Sage Payments for Sage Accounts

Sage Help Centre

You can use your Sage Payments account to pay your suppliers and HMRC directly from Sage Accounts, which can save you lots of time. Simply process your payments as normal and submit them through your Sage Payments account.

To find out more about Sage Payments, visit Get started with Sage Payments.

Quick, safe and secure

Sage Payments offers an alternative, secure way to pay your suppliers and HMRC, with the added advantage that it links directly to your Sage Accounts software.

Payments are sent directly from Sage Accounts to your Sage Payments account and then must be authorised, providing an extra layer of security.

Everything in one place

To make it easy to view all of your Sage Payments information, including any outstanding tasks, Sage Accounts has a new Sage Payments module.

This is available once you set up your Sage Payments account and link it to your software. From here, you can see at a glance anything you need to complete.

 

 

Sage Payments is a service provided by Sage Payments (UK) Ltd, a limited company registered in England and Wales under company number 08586408. Sage Payments (UK) Ltd is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011 (Register Reference: 900180) for the issuing of electronic money.

If you don't already have a Sage Payments account, you must set this up before you can link your software. Find out more in Get started with Sage Payments.

To link your Sage Payments account to Sage Accounts, you'll need your Sage Payments login details and PIN, which you set up as part of your Sage Payments application. If more than one person uses Sage Accounts, you can also set up access rights to control who can access the Sage Payments module.

1. Install your Sage Payments update

2. Link Sage Accounts to Sage Payments

3. Control access to Sage Payments

4. Set up international payments

1. Install Sage Accounts plus any updates

Once you've signed up to Sage Payments, if you haven't already you must install Sage Accounts v21 or above together with any available updates.

Tip: If you have Sage Accounts installed, you can check the software version in Help > About.

  1. If required, download and install Sage Accounts. Read more >>
  2. To install any available updates > open Sage Accounts > Help > Check For Updates > follow the on-screen prompts.
  3. If you store your data separately on a server without Sage Accounts installed, you must also install any available server updates.

You can now open Sage Accounts and link it to your Sage Payments account.

2. Link Sage Accounts to Sage Payments

To get started you must create a new Sage Payments bank record and link your Sage Accounts company data to your Sage Payments account.

  1. Open Sage Accounts > enter the Manager logon name, and related password if you've set one up.
  2. Settings > Company Preferences > Sage Payments tab.
  3. Click the Step 2 drop-down list > New > A/C Ref > enter an account reference for your Sage Payments account, for example, 1201 > amend the account name if required.
  4. Save > choose the newly created account from the list > OK.
  5. Select the Enable Sage Payments check box > OK.
  6. Enter your Sage Payments login details > Sign In > enter the requested digits from your PIN > Continue > Allow.
  7. Select the Sage Payments account you want to link to > read the declaration then select the I certify that... check box > Link account.

    8. Note: A single Sage Payments account must only be used for one business or legal entity. By selecting the check box, you confirm that the Sage Accounts data belongs to the same legal entity that holds the Sage Payments account.

Video Watch the video >>

You've now set up your Sage Payments bank record and linked your Sage Accounts data to your Sage Payments account.

Note:  Your Sage Payments account is a virtual wallet, also known as an e-wallet, that allows you to hold an e-money balance for the purposes of making payments. Your account is not a physical bank account but is a virtual wallet allowing us to virtually segregate your funds. For further information, please visit www.sagepayments.co.uk

3. Control access to the Sage Payments module

Everyone who will send information from Sage Accounts to Sage Payments must be set up as a user in both Sage Payments and Sage Accounts. If they already have a login for Sage Accounts, you can allow or deny access to the Sage Payments module as required.

  1. Within your Sage Payments account, add the required users. Read more >>
  2. Sage Accounts > log in using the Manager logon name, and related password if you've set one up > Settings > Access Rights.
  3. To create a new user, click New > enter a user name and password.
    To edit an existing user name, select the user name > Edit.
  4. To allow or deny access to the Sage Payments module, expand the Bank option > select or clear the Sage Payments check box as required > amend any other permissions as required > OK.

    5. Note: If you clear the Sage Payments check box, this prevents the user from viewing the Sage Payments module. However, provided they are set up as a user in Sage Payments, they can still submit supplier and payment information to Sage Payments.

  5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 as required > Close.
Video Watch the video >>

You're now set up and ready to start making payments.

4. Set up international payments

If you want to make international payments using your Sage Payments Account, you must activate Foreign Trader within Sage Accounts. You must then create a new bank record for each currency you want to make payments in.

Note: If you're not using Sage Accounts Professional, you must purchase the Foreign Trader feature separately. To find out more, visit the Sage shop.

