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Having an invoice get blocked in SAP can be frustrating for any business. You provide goods or services to a customer, create and send the invoice, but then payment gets held up because the invoice status prevents the accounting team from processing it.
Not to worry – releasing a blocked invoice is straightforward once you know how. This guide will walk you through the entire process step-by-step.
What is a Blocked Invoice?
Before we dive into the how-to, let‘s briefly go over what a blocked invoice actually is in SAP.
An invoice can have different status indicators in the system showing where it is in the workflow. These include:
- Open
- Partially paid
- Parked
- Completely paid
- Blocked
A blocked status means payment processing on the invoice is on hold until the block is manually removed. This prevents accounting from accidently paying an invoice that requires additional review or correction.
Some common reasons SAP invoices get blocked status:
- Errors entered on invoice
- Incomplete invoice information
- Need approval from manager
- Dispute on charges from vendor
The key is that accounting or treasury teams cannot make payment until the block is released. So let‘s get to it!
Step-by-Step Guide to Releasing a Blocked Invoice
Follow these steps to release a blocked invoice for payment in SAP.
Step 1: Enter transaction code MRBR in the SAP command field.
This brings up the Manual Invoice Block for Release screen.
Step 2: Enter the Company Code and Invoice Number you want to release then hit enter or the green checkmark icon.
This will pull up the invoice document where you can view the block status.
Step 3: Check the Release Method field.
There are two options:
- Automatic – The invoice will release automatically when you post it without additional approval
- Manual – Requires you to manually release the payment block
If it‘s already on automatic, you likely just need to re-post the invoice.
But in our example here, the Release Method shows "Manual" meaning we need to manually release the block.
Step 4: With the invoice selected, click the Release Flag icon (green checkmark).
This immediately changes the status to released, allowing accounting/treasury to see it for payment processing.
And that‘s it! The blocked invoice is now in an Open status so payment can be made.
Avoid Getting Invoices Stuck in Blocked Status
While it‘s simple enough to release blocked invoices, it‘s best to avoid getting them stuck with blocks in the first place.
Here are some tips:
- Double check all invoice info entered including vendor, amounts etc.
- Route invoices over a threshold for manager approval before posting
- Follow up quickly on any disputes or corrections needed
- Watch for notification emails if an invoice block occurs
Catching errors early and fixing promptly minimizes how long invoices sit in blocked status. This helps keep cash flow smooth for your finance team and vendors.
I hope you found this guide helpful for releasing stuck SAP invoices! Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions.
Additional Resources
For more on working with invoices in SAP, check out these tutorials: