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Setting Up AP Pay Categories

AP Pay Categories are optional sets of payable-type defaults and discount GL accounts. Each category can supply different default payable types for Expense, Job, Subcontract, Retainage, and SM Work Order lines, plus Discount Offered and Discount Taken accounts used when payment posting applies discounts.

Liability GL still comes from each payable type. The category does not replace the type's liability account. It chooses which type defaults apply per line kind and which discount accounts post when discounts are taken. Categories can also restrict which payable types are allowed when a category is on the transaction.

Pay Categories are optional. If a transaction has no category, or categories are unused, pay-type defaults come from AP Company Parameters.

Before you start​

  • Payable types already exist for every slot you will assign on a category (Expense, Job, Subcontract, Retainage, SM Work Order).
  • On AP Company Parameters, enable Using Payable Category before you create categories. That switch is the form prerequisite for category defaults to apply.
  • Know the Discount Offered and Discount Taken GL accounts that should post when payment batches take discounts under each category.
  • Have permission to change AP setup forms.

Steps​

  1. Open AP Company Parameters and confirm Using Payable Category is checked.

  2. Open AP Pay Category.

  3. Create a category. Field limits from the Trimble form:

    • Category number is 0-9999 (or use N / New / + as the form allows)
    • Description is at most 30 characters

  4. On the category, set the payable type defaults for each system slot:

    • Expense
    • Job
    • Subcontract
    • Retainage
    • SM Work Order

    Assign a distinct Retainage payable type. Vista assigns retainage from that slot automatically; operators cannot override retainage type at invoice entry.

  5. Enter Discount Offered and Discount Taken GL accounts on the category. Blank discount GLs can fail payment-batch posting when discounts apply.

  6. If the form exposes type restrictions for the category, set which payable types are allowed when this category is used. Liability GL still comes from each allowed payable type itself.

  7. Save the category.

  8. Confirm category defaults and discount accounts with a sample invoice and a payment that takes a discount before relying on the category in production.

Notes​

  • If a transaction has no category (or Using Payable Category is off / categories are unused), pay-type defaults come from AP Company Parameters.
  • The category's Retainage payable type must be distinct from the other slots. Retainage assignment at entry is system-controlled and non-overridable.
  • Override behavior for non-retainage types is controlled by Allow Payable Type Override and the company payable-type defaults on AP Company Parameters. See that article for default precedence with VA User Profile; avoid re-documenting F3 override patterns here.
  • Discount GLs live on the category; liability GLs live on the payable type. Keep both sides complete when discounts are in use.
  • Related setup: AP Company Parameters, AP Payable Types, AP Vendors, AP Transaction Entry, Paying AP Invoices.