Accounts Payable Planning
Organizes outstanding vendor payables by due date and priority, then projects cash requirements for each payment period. Identifies early payment discount opportunities and flags upcoming due dates to avoid late fees.
Accounting - Accounts Payable Planning.xlsx
Excel (.xlsx) — No macros — Works in Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice
What This Spreadsheet Solves
- Preventing late payments and associated penalties
- Capturing early payment discounts when cash is available
- Projecting weekly or monthly cash needed for vendor payments
- Prioritizing which vendors to pay first when cash is limited
- Maintaining good vendor relationships through timely payments
Who This Is For
- Accounts payable clerks scheduling vendor payments
- Treasury managers planning cash disbursements
- Controllers overseeing payment approval workflows
- Small business owners managing vendor relationships
Inputs
- textVendor name
- $Invoice amount
- dateDue date
- %Early payment discount rate
- dateDiscount deadline
- #Payment priority
Outputs
- Total payables by due date period
- Early payment discount savings available
- Cash required per week or month
- Overdue payables list
- Payment schedule sorted by priority and due date
How Calculations Work
Each payable is logged with its due date, amount, and optional discount terms. The template groups payables by time period and sums the cash required. For invoices with early payment discounts, it calculates the savings if paid by the discount deadline and the effective annual return of taking the discount. Payables are ranked by a combination of due date urgency and assigned priority level.
Example Use Case
Scenario: A business has $50,000 in payables due this month. One invoice for $20,000 offers a 2% discount if paid within 10 days (discount deadline is in 5 days). Available cash is $35,000.
Result: Taking the discount saves $400 and the payment schedule recommends paying that invoice first. Remaining cash of $15,000 covers the next-priority invoices. $15,000 in lower-priority payables are deferred to next period.
What You Get — 5 Sheets
Technical Details
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the priority system work?
Assign each vendor a priority from 1 (highest) to 5 (lowest). The payment schedule sorts by due date first within the same priority level.
Is the early payment discount worth taking?
The template calculates the effective annual return. A 2% discount for paying 20 days early equates to roughly 36% annualized, which almost always justifies taking it.
What if I do not have enough cash to pay everything due?
Enter your available cash on the CONFIG sheet. The schedule will mark which invoices to pay now and which to defer, based on priority and due date.
Can I track recurring payables like rent or subscriptions?
Enter each occurrence as a separate line item with its specific due date. There is no auto-recurrence feature.
How do I handle partial payments to a vendor?
Enter the partial amount as a separate line on the INPUT sheet with the same vendor name. The remaining balance should be a second line with its own due date.
Download Accounts Payable Planning
Ready to use immediately. Enter your data in the INPUT sheet, see results in OUTPUT.