This guide explains how to manage your recipients for Float Bill Pay to ensure accurate, on-time Bill Payments.
Guide Overview
How to Add Recipients to Float
How to Add a Recipient's Payment Details
- Manually Add the Recipient Payment Details in Float
- Send an Email Invite to the Recipient to Add Their Payment Details
- Bulk Send an Email Invite to Multiple Recipients to Add Their Payment Details
How to Edit a Recipient's Payment Details
Viewing a Recipient's Previous Payments
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to Add Recipients to Float
You can add recipients to Float in two ways:
Manually Adding the Recipient:
- Go to Bill Pay > Select "Manage Recipients" > Select "Add Recipient +"
Enter the recipient’s name, currency, and any other available details
- Save
Syncing a Recipient from Accounting Sync:
- If you’ve connected QuickBooks Online (QBO), NetSuite or Xero to Float, your recipients will automatically sync into Float
- Synced recipients inherit their currency from your accounting system and cannot have it changed in Float
For more details, see: QBO Integration Guide - CAD / Xero CAD Integration Guide / NetSuite Integration Guide
Important:
If you sync recipients from another system to Float or create them in Float without adding the mailing address and payment details, bills created for that recipient will show an "Incomplete recipient record" error message. To resolve this, Add a Recipient's Payment Details
How to Add a Recipient's Payment Details
There are two ways to add a recipient's payment details to Float:
Manually Add the Recipient Payment Details in Float
- Navigate to Bill Pay
- You can add the payment details in two ways:
- Select "Manage Recipients" > Select the recipient and add all of the payment details > Save
OR - Open the bill > in Step 1 (Recipient & Amount), select the pencil icon > Edit recipient > select the payment destination country, then the payment method > add the payment details and the recipient's address > select "Save Recipient"
- Select "Manage Recipients" > Select the recipient and add all of the payment details > Save
Note that in order to select a payment method other than "Wire", the "Payment Destination Country" field must first be selected. If the Payment Destination Country field is not populated, the Payment Method field won't be editable.
Paying this recipient outside of Float? Select "Paid off Float" as their payment method instead of adding payment details. Bills for this recipient still go through your approval workflow, and once a bill is approved, you'll need to manually mark it as paid. You can change the recipient's payment method and add their payment details at any time.
For more details, see: Marking Bills as Paid or Unpaid
Send an Email Invite to the Recipient to Add Their Payment Details
Rather than entering a recipient's payment details yourself, you can invite the recipient to submit them directly. This is useful for new or infrequent recipients whose banking details you don't have on hand.
To do so:
- Navigate to Bill Pay > Select "Manage Recipients"
- Choose one:
- New recipient: select "+ Add Recipient" > Fill out the name, currency and payment destination country (country where the receiving bank is located)
- Existing recipient: select the recipient from the list
- In the Payment Details section, select "Request from Recipient" > Add the recipient's details:
- [optionally] Select the Payment method
- Add the recipient's email
- Save to send the invite
- Once sent, you will see "Invite Pending" on the recipient's details panel
Important Considerations:
- If you leave the Payment Method field blank, the recipient will have the option to select it themselves
- The invitation link in the email will expire after 30 days
- An invite can be sent to an existing recipient (including one synced from your accounting software) only if they don't have payment details saved yet. If they do, update the details manually instead.
Bulk Send an Email Invite to Multiple Recipients to Add Their Payment Details
Instead of manually inviting your recipients individually to each add their own payment details, you can invite several recipients to submit their own payment details in one action. As long as they all share the same currency and payment destination country.
