Accounts payable reports: Types, examples, and best practices

Your accounts payable report does more than track what you owe. It turns invoices into insights that guide cash flow management and help you stay audit-ready. With accurate AP reporting, you'll always know who gets paid and when.

The accounts payable landscape changes daily as invoices arrive and payments go out. That’s why real-time visibility matters. When you see the full picture of your obligations, you can time payments for maximum benefit while keeping vendor relationships strong.

What is an accounts payable report?

An accounts payable report is a point-in-time or period report that shows unpaid vendor invoices, including amounts, due dates, statuses, and aging. It turns raw details, such as invoice numbers, payment deadlines, and vendor information, into a structured format that helps you manage cash flow and make better financial decisions.

It’s important to distinguish between an accounts payable report and accounts payable reporting. A report is a single document you can run or export. Reporting refers to the ongoing process of tracking, analyzing, and communicating information about your company’s unpaid bills and vendor obligations.

What does an accounts payable report typically include?

You'll find the following information in an AP report, regardless of the type:

• Vendor name
• Invoice number and date
• Amount and currency
• Due date and payment terms
• Status (open, partially paid, disputed)
• Aging bucket (current, 1–30, 31–60, 61–90, 90+)
• Approver or owner
• General ledger code, class, or department
• Purchase order match status

These standard elements enable finance teams to effectively monitor cash flow, manage vendor relationships, and maintain accurate financial records.

Where AP appears in financial statements

Accounts payable data flows directly into your company’s financial statements. It shapes statutory reporting and short-term cash forecasts, and it gives stakeholders a clear view of your obligations.

Balance sheet

Accounts payable shows up as a current liability, representing money you owe suppliers within the year. The aging of those payables affects liquidity ratios and working capital, which lenders and investors use to judge financial health. Companies may also disclose large vendor concentrations or unusual payment terms in this section.

Cash flow statement

Changes in AP appear in operating activities. When AP goes up, it’s a source of cash; you’ve received goods or services without paying yet. For example, if AP increases by $200,000 in a month, operating cash also rises by $200,000. A drop in AP suggests faster payments or lower purchasing activity.

Notes

The notes expand on details you won’t see in the balance sheet, like vendor disputes, contingent liabilities, or unusual payment arrangements. They help readers understand the timing and risks tied to your payables.

Why accounts payable analysis matters

Regular AP analysis gives finance teams the visibility and control to manage vendors and optimize cash flow. Key benefits include:

• Cash visibility: Track days payable outstanding (DPO) and on-time payments to balance cash needs with vendor satisfaction. The average DPO across industries was 39 days in 2024, according to CFO.
• Avoiding costs: Prevent late fees and capture early-payment discounts
• Vendor relationships: Pay accurately and communicate proactively about delays or disputes
• Audit readiness: Keep clean subledger-to-GL tie-outs for external reviews
• Internal controls: Stop duplicate or overpayments with clear approval trails
• Scalability: Standardized reporting lets you handle more volume without adding headcount

Effective AP analysis lays the groundwork for stronger financial management, vendor trust, and growth at scale.

Types of accounts payable reports

Accounts payable teams rely on various reports to track invoices, manage cash flow, and maintain accurate financial records. Here are a few types of AP reports they might use:

• Open AP report: Shows all unpaid invoices, amounts, and due dates. Use it for weekly cash planning.
• AP trial balance report: Summarizes vendor subledger balances. Use it to tie to the general ledger at period end.
• Voucher activity report: Tracks voucher creation, approval, matching, and payment. Use it for audit trails and control testing.
• Credit adjustment report: Lists vendor credits, returns, and adjustments. Use it to apply credits promptly and avoid overpayment.
• Recurring invoice report: Flags scheduled vendor charges. Use it to check accuracy and forecast recurring cash outflows.
• AP GL code report: Breaks down AP by GL account, class, or department. Use it for spend analysis and budget variance reviews.
• Real-time AP dashboard: Displays live metrics like days payable outstanding (DPO), on-time payment rate, and discounts captured. Use it for daily oversight.