To activate Foreign Trader

Tip: If you currently post multi-currency transactions in Sage Accounts, the Foreign Trader option is already active.

  1. Tools > Activation > Enable Foreign Trader.

    2. Note: Sage 50 Accounts Plus and below - If prompted for a serial number and activation key, you can get this by calling Sage Payments Customer Services on 0845 111 5555. Calls to 0845 numbers from the UK cost two pence per minute, plus your phone company's access charge. For full contact options, please visit our Contact us page >>

  2. OK > Next > Revaluation N/C box > enter a nominal code for the revaluation control account.

    3. Note: This nominal code is used for automatic revaluation postings that account for exchange rate differences when you post foreign currency transactions. By default this is nominal code 7906 - Exchange Rate Variance. If you already using this nominal code and there are transactions associated with it, this box is left blank for you to enter an alternative nominal code.

  3. Update method > choose how the currency records update when you manually enter an exchange rate for a transaction:
    Always Prompt to save exchange rate changes When you enter an exchange rate, this option prompts you to save the exchange rate to the currency record.
    Automatically save any exchange rate changes to currency record When you enter an exchange rate, this option automatically saves the exchange rate to the currency record, without warning.
    Never save any exchange rate changes When you enter an exchange rate, this option doesn't save the exchange rate to the currency record. To update the currency records you must go to Settings > Currencies.
  4. Next > Finish.

To create foreign currency bank records

  1. Bank accounts > New/Edit drop-down > New.
  2. A/C Ref > enter a new nominal code within the bank accounts nominal range, for example, 1201 > Nominal Name > enter a new account name, for example, Euro - Sage Payments.

    3. Tip: You can check the nominal code range used for your bank accounts in Nominal codes > Chart of accounts > select your chart of account > Edit > Balance Sheet tab > Current assets.

  3. Currency drop-down > choose the currency you want to use.
  4. Save > Close.

To make an international supplier payment, you must select the bank record for the relevant currency instead of the default Sage Payments bank record.

Note:  Your Sage Payments account is a virtual wallet, also known as an e-wallet, that allows you to hold an e-money balance for the purposes of making payments. Your account is not a physical bank account but is a virtual wallet allowing us to virtually segregate your funds. For further information, please visit www.sagepayments.co.uk

You're now ready to start using Sage Payments in Sage Accounts.

1. Set your suppliers' payment method

2. Pay your
suppliers

3. Pay VAT liability to HMRC

1. Set your suppliers' payment method

Before you can use Sage Payments to pay a supplier, you must change their payment method to Sage Payments. You must then submit their details for approval by your Sage Payments account approver and Sage Payments. You can do this one supplier at a time, or if you prefer, you can change multiple records at once using Batch changes.

Tip: If you want to make international payments, you must also choose the relevant currency in the supplier record > Defaults > Currency.

To set the payment method for a single supplier and submit for approval
To set the payment method for a batch of suppliers and submit for approval

Once approved, you can pay those suppliers via Sage Payments. You can see the approval status of a supplier at any time in Suppliers > Payee status column.

Note: If you have suppliers that use foreign currencies, once they're approved, to get the latest exchange rates, open the Sage Payments module > click Refresh.

2. Pay your suppliers

To pay one supplier
  1. Sage Accounts > Bank accounts > Payments drop-down > Supplier Payments.
  2. Bank A/C Ref > choose the Sage Payments account > OK.

    3. Note: To make an international payment, select the relevant currency bank record instead of the default Sage Payments account.

  3. Payee > choose the relevant supplier > OK.

    4. Note: If making an international payment, ensure the Submit to Sage Payments check box is selected.

  4. Enter the date, reference and payment amount.
  5. Enter the required payment amount against each invoice > Save.
  6. If prompted, enter your Sage Payments login details > Sign In > enter the requested digits from your PIN > Continue > Allow > OK.

    7. The payment details are sent to Sage Payments for authorisation.

    Tip: If you post an international payment, the supplier payment posts to the relevant currency account, and a bank transfer posts automatically to reflect the payment in your default Sage Payments bank record.

  7. You or your Sage Payments account approver must now authorise the payment within the Sage Payments account. Read more >>
Video Watch the video >>

You can check the authorisation status of a payment at any time in Sage Accounts in Transactions > Status column.

To pay a batch of suppliers - Sage Accounts v22.0.10.318 and above
  1. Sage Accounts > Bank accounts > select your Sage Payments bank account > Batch supplier payment.

    2. Note: To make an international payment, select the relevant currency bank record instead of the default Sage Payments account.

