Set who approves
Set up approval stages for each client and choose who approves the purchase.
Invoice approvals
that fit your business.
Capture and code invoices, then ask the right person to approve the purchase where sign-off is needed. Approvals are optional for each folder and included in your subscription. Let managers or clients confirm the purchase while finance handles the accounting.
14 days free, no payment details needed.
- For accounting and bookkeeping firmsPrepare client books and make document collection easier.See benefits for your practice See benefits for your practice
For accounting and bookkeeping firms
Explore the practice workflowClient sign-off, with a clear record for your team.
For your practice
Set up approval stages, follow up on outstanding approvals and review the accounting details.
For your clients
Review assigned invoices in the mobile app or on the web and approve the purchase. Your practice handles the accounting.
Make approval easy for clients
Clients can review and approve assigned invoices on the web or in the mobile app.
Keep decisions with the invoice
Keep the full approval history with the invoice and its data, including who approved or rejected it, and what is still awaiting approval.
- For businessesCollect invoices, manage approvals and prepare your accounts.See benefits for your business See benefits for your business
For businesses
Explore the business workflowEach invoice goes to the right person for approval.
Set up approval stages for your business and choose who approves at each stage. Managers can review and approve invoices in the mobile app or on the web, while finance prepares them for export.
Set who approves
Set approval stages for your company and assign the people responsible for sign-off.
Make approval easy for managers
Managers can review and approve assigned invoices on the web or in the mobile app.
Keep decisions with the invoice
Finance can see the full approval history alongside the invoice and its data, including who approved or rejected it, and what is still awaiting approval.
Everything in invoice approvals.
Every approval feature in one place. Select a feature to read how it works.
| Feature | What it does | Every plan |
|---|---|---|
| Set up the workflow | ||
| Approval stages | Send invoices through one or more stages in order. | Included |
| Any or All per stage | One person’s sign-off is enough, or everyone in the stage must approve. | Included |
| Conditional routing | Route by supplier, amount or currency, plus fields from your accounting software. | Included |
| Workflow per folder | Give each client, site or company its own approval workflow, or switch approvals off. | Included |
| Folder roles | Admins, Users and Approver-only members each see and change only what their role allows. | Included |
| Keep approvals moving | ||
| Substitutes | Cover approvals while someone is away, and move invoices already waiting. | Included |
| Second opinion | An approver adds a colleague to the current stage before signing. | Included |
| Exceptions | Assign a new approver when the original one is no longer available. | Included |
| Email updates | Approvers choose immediate emails, a scheduled summary or none. | Included |
| Reminders | Automatic month-end reminders and manual reminders after 24 hours. | Included |
| Mobile app | Review and approve in the Datamolino app for iPhone and Android. | Included |
| Browser approval | Approve on a phone or desktop browser, with nothing to install. | Included |
| Automate | ||
| Trusted suppliers | Invoices from suppliers an admin marks as trusted are approved automatically. | Included |
| Auto-export after approval | Send approved invoices to Xero, QuickBooks or FreeAgent without a manual step. | Included |
| Control and record | ||
| Separate sign-off and accounting | The approver confirms the purchase; finance checks codes, tax and tracking. | Included |
| Keep documents editable | Your bookkeeper can finish the coding during and after approval. | Included |
| Approval before export | Invoices that need approval can’t be exported until approved; admin skips are recorded. | Included |
| Approval history | Who approved or rejected, when, and what is still waiting, kept with the invoice. | Included |
| Audit Trail PDF in Xero | Attach the approval record and coding to the bill in Xero on export. | Included |
Choose who approves and in what order.
Set up your approval workflow once, and the full approval history stays with the invoice.
Require one person or everyone to approve.
Assign people to each stage. Choose Any when one person’s sign-off is enough, or All when everyone assigned must approve.
For example
Either department manager can approve the first stage, while the next stage can require approval from both finance approvers.
Send the invoice down the right route.
Set conditions based on supplier, amount or currency. Additional fields are available through your accounting integration.
Workflows are checked in order, and the first matching workflow applies. Invoices that don’t match a custom workflow will follow the Default path.
Resolve a missing approver in one place.
If an approver is no longer available, the invoice moves to Exceptions. An administrator can assign the correct approver and continue the approval process.
Keep approvals moving while someone is away.
Name a substitute from the folder for holidays or sick leave, for set dates or until you switch it off. New approvals go to the substitute, and you choose whether invoices already waiting move to them too.
The audit trail records each decision under the substitute’s name and the approver they covered for.