To do so:
- Go to Payments > Bill Pay > "Manage Recipients"
- Select "Invite" at the bottom of the panel
- Add the recipient's name and email address > Select "+ Add another recipient" to invite additional recipients
- Select the recipient's currency and the payment destination country
- Select "Submit" to send the invitation
Important Considerations:
- All recipients in a bulk invite must share the same currency and the same payment destination country
- Once sent, each invite can be managed individually - resend or cancel it the same way as a single invite
How to Edit a Recipient's Payment Details
Go to Bill Pay > Select "Manage Recipients"
Select the recipient and update their payment details
Save
Important:
- Changes to a recipient's payment details will apply to existing unpaid bills for that recipient
- Admins will be notified whenever a recipient's payment details have been changed
- If a bill already has a payment date scheduled and the recipient's payment details are changed, that bill will move back to the Needs Authorization tab on the Payments page and will need funds release approval again before it is processed
- It is not possible to remove a recipient's payment details once they have been added
- Changes don't apply to payments that have already been sent. If a payment was sent to the wrong bank account, contact us at support@floatfinancial.com.
Setting Recipient Defaults
Recipient defaults fill in the same details on every new bill for a recipient, so you don't have to enter them each time.
Go to Bill Pay > Select "Manage Recipients"
Select the recipient > Select the Settings tab
-
Choose a default for any of these fields. Each selection saves automatically:
- GL Code: applied to all line items on the bill
- Bill Approval Policy
- Payment Terms
- Default line item configuration: Optional (choose line items bill by bill), Always on or Always off
To remove a default, select Clear selection beside the field.
Important:
- Defaults apply to new bills only. Bills you've already created aren't changed
- You can change any default on an individual bill. The change applies to that bill only and doesn't update the recipient's default
- If you change the recipient on a bill, Float applies the new recipient's defaults without overwriting anything you've already entered
- If a field has no default and you haven't cleared it, Float saves the value from the first bill for that recipient. A GL code is saved only when every line item on the bill uses the same GL code. Payment terms are saved when the bill is submitted for approval
Viewing a Recipient's Previous Payments
Go to Bill Pay > Select "Manage Recipients"
Select the recipient > Select the previous payments button at the top of the recipient panel (for example, "2 previous payments")
The Payments panel shows:
- Total paid: the total you've paid this recipient, and the number of payments
- Last paid: the amount and date of your most recent payment
- Past payments: each payment's date and amount. Select the header to expand or collapse the list
- Upcoming payments: payments still to be sent to this recipient, and their total
How to Delete a Recipient
Go to Settings > Vendors
Select "Delete" in the "Action" column beside the recipient
Important:
Recipients synced from your Accounting Sync will only be deleted from Float and will not be deleted in your Accounting Sync
Recipient Currencies
The recipient's currency, when created (in Float or synced from your accounting system), will dictate the currency of bill payments that can be made to that recipient. USD bill payments can't be made to a CAD recipient and vice versa.
Note: You can’t change a recipient’s currency once it has been set. If you need to pay a bill in a different currency, create a new recipient in the same currency as the bill.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Will changing a recipient's defaults update bills I've already created?
Why didn't Float save a GL code as the recipient's default?
Can I remove a recipient's payment details?
If I change a recipient's payment details, will they apply to existing bills with that recipient?
How do I add my recipient's intermediary bank details, if they are required?
Can I use a P.O. box for the recipient's address in their payment details?
Can I make a USD payment to a USD-denominated recipient bank account via EFT?
When are payment confirmation emails sent to recipients?
How do Bill Pay recipients relate to Send Money recipients?
Why am I receiving an error when trying to create a new recipient in Float (QBO customers)?
Why does my Xero recipient show as CAD when its invoices are in USD?
What happens to recipients I added in Float when I connect an accounting system?
Can I choose what payment method the recipient uses when I invite them?
How long does a recipient have to complete an invite before it expires?
Can I cancel a recipient invite after I've sent it?
Can I resend the invitation to the recipient?
Can I send email invites to multiple recipients at once?
Do I need to add payment details to a recipient if I want to pay them outside of Float?
Why can't I add Wire payment details to a recipient?
Will changing a recipient's defaults update bills I've already created?
No. Defaults only apply to bills created after the change. To update an existing bill, edit it directly.