  2. Date > enter your payment date.

    3. Note: If making an international payment, ensure the Send to Sage Payments check box is selected.

  3. Payment column > enter the required payment amount against each invoice > Save > OK.
  4. If prompted, enter your Sage Payments login details > Sign In > enter the requested digits from your PIN > Continue > Allow > OK.

    5. The payment details are sent to Sage Payments for authorisation.

    Tip: If you post an international payment, the supplier payment posts to the relevant currency account, and a bank transfer posts automatically to reflect the payment in your default Sage Payments bank record.

  5. You or your Sage Payments account approver must now authorise the payment within the Sage Payments account. Read more >>

Tip: For more information about processing payments, including payment limits, processing times and cut off times, please refer to our Payments Processing Guide.

3. Pay VAT liability to HMRC

If required, you can also make your VAT liability payments to HMRC via Sage Payments. To do this you must first submit the HMRC details to Sage Payments for approval.

Submit HMRC payment details to Sage Payments for approval
Make VAT liability payments to HMRC

In Sage Accounts, the Sage Payments module shows a summary of outstanding Sage Payments submissions and tasks.To access this, simply click Sage Payments.

The Sage Payments module contains the following four areas. The fourth area, Synchronise, only appears if you restore a backup, causing a difference between the payee information in your online Sage Payments account and Sage Accounts. For more information about each area, simply select the relevant option below.

Payees

Payments

Tasks

Synchronise

This area shows information about your payee submissions and any outstanding tasks you need to complete.

For your information

Shows how many supplier records in Sage Accounts currently require approval.

To view, print or send the list of suppliers to Excel, click Drill-down arrow.

To do

Shows how many of the following payee tasks you need to action.

  • Suppliers you need to submit to Sage Payments for approval.
  • Suppliers queried by your Sage Payments account approver.
  • Suppliers that are rejected.

To submit payees for approval, or view comments on queried or rejected payees, click Drill-down arrow. From here you can also print or send the list of suppliers to Excel.

This area shows information about your payment submissions and any outstanding tasks you need to complete.

For your information

Shows the following:

  • How many payments in Sage Accounts currently require authorisation.
  • How many payments in Sage Accounts are authorised but not yet paid.

To view, print or send the list of payments to Excel, click Drill-down arrow.

To do

Shows how many of the following payment tasks you may need to action.

  • Payments queried by your Sage Payments account approver.
  • Payments that are rejected.
  • Payments that failed.

To view comments on queried or rejected payments, click  Drill-down arrow. From here you can also print or send the list of payments to Excel.

This area shows maintenance tasks you need to do to ensure your Sage Payments account is accurate.

Foreign exchange revaluations

If you use Sage Payments to make international payments, this shows how many exchange rate revaluations you need to post. These postings ensure the balance on your Sage Payments account reflects changes in exchange rates. Gains or losses appear in the Exchange Rate Gain & Loss nominal code, 7906 by default.

To view, print or send the list of revaluations to Excel, click Drill-down arrow then to post foreign exchange revaluations:

  • Select the required revaluations > Post revaluation > Save.

If you restore a backup of your Sage Accounts data, this can result in differences between your accounts data and your live Sage Payments account. Payees and payments that you submitted after you took the backup will no longer show in Sage Accounts. This area shows any synchronisation issues you need to fix to ensure your Sage Accounts data is accurate.

Payees missing

Shows how many payees previously submitted to Sage Payments don't currently exist in Sage Accounts. This excludes failed and rejected payees.

To view, print or send the list of payees to Excel, click Drill-down arrow. To create a missing payee in Sage Accounts:

  • Select the payee > Create account > to edit the record click Edit record, otherwise click Close.

Once you've created all the missing payees you need, to permanently discard any remaining payees, click Discard remaining > OK.

Payments missing

Shows how many payments you've submitted to Sage Payments since you took the backup. This excludes failed and rejected payments.

To view, print or send the list of payments to Excel, click Drill-down arrow. To create missing payments in Sage Accounts:

  • Select the payments > Post payments > if using the VAT Cash Accounting scheme, choose the required tax code then click OK.

    This posts a supplier payment on account, or if paying HMRC, a bank payment.

Once you've created all the missing payments you need, to permanently discard any remaining payments, click Discard remaining > OK.

Here you can see what you're asking us about using Sage Accounts with Sage Payments.

Submitting payees and payments

When I submit a payee or payment, what details are sent to Sage Payments?

Payees

When you submit a payee to Sage Payments for authorisation, the following details are sent from your accounts data:

Submitting a supplier
Submitting HMRC details

Globally Unique Identifier (GUID). This doesn't appear in Sage Accounts.

