cost-per-invoice

Week 2: Setup

• Start your free trial with Scanny AI
• Configure email forwarding for invoice mailbox
• Set up first invoice extraction schema
• Connect ERP/accounting system integration

Week 3: Pilot

• Process one week of invoices through automation
• Compare extraction accuracy against manual entry
• Refine GL coding and vendor matching rules
• Train AP team on exception handling

Week 4: Rollout

• Expand to all invoice sources
• Configure approval workflows
• Set up automated matching rules
• Enable payment optimization features

Month 2+: Optimization

• Analyze exception patterns and reduce them
• Add additional document types (credit memos, statements)
• Implement vendor portal for self-service inquiries
• Build management dashboards and KPIs

The Future of Accounts Payable

The AP clerk role isn't disappearing—it's evolving. The best AP professionals will be those who:

1. Embrace automation as a force multiplier
2. Focus on exceptions that require human judgment
3. Analyze patterns in spending and vendor behavior
4. Drive process improvement across the organization
5. Protect the company from fraud and compliance risks

The days of spending 8 hours keying in invoice data are ending. The question isn't whether to automate—it's how quickly you can make the transition.

Companies that automate AP processing see 80% reduction in processing costs, 90% faster cycle times, and 95% fewer errors. Which side of that divide do you want to be on?

Ready to Reclaim Your AP Team's Time?

Your accounts payable clerks are spending most of their day on work that machines do better. It's time to let them focus on what humans do best—building vendor relationships, optimizing cash flow, and finding savings opportunities.

Start your free trial and see how Scanny AI can process your invoices in seconds instead of minutes. Your first 100 documents are free—no credit card required.

Already know what you need? Log in and start automating your AP workflow today.

---

Scanny AI processes millions of invoices monthly for AP teams ranging from 1-person departments to enterprise operations. Our customers report 10x productivity gains within 30 days of implementation.