Accounts Payable Clerk Duties & Responsibilities

Quality accounts payable operations make a company run smoother.

Nearly every company has the position of accounts payable clerk, from small law firms to large corporations. Accounts payable clerks have duties and responsibilities within a company or institution that are vital to its day-to-day operations. An accounts payable clerk is responsible for maintaining financial and administrative order.

Compiling Company Payments

Duties and responsibilities concerning compiling company payments include preparing and receiving company invoices, preparation and mailing or sending of company payments or checks, and the process of company payments. The accounts payable clerk has the responsibility to plug in all these day-to-day financial operations into a company data bank; the information must be securely saved and monitored to make sure the financial information is accurate. Dealing with vendors of the company is a key responsibility when compiling company payments.

Maintaining Company Payments

In order to keep the financial records of a company updated and accurate, the financial data bank must be monitored daily. Accounts payable clerks must produce backup reports for all the invoices, maintain the daily ledger, print and distribute monthly financial summaries, and keep company vendor files and file numbers updated.

Keeping Up With Employee Payment and Benefits

Duties and responsibilities when dealing with paying employees include figuring out employee salaries and benefits, producing and updating employee files, and entering of payroll data into a secure file. The accounts payable clerk must keep correct information on the amount of hours an employee has worked, what deductions she is entitled to, and preparation of paychecks. This may also include getting employee signature verification on paychecks and the mailing of paychecks to employees.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

Another duty of an accounts payable clerk is verifying company expenditures are legal and accurate. This requires honesty and proper business ethics. For example, an accounts payable clerk should not calculate a boss' lunch that had no business relation as a business expense. Making sure all the files are kept secure is an important duty of an accounts payable clerk. Other duties are administrative and clerical, such as establishing and maintaining a filing system for all office documents, not just financial documents; making an inventory list and maintaining inventory files; and performing other general office duties.

References

• Job Descriptions: Accounts Payable Clerk
• Lauren Staffing: Accounts Payable Clerk