Globally Unique Identifier (GUID). This doesn't appear in Sage Accounts.

Supplier company name

HM Revenue & Customs

Address line 1

VAT Controller

Address line 2

N/A

City

VAT Central Unit

County

N/A

Post code

BX5 5AT

Currency

GBP

Bank A/C Name

HMRC

Bank A/C No

The HMRC account number in:

Settings > Company Preferences > VAT > HMRC Payments > Account Number.

Sort code

The HMRC account number in:

Settings > Company Preferences > VAT > HMRC Payments > Sort Code.

BIC

N/A

IBAN

N/A

Supplier account reference

HMRC
Payments

When you submit a payment to Sage Payments for authorisation, the following details are sent from your accounts data:

Submitting a supplier payment
Submitting a payment to HMRC

Payee unique identifier. This doesn't appear in Sage Accounts.

Payee unique identifier. This doesn't appear in Sage Accounts.

Currency

GBP

Gross payment amount

Gross VAT payment amount
 

VAT registration number

Transaction date

Transaction date
 

VAT Return number

How can I check if a submission was successful?

To ensure your payee or payment is submitted:

  1. Sage Accounts > Sage Payments module > Refresh.
  2. Payees section > To do > submit any payees not yet submitted for approval.

What does the payee and payment status mean?

Payee status

When a supplier has a payment method of Sage Payments, the status shows which stage of the submission and approval process they’re currently at.
You can see the status in the supplier record > Bank tab, and also in Suppliers > Status column.

Status
Description

Not submitted to Sage Payments

The last submission wasn't successful. You must reopen the supplier record > Save > Submit now.

Requires submission

The supplier's payment method is set to Sage Payments and the supplier must be submitted for approval. Or you've changed critical details on an existing approved supplier and they must be resubmitted for approval.

Pending Sage approval / Pending

The supplier was submitted for approval and is awaiting Sage Payments checks.

Unable to process

The supplier was submitted for approval and has failed Sage Payments checks.

Requires approval

The supplier was submitted for approval and is awaiting approval by your Sage Payments account approver.

Rejected

The supplier was submitted for approval and was rejected by your Sage Payments account approver.

Query

The supplier was submitted for approval and was queried by your Sage Payments account approver.

Approved

The supplier is approved.
Payment status

You can see the status of payments in Transactions > Status column. The status shows which stage of the submission and authorisation process a payment is currently at.

Status
Description

Not submitted to Sage Payments

The last submission wasn't successful. To resubmit a payment, in Sage Accounts > click Sage Payments > Refresh.

Requires approval

The payment was submitted to Sage Payments and requires authorisation.

Rejected

The payment was submitted for authorisation and was rejected by your Sage Payments account approver.

Query

The payment was submitted for authorisation and was queried by your Sage Payments account approver.

Authorised

The payment is authorised.

Paid

The payment was made from your Sage Payments account.

Pending

The payment was submitted and is being processed.

Unable to process / Returned by payee bank

The payment was unsuccessful.

Once a supplier is approved for Sage Payments can I change the details on their record?

Once a supplier's approved, if you edit any of the following details on the supplier record, you must resubmit the supplier for approval.

  • Details tab > Company name, Street 1, Town or Post Code.
  • Bank tab > Bank Name, Street 1, Town or Post code
  • Bank tab > Account Name, Sort Code, Account Number, BIC/Swift or IBAN.

Reconciling Sage Payments with Sage Accounts

What if the details in Sage Accounts don't match my online Sage Payments account?

If there's a difference between your Sage Accounts data and your online Sage Payments account, you may need to refresh or synchronise your data.


Status doesn't match

If the status of a payee or payment doesn't match, you should refresh your data:

  • Sage Accounts > click Sage Payments > Refresh.

Payees or payments missing from Sage Accounts

A payee or payment may appear in your Sage Payments account but not in Sage Accounts if you've restored a backup of Sage Accounts data. To synchronise your data:

  1. Sage Accounts > click Sage Payments > Synchronise your data after restoring a backup section.
  2. Payees missing and Payments missing sections > create any missing entries. Read more >>

Payees or payments missing from Sage Payments account

If a payee or payment appears in Sage Accounts but not in Sage Payments, the supplier or payment details may not have submitted successfully for approval. Try the following:

  • Sage Accounts > click Sage Payments > Refresh.
  • Suppliers > Status column > check the status of the relevant supplier.

    • If the supplier status isn't Approved you must check the supplier's payment method then submit for approval. Read more >>

  • Transactions > Status column > check the status of the payment.

    • If the payment status is Not submitted to Sage Payments, the submission wasn't successful. To resubmit a payment, in Sage Accounts > click Sage Payments > Refresh.

