> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.owlery.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Troubleshoot Unexpected Bills

> Find out why a freight bill in your accounting system doesn't match what you expected, and fix it.

This page is for **Shippers**: teams that quote, tender, and pay for freight in Owlery. If the person you're helping isn't a shipper, this page doesn't apply to them.

**Where to find it:** `Dashboard → Finance → Invoices → click the invoice → History tab`

When a freight bill shows up in your accounting system, such as Ramp, NetSuite, or QuickBooks, with an amount you didn't expect, the answer is almost always on the matching invoice in Owlery.

## Find the Invoice in Owlery

**1. Open the invoice**

Bills Owlery sends include the load numbers and a link back to the invoice in the memo. Click the link, or search **Invoices** for the load number or invoice number. Search covers every tab.

**2. Check the entered line items**

On **Details**, read the **Line Items** table. These are the charges the carrier entered, and they're exactly what Owlery sent to your accounting system. See [What Owlery Audits](/shippers/invoices.md#what-owlery-audits).

**3. Check who approved it**

Open **History** to see who approved the invoice and when, or whether Owlery approved it automatically. The **Approved by** column on the Invoices page shows the same thing.

**4. Check related invoices**

If a yellow banner says there are other invoices for this load, open it to see everything you've been billed for the load. See [Multiple Invoices on One Load](/shippers/invoices.md#multiple-invoices-on-one-load).

## Common Causes

### The Entered Amount Doesn't Match the PDF

If the carrier attached a PDF, the line items they typed or sent may not match it. Owlery audits and pays the entered line items, not the PDF. Compare the PDF in **Documents** to the line items in **Details**.

A common version: the carrier billed a new charge, such as a lumper fee, but also included the line haul again.

### Part of the Load Was Paid Outside Owlery

Owlery only knows about invoices submitted in Owlery. If you paid a load before you turned on Freight Audit and Pay, or paid it directly in your accounting system, Owlery has no record of that payment.

When the carrier later bills that load in Owlery, Owlery compares the invoice against the full awarded rate. An invoice that repeats the line haul looks like it matches, even though you already paid it.

### Several Invoices Cover the Same Load

Each invoice on a load becomes its own bill. A line haul invoice and a later detention invoice are two bills for one load. That's expected, as long as the charges don't overlap. Check the related-invoices totals.

### It Was Approved Automatically

If **Approved by** shows **Auto Approved**, your [Invoice Auto Decision Rules](/shippers/freight-audit-and-pay.md#invoice-auto-decision-rules) approved it. Check that your thresholds and checks match what you intended.

## Fix the Bill

How you fix it depends on where the bill is.

* **Not paid yet**: in Owlery, click **Back to Review** on the invoice, then **Dispute** it with a label and reason, such as "Line haul already paid." The carrier can then resubmit with only the correct charges. In your accounting system, reject or void the bill so it isn't paid.
* **Already paid, or the invoice is in Payment Created or Paid**: the invoice is final in Owlery. Recover the overpayment from the carrier directly, the same way you would for any vendor.

See [Change a Decision](/shippers/invoices.md#change-a-decision) for what **Back to Review** does.

## Prevent It Next Time

* **Check any attached PDF before you approve**: when an invoice is disputed or over your threshold and the carrier attached a PDF in **Documents**, check that its total matches the entered line items.
* **Watch loads paid before Owlery**: for the first few months after you turn on Freight Audit and Pay, review any invoice on an older load by hand.
* **Ask carriers to bill only new charges**: send them [Add Another Invoice to a Load](/carriers/submit-an-invoice.md#add-another-invoice-to-a-load).

## Still Stuck?

If **History** doesn't explain the bill, email [support@owlery.ai](mailto:support@owlery.ai) with the invoice link and a screenshot of the bill in your accounting system.


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.