How to know what you owe contractors before payment

Build the amount from reviewed records

For the selected Company and date range, check the records behind the amount.

Do not use a chat message as the final financial record when a reviewed source exists. Messages can explain context, but they are difficult to reconcile later and easy to separate from the amount they changed.

Keep the total connected to its sources so the reviewer can see why the number exists.

For example, 10 approved hours at USD 50 per hour plus an approved USD 25 expense gives USD 525. A Company invoice for that same work supports the USD 525; it does not add another USD 525. This assumes the same Company and review period, with no other amounts or adjustments.

• Time: use the approved Timesheet for the period and the rate evidence captured with its submitted time. Saved entries and unapproved Timesheets are not approved time evidence.
• Expenses: approved Company expenses contribute by expense date within the range. Draft or rejected expenses do not contribute; submitted expenses in that range need a review decision first.
• Invoices: check the linked Company invoice against the supported Contractor amount in the same currency. It does not replace missing approved work. Private My business client invoices stay separate.
• Dates and terms: approval alone is not enough. Check the source dates and applicable rate. Do not assume out-of-range records or every rate arrangement will be included; follow Needs attention.

Make blockers specific

Suppose a design studio reviews Aug. 1–15 for three contractors. Maya has approved time and the applicable hourly rate. Eli submitted time, but the Timesheet has not been reviewed. Rowan has an approved expense, but the invoice does not match the supported amount.

Maya may be ready for amount review. Eli and Rowan need attention first.

A useful system says what is missing, who can act, and where to resolve it. “Not ready” is not enough. “Review Eli’s Timesheet” is useful. “Match Rowan’s invoice” is useful.

For Eli, an authorized reviewer approves the Timesheet or requests a specific change. For Rowan, compare the invoice with the approved work and expenses in the same currency. Use Request correction for a wrong invoice when offered, or fix the supporting record if that is wrong. Do not change a correct invoice to force a match.

After resolving the source issue, return and choose Review amounts again. Ask an Owner or Admin if the needed action is missing. The related guides below explain these decisions and corrections.

Confirming an amount does not send payment

This boundary is essential. When an authorized person confirms what the company owes, the result can become Ready to pay. The review is complete and the amount is finalized. Confirming the amount does not move money. Friday Falcon does not transfer contractor payments.

Keeping those steps separate leaves the company free to use its normal payment method: bank transfer, wire, Payoneer, Wise, check, an accounting platform, or another method. After the payment occurs, the business enters the payment evidence and updates the remaining balance.

• Approved: a reviewer accepted a source item.
• Ready to pay: the final amount has been confirmed.
• Partially paid: some payment has been entered and a balance remains.
• Paid: the payment evidence covers the amount owed.

Preserve the confirmed result

Once the company relies on a confirmed amount, silently changing its supporting records creates a traceability problem. Preserve the finalized result and make later corrections explicit.

Before confirmation, correct the source. Use Request a correction for a saved Time Entry when offered. If its Timesheet is already approved, an authorized person must reopen it for revised approved evidence; changing the entry alone does not rewrite that Timesheet. The related time guides explain both paths.

For an expense, use Correct expense and Create corrected draft where offered, then submit it for review again. For a returned Company invoice, use More, then Prepare correction where available, and save and resubmit. Give the requested reason; earlier versions and decisions remain in history. Actions depend on state and access.

After confirmation, do not assume those steps recalculate the amount. Ask the Owner or Admin to review the original source and the action offered. If none is available, contact support through Help before treating a replacement as a change to that amount. Do not create a duplicate expense or payment record to force a match.

A short amount-review checklist

Before confirming amounts owed, ask:

• Are the contractors and date range correct?
• Are required Timesheets reviewed?
• Do the rates and effective dates match the work?
• Are expenses reviewed?
• Does the invoice support the amount where an invoice is required?
• Does the total make sense beside its source records?

Use the same cut-off each time

A repeatable review is easier when everyone knows which date range is being finalized and when new records belong in the next one. That does not require a payroll calendar. It requires a clear cut-off and a consistent rule for late changes.

If an invoice or correction arrives after confirmation, keep the original review and new evidence identifiable. Check its actual dates and state with the Owner or Admin before choosing a review. Moving an old expense into a later review or creating another invoice does not itself correct the confirmed amount.