These reports provide comprehensive AP oversight, from daily operations to strategic analysis, helping your finance team optimize vendor management and cash flow.

5 accounts payable reports and when to use them

These five reports provide the most actionable insights for managing liabilities, cash flow, and vendor relationships.

AP aging report

An AP aging report categorizes unpaid invoices by vendor and aging bucket, usually in 30-day intervals. It helps you prioritize payments and forecast cash needs.

Use it to:

• Identify which vendors to pay first
• Review upcoming 30-day obligations and improve AP forecasting
• Resolve past due balances quickly to avoid late fees
• Track on-time payment rates and DPO trends month over month
• Allocate cash to critical suppliers during shortages

Regular AP aging report analysis turns reactive payment habits into proactive financial management.

AP aging report example

Here's a simple example of an accounts payable aging report:

You should be able to run an aging report by automatically pulling it from your ERP or accounts payable software using filters such as vendor, due date, or aging bucket.

AP reconciliation report

The AP reconciliation report matches your AP subledger to the general ledger. It highlights timing differences and recording errors so you can close the books accurately.

Steps to run it:

1. Compare the subledger ending balance to the GL balance
2. Investigate unmatched items (missing, duplicate, or misposted transactions)
3. Post correcting entries as needed
4. Export a period-end AP trial balance to confirm tie-outs

Payment activity report

A payment activity report summarizes business expenditures over a set period. It validates disbursements and supports audits.

You can segment payments by:

• Expense type (raw materials, supplies, loans, operations)
• Business unit (product lines, divisions, or regions)
• Vendor (to spot top suppliers or negotiate discounts)
• Transaction size (flag high-value items for review)
• Payment method (ACH, check, card, and exceptions)

Analyzing this data improves budget allocations and helps forecast future obligations based on historical spending patterns.

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Discount report

A discount report shows which vendors offer early-payment discounts and tracks which were taken or missed.

Use it to:

• Prioritize vendors that provide discounts
• Compare suppliers based on discount terms
• Spot opportunities to negotiate new discounts
• Reduce costs by capturing savings over time

Vendor performance report

A vendor performance report summarizes how much each vendor has invoiced over a period and adds metrics to evaluate relationship quality.

It helps you:

• Track where most of your spend goes
• Spot overreliance on a single vendor
• Align payments with discount opportunities
• Measure lead times, defect rates, and SLA adherence

Regularly reviewing vendor performance reports helps you optimize supplier relationships and improve payment efficiency. Together, these AP reports give you full visibility into vendor relationships and payment processes for stronger financial control.

AP reporting best practices

Follow these AP reporting best practices to keep data accurate, controls strong, and processes efficient:

• Standardize vendor IDs, terms, and GL codes, and keep masters clean
• Enforce approvals and 2- or 3-way matching to prevent duplicates and fraud
• Schedule core reports (aging, open AP, payment activity) and share them routinely
• Reconcile subledgers to the GL every close and document tie-outs
• Capture discounts systematically and escalate disputes before they age into 90+ days
• Maintain audit-ready documentation, including voucher trails and approvals
• Automate intake with OCR or EDI, plus coding and exception alerts

Use Ramp to build and manage your AP reporting process

Reporting is an essential part of the AP process. Without reports, your data will be nothing more than numbers on a screen. Put those numbers to use by building reports that help you better understand your company’s financial health and cash position.

Ramp’s AP automation software may be just the solution you need. With Ramp, you can generate key AP reports and view them in a single dashboard, making it easy to streamline your monthly financial reviews. You can combine Ramp’s real-time financial data with your accounting software or ERP data to help you make better business decisions.

Want to try Ramp for yourself? Try an interactive demo to see what Ramp’s financial reporting features can tell you about your business.