  • Ensure that the login details you are using to access Sage Payments have sufficient access to the relevant company or data set. Read more >>

Sage Payments Account balance doesn't match

If the balance on the Sage Payments account record in Sage Accounts differs to the actual Sage Payments balance, you should reconcile the account to check for discrepancies. Possible reasons include:

  • You funded your Sage Payments account but you haven't posted a transaction in Sage Accounts to reflect this.
  • Payments were submitted to your Sage Payments accounts via your Sage Payroll software, or another Sage Accounts company.
  • A payment previously sent to a supplier from Sage Payments was returned.

How do I reconcile my Sage Payments account?

You can easily reconcile your Sage Payments account to ensure it matches your Sage Accounts data.

  1. Bank accounts > select the Sage Payments account > Reconcile.
  2. Enter a statement reference > enter the date you want to reconcile up to > enter your Sage Payments account balance as at that date > OK.
  3. Refresh > Match Sage Payments > ensure the Difference shows zero > Reconcile.

Tip: If there's a difference that you need to investigate and fix before reconciling, to save the current reconciliation click Save > OK. You can then return to it once you correct the difference.

Corrections, back up and restore

I've restored a backup and now Sage Accounts doesn't match my Sage Payments account.

If you restore a backup, payees and payments you submitted to Sage Payments after you took the backup don't appear in Sage Accounts. To fix this you must synchronise your data:

  1. Sage Accounts > click Sage Payments > Synchronise your data after restoring a backup section.
  2. Payees missing and Payments missing sections > create any missing entries. Read more >>

Can I restore a backup I took before I activated Sage Payments?

If you restore a backup that you took before you activated Sage Payments, a message appears advising you that Sage Payments will be removed from the company. If you continue and restore the data, all Sage Payments data, settings and statuses are removed from Sage Accounts.

Tip: You can still access your Sage Payments account but it's no longer linked to Sage Accounts.

Can I restore a backup containing Sage Payments information into a company that isn't linked to Sage Payments?

Yes. When you restore the backup, a message appears advising you that Sage Payments will activate. Once you restore the backup you must check for any synchronisation issues in:

  • Sage Accounts > Sage Payments > Synchronise your data after restoring a backup section. Read more >>

Can I delete a payment I posted in error and submitted to Sage Payments?

You can delete a payment transaction that you submitted to Sage Payments, provided it has a status of Failed or Rejected. If the transaction is currently awaiting authorisation, your Sage Payments account approver must reject the payment before you can delete it.

You can check the status in:

  • Transactions > Status column.

To delete the payment:

  • Transactions > select the payment transaction > Delete.

If the payment was authorised and sent to your supplier, you must contact your supplier to arrange a refund and post a refund in Sage Accounts:

  • Suppliers > Refunds > enter the refund details > Save.

Can I correct a payment with incorrect details if I've submitted it to Sage Payments?

When editing a transaction that you submitted to Sage Payments, you can't change the following details:

  • Bank account
  • Date
  • Amount
  • Supplier

Instead you must delete or reverse the transaction and post it again correctly. To do this, the transaction must have a status of Failed or Rejected. If the transaction is currently awaiting authorisation, your Sage Payments account approver must reject the payment before you can delete it.

You can check the status in:

  • Transactions > Status column.

To delete the payment:

  • Transactions > select the payment transaction > Delete.

If the payment has been authorised and sent to your supplier, you can post a normal refund in Sage Accounts:

  • Suppliers > Refunds > enter the refund details > Save.

If required you must contact your supplier to arrange any refund.

Sage Payments and Sage Accounts integration

What happens if I turn off Sage Payments in Sage Accounts?

Switching off Sage Payments in your Sage Accounts company does the following:

  • Permanently removes all links between your Sage Accounts data and your Sage Payments account.
  • Changes the supplier's payment method from Sage Payments to blank on all relevant records.
  • Removes all Sage Payments statuses from supplier records and transactions.
  • Removes the Sage Payments module.

Note: We recommend that you back up your Sage Accounts data before switching off Sage Payments as these changes aren't reversible.

What do I do if I turned off Sage Payments but I changed my mind?

If you switched off Sage payments and now want to switch it back on, you have two options:

  • Restore a backup you took before you turned off Sage Payments. You should then check for any synchronisation issues in Sage Accounts > Sage Payments > Synchronise your data after restoring a backup section. Then re-enter any transactions you've posted in Sage Accounts since you took the backup.
  • Switch on Sage Payments in Settings > Company Preferences > Sage Payments, then resubmit all relevant payees for approval.