Why didn't Float save a GL code as the recipient's default?
Float only saves a GL code from a bill when every line item uses the same code. If the bill's line items use different GL codes, no default is saved. You can set one yourself from the recipient's Settings tab.
Can I remove a recipient's payment details?
No. Once payment details are added to a recipient, they cannot be removed. You can only change or update the details.
If I change a recipient's payment details, will they apply to existing bills with that recipient?
Yes. Changes to a recipient's payment details will apply to existing unpaid bills for that recipient automatically. You do not need to move bills back to Drafts or delete and re-import them.
However, if changes are made to a recipient's payment details and there's an existing bill to that recipient, which has already been scheduled for payment, the payment will automatically be moved back to the Needs Authorization tab of the Payments page and will need funds release approval again before the new payment date.
Changes don't apply to payments that have already been sent. If a payment was sent to the wrong bank account, contact us at support@floatfinancial.com.
How do I add my recipient's intermediary bank details, if they are required?
Float Bill Pay doesn't have a field for intermediary bank details. If your recipient's invoice lists an intermediary bank, enter only the details of your recipient's own bank (the final bank). Most international wires reach the recipient's bank without an intermediary.
If your recipient's bank confirms that it requires an intermediary to receive the payment, the payment can't be sent through Float Bill Pay, and you'll need to pay it through your bank or another method.
Can I use a P.O. box for the recipient's address in their payment details?
No, it is not possible to use a P.O. box for a recipient's address in their payment details. Float’s payment partner requires the recipient’s physical registered business address, and P.O. box addresses are not supported.
Removing the P.O. box number (for example, using only the street name with no box number) will not work and can lead to the payment failing.
Why am I getting the error "The routing number could not be found" while saving a recipient's payment details?
This error usually occurs because the transit number is incorrect.
A common mistake is assuming that the branch number and transit number are the same. While this may be true for some banks, it is often not true.
To avoid this error:
Do not rely on a branch number pulled from online banking or other sources
Always use the transit number provided on a void cheque or a direct deposit (DD) form
Confirm that the institution number and account number are also entered correctly
Can I make a USD payment to a USD-denominated recipient bank account via EFT?
Yes! CA-domiciled Float businesses can make USD bill payments to a recipient's CA-domiciled USD-denominated bank account through the EFT payment rail.
To do so:
- Go to Bill Pay > Manage Recipients > Search and select your USD recipient
- How to add EFT details to the USD recipient:
- The recipient currency must be USD
- The payment destination country must be Canada
- You'll then be able to select EFT as the payment method
- Add their EFT details and the company details > Save
Important considerations:
- Your business must be CA-domiciled
- The recipient's USD-denominated bank account must be CA-domiciled
When are payment confirmation emails sent to recipients?
Payment confirmation emails are automatically sent to recipients after funds release approval has been given for the invoice.
For more details, see: Sending Bill Payment Confirmations to Recipients
How do Bill Pay recipients relate to Send Money recipients?
Every Bill Pay recipient is automatically available as a recipient in Send Money. They are referred to as a Business Recipient, using the same payment details you've already set up in Bill Pay. Updating a recipient's payment details in Bill Pay updates them in Send Money too, since it's the same underlying record.
Send Money also supports Individual Recipients, for personal or one-off payments that don't need to go through your Bill Pay workflow. These exist only in Send Money, they don't appear in your Bill Pay recipient list, and creating one has no effect on Bill Pay.
For more details, see: Managing Send Money Recipients
Why am I receiving an error when trying to create a new recipient in Float (QBO customers)?
If you're trying to add a new recipient or recipient in Float and get an error, it may be because the name you're using already exists somewhere else in your connected QuickBooks Online (QBO) company, as a vendor, customer, supplier, or employee.
This is a QBO limitation, not a Float bug.