How approver substitutes workAsk a colleague to approve too.
An approver who is unsure can add another folder member to the current stage before signing. The invoice then needs their approval as well before it moves on.
This changes only that invoice, not the workflow, and the audit trail shows who added whom and when.
How to add an approverHelp approvers keep up.
Approvers choose whether, and how often, they’re notified about invoices waiting for approval. Folder Admins can set up month-end and manual reminders.
Choose immediate updates or a summary.
Approvers can choose immediate email updates or a scheduled summary of invoices waiting for their approval.
Bring attention to work that is waiting.
Set automatic month-end reminders for folders where deadlines matter.
Additional manual reminders are available and can be sent after 24 hours to anyone still waiting to approve.
Review and approve from your phone.
The assigned approver can make the decision wherever they are.
Approve in the mobile app.
Review and approve invoices in the Datamolino mobile app. Clients and managers can sign off without waiting to return to the office.
Access is limited to the documents assigned to the approver and their permissions.
Approve in your browser too.
Approvers can also review and approve invoices in a browser, on their phone or desktop. The invoice and its approval history stay in the same workflow for your bookkeeping or finance team.
Approve the purchase. Finish the accounting.
Separate purchase approvals from the accounting work, so each can be handled by the right person.
The right person approves the purchase.
The client or manager reviews the invoice and approves the purchase, while the bookkeeper or finance team handles the accounting.
The approver checks that the purchase belongs to the business and the amount is right. Finance checks account codes, tax rates and supported tracking fields. Each folder can have its own workflow, including folders connected to the same accounting organisation.
Let the bookkeeper finish the coding.
Enable the Keep documents editable workflow setting when your finance or bookkeeping team needs to review or make changes to a document after approval.
Users can only make changes allowed by their permissions.
With Keep documents editable on, Admins and Users can edit during and after approval. It overrides stage edit permissions and Lock mode for those roles. Approver-only users still follow their assigned stage permissions and cannot edit after approval. Leave automatic export after approval off when finance must complete the final review.
Set up purchase sign-off and accounting reviewRequire approval before export.
Invoices that require approval must be approved before export. Admins can skip approval and export when needed; the invoice is then marked as skipped in Approvals and in its history.
Send approved invoices straight to your accounting software.
Turn on auto-export for a workflow path, and invoices are exported to Xero, QuickBooks or FreeAgent as soon as the last approval is in. Leave it off on paths where finance does a final review.
How auto-export after approval worksSkip approval for suppliers you trust.
A folder admin can mark a supplier as trusted. Their invoices are approved automatically, without going through the workflow, and can be exported automatically too.
Each invoice is marked as approved by the system for a trusted supplier, and admins can review the full list of trusted suppliers in Approval settings.
How trusted suppliers workKeep the approval record with the invoice.
Attach the Audit Trail to the invoice in Xero, so your accounting team can access it alongside the original document.
Export the Approval Audit Trail to Xero.
Enable Audit Trail to include it with the invoice when you export.
Your team can then access it directly alongside the invoice in Xero.
What’s included in the Audit Trail.
The Audit Trail PDF includes the invoice details, the approval history of the completed round and the coding used on the document, giving you a clear record of who approved it and when.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a separate approval product?
No. Invoice approvals are included in your Datamolino subscription. Choose the stages and people that fit your process.
Can I combine Any and All stages?
Yes. Each stage has its own setting. One person can complete the first stage, while everyone assigned must complete the next.
How does this compare with ApprovalMax?
Datamolino brings capture, coding and included approvals into one workflow. Compare the stage setup, editing and approval evidence for your process.
Compare Datamolino and ApprovalMaxCan I use invoice capture without approval stages?
Yes. Approvals are included, and you switch them on per folder. Capture, code and export invoices without approval stages in folders where sign-off is not required.
Can the bookkeeper finish coding after approval?
Yes. Enable Keep documents editable for the workflow so Admins and Users in the folder can finish the accounting detail after approval. Approver-only users cannot edit. Use manual export when the bookkeeper needs to control the final handover.
What does the Audit Trail PDF contain?
It contains the invoice details, the approval history of the completed approval round and the coding used on the document. Earlier approval rounds stay in Datamolino.
See your approval workflow
in Datamolino.
Show us how your approvals work, and we’ll show you how to set them up in Datamolino: from approval stages and reminders to the final accounting review.
Do you need a separate approval subscription?
If invoice capture, coding and purchase sign-off cover your needs, Datamolino’s included approvals may reduce your subscription costs. Compare any purchase-order, budget and payment controls you still need.