Uploading Invoices

Last updated: May 10, 2026

Overview

How an invoice is captured directly affects whether it posts automatically or gets held for review. Blurry photos, out-of-order pages, or the wrong location can break extraction, matching, or submission. This article walks through the practices that keep uploads clean and improve reconciliation accuracy.

For background on what happens after upload, see Parts Invoicing: How It Works.

Photo and PDF Best Practices

Whether you're using the mobile app or the web uploader, a few habits make a meaningful difference in extraction quality.

Same Document, Correct Order

Every image in a single submission must be from the same invoice. If the invoice spans multiple pages, upload them in order (e.g., page 1 first, then page 2, and so on). Mixing in pages from a different invoice or uploading them out of order breaks line matching and totals.

Framing and Orientation

Fill the frame. Crop or rescan so the paper takes up most of the picture with minimal empty margin around it. Keep each photo right-side up, not sideways or upside down. PartBay relies on text orientation for extraction, and rotated images significantly hurt extraction.

Lighting and Sharpness (Mobile)

The mobile app may reject images that are too blurry, too dark, or too bright. To get clean captures:

  • Hold the phone steady or rest it on a surface

  • Tap to focus on the printed text before capturing

  • Avoid glare, especially on glossy invoices

  • Move to better lighting if the preview looks washed out or dim

PDF vs. Photos (Web)

On the web uploader, you can submit either a set of images or a single PDF in one submission but not both at once. Use whichever format the invoice arrived in. If a vendor emailed you a PDF, then upload the PDF directly rather than photographing the screen.

Submission Fields

Each upload also requires (or strongly benefits from) a few pieces of context.

Location

The shop location the invoice belongs to. Picking the wrong location sends the invoice to the wrong Nexsyis posting path.

Invoice type

Match the paper: received, returned, or return slip. On web, auto-detect is available where offered.

Repair order (RO)

The six-digit RO when you know it. If you skip it where allowed, PartBay may read the RO from the document.

What Happens If You Skip the RO / PO

If you leave the RO / PO blank and PartBay can't read it from the document, the invoice will flag with an RO / PO badge after upload. You'll need to enter the correct RO / PO or use the "Refresh Nexsyis Data" button in the invoice detail view before the invoice can be submitted.

When in doubt, enter the RO / PO at upload. It's faster than fixing it later!

FAQs

Can I upload multiple invoices at once?

Each submission represents one invoice. If you have several invoices to process, upload them one at a time. All images or pages within a single submission must belong to the same invoice.

What if part of the invoice is cut off in my photo?

Re-take the photo with the full document in frame. Cut-off totals or line items will cause extraction errors and reconciliation flags. It's faster to re-shoot than to fix bad data after upload.

The mobile app rejected my photo. What should I do?

The app rejects images that fail basic quality checks (too blurry, too dark, or too bright). Move to better lighting, tap to focus on the printed text, and hold steady. If the invoice is on glossy paper, angle it slightly to avoid glare.

Can I forward invoice emails instead of uploading manually?

Yes, if your shop has the email invoice inbox configured. See Invoicing Settings for setup details.

Does PartBay support handwritten invoices?

Yes, however OCR works best on printed text. Handwritten notes on an otherwise printed invoice are usually fine, but fully handwritten invoices will likely require manual line entry after upload.