How to fix:
- Check QBO first. Search your QBO account for the name you're trying to use under Customers, Vendors, Suppliers, and Employees. In most cases, you'll find it already exists under one of those lists.
- Reuse the existing record where possible. If the name already exists as a vendor in QBO, select that existing recipient in Float instead of creating a new one.
- If it exists as a customer or employee, not a recipient, when creating the recipient in Float, name it something distinct, for example "Acme Inc. (Customer)" or "Acme Inc. (Employee)."
- This should allow you to create the recipient without any issues.
Why does my Xero recipient show as CAD when its invoices are in USD?
Float takes a synced recipient's currency from the contact's default currency in Xero. If the contact has none, Float uses your business's home currency (usually CAD), and a recipient's currency can't be changed once it's set.
To pay this payee in USD, check whether Xero has a second contact for them (for example, a supplier contact) with USD as its default currency. If it does, sync and use that recipient. Otherwise, create a new recipient in USD, as described in Recipient Currencies.
What happens to recipients I added in Float when I connect an accounting system?
If you added recipients in Float before connecting your accounting software for the first time, connecting it replaces them with the vendors synced from your accounting system. Recipients created in Float, including any payment details saved on them, are removed. Once you're connected, add payment details to the synced recipients, or invite each recipient to add their own.
For more details, see: Accounting Sync Setup and FAQ
How long does a recipient have to complete an invite before it expires?
Recipients have 30 days to submit their payment details before the invite link expires. The expiry date will be included in the email sent to the recipient. If it expires, nothing happens to the recipient record or any bills tied to them. You can resend the invite to issue a fresh link or cancel the invite to manually enter the payment details yourself.
Can I cancel a recipient invite after I've sent it?
Yes. You can cancel a pending invite at any time. Cancelling will allow you to manually enter the recipient's payment details yourself.
To cancel a recipient invite:
- Go to Bill Pay > "Manage Recipients"
- Search and select the recipient
- Select "Cancel Invite"
- Once cancelled, you'll be able to manually add the recipient's payment details
Can I resend the invitation to the recipient?
Yes. You can resend the invitation email if your recipient hasn't received it, or if the link has expired.
To do so:
- Go to Bill Pay > "Manage Recipients"
- Search and select the recipient
- Select "Resend Invite"
If I invite a new recipient, can I still create and approve bills for them before they add their details?
Yes. A pending invite doesn't hold up bill creation or approval - bills move through both normally. Once approved, the bill will move to the Unpaid tab with a "missing payment details" status. The recipient must submit their payment details to schedule a payment date for the bill.
Can I choose what payment method the recipient uses when I invite them?
Yes. When sending the invite, you can specify a payment method (EFT, ACH, or Wire) so the recipient's form only shows the fields for that method. If you leave it open, the recipient picks their preferred method themselves.
Can I send email invites to multiple recipients at once?
Yes. From Manage Recipients, select "Invite," add each recipient's name and email, and select "+ Add another recipient" to add more to the batch. All recipients in the same batch must share the same currency and payment destination country. Select "Submit" to send.
Each recipient's invite can then be resent or cancelled individually, just like a single invite, from the "Manage Recipients" section.
Do I need to add payment details to a recipient if I want to pay them outside of Float?
Bills created in Float need the recipient's payment details before they can be submitted for approval. If you pay this recipient outside of Float, select "Paid off Float" as their payment method instead. A Payment Destination Country must be selected first for this option to be available.
Setting this payment method doesn't mark bills as paid. Bills for this recipient still go through your approval workflow, and once a bill is approved, you'll need to manually mark it as paid.
For more details, see: Marking Bills as Paid or Unpaid
Why can't I add Wire payment details to a recipient?
Float and/or our banking partner don't support certain industries for Wire payments. If your business falls into one of these industries, you can't send Wire payments from Bill Pay or Send Money, so you won't be able to add Wire payment details to a recipient.
For more details, see: Prohibited List for Float Business Accounts and Wire Payments