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Three signals in duplicate payments
Duplicate payment alerts are noisy by design. The goal is not to clear every flag in ten minutes — it is to recognise which stacks of signals deserve a pause before funds move.
1. Amount twins with shifted invoice numbers
Same supplier, same amount, invoice numbers that differ by a single character or a suffix like “/A”. Confirm whether a credit note sits between them. If not, hold the second payment and ask the vendor for a remittance confirmation.
2. Near-identical narratives across entities
Multi-entity United Kingdom groups sometimes post the same service description in two ledgers. Your accounts payable audit app may treat them as separate. Cross-check entity codes and bank accounts before releasing either line.
3. Remittance mismatches
When the remittance advice lists one invoice and the payment file lists another with a matching amount, treat it as a process gap even if the supplier ultimately receives the right cash. Document the gap so treasury and AP share one story.
What not to do
Do not auto-close low-amount flags without a sampling rule. Small duplicates teach bad habits and occasionally hide split invoices designed to dodge approval thresholds.