Handling duplicate alerts

SynkriaOps analyses each imported or entered invoice to detect potential duplicates before they enter your accounting records. An undetected duplicate can lead to a double posting of an expense or a receivable — an error that is difficult to correct in a closed fiscal year.

How detection works

SynkriaOps compares the invoice being imported against all invoices already recorded in your company file, crossing three criteria:

Criterion	Detail
Invoice number	Identical (case-insensitive)
Supplier / customer	Same third-party identifier (401xxx or 411xxx account)
Total amount (incl. VAT)	Identical (within 1 XAF to absorb rounding)

The tolerance window is ±30 days around the invoice date. The same invoice with a date shifted by 31 days or more will not be flagged.

Alert types

Orange alert — Potential duplicate

All three criteria match but the date is slightly different (±1 to 30 days) or two out of three criteria match (for example same number and same amount but different supplier).

Impact: non-blocking. You can continue the import.

Likely meaning:

• Credit note and original invoice with identical reference (same number, supplier, negative vs positive amount)
• Corrective invoice with the same base number but a different version suffix
• Invoice from a supplier with the same name but a different NIU

Red alert — Certain duplicate

All three criteria match exactly (number + supplier + total amount).

Impact: blocking by default. The import is paused for a decision.

Likely meaning:

• The invoice was already imported via OCR or entered manually.
• The bank statement referencing it was imported twice.

Available actions when a duplicate is detected

1. The alert appears in the OCR review interface or the import screen. Click View existing invoice to compare the two documents side by side.

2. Based on the comparison, choose one of the following actions:

Action A — Cancel the import (confirmed duplicate)

1. Click Cancel import of this invoice.

2. The invoice is not created. The alert is recorded in the audit log.

3. If you imported a batch (multiple invoices), only the duplicate invoice is cancelled — the others are imported normally.

Use when: the invoice has genuinely already been recorded and you do not need to import it a second time.

Action B — Ignore the alert and import (justified duplicate)

1. Click Ignore and import anyway.

2. Enter a justification reason (mandatory for audit traceability):

   • Example: Corresponding credit note — original invoice ref FC-2026-00452
   • Example: Corrective invoice v2 — corrected VAT rate
   • Example: Authorized double billing — 2 distinct deliveries

3. The invoice is imported with a DUPLICATE_AUTHORIZED tag visible in the invoice list.

Use when:

• It is a credit note with the same reference as the original invoice.
• It is a corrective invoice replacing an erroneous one (in this case, first reverse the original invoice).
• Two distinct deliveries were mistakenly given the same supplier reference.

Caution

Ignoring a red alert without a valid reason is a serious accounting error. If in doubt, consult your accountant before forcing the import.

Viewing the duplicate alert history

1. Go to Purchases → Supplier invoices (or Sales → Customer invoices).

2. Enable the Authorized duplicates filter in the filter bar.

3. The list shows all invoices imported despite an alert, with the justification entered.

Best practices to avoid duplicates

Practice	Benefit
Export the FEC monthly	Allows mass duplicate detection using an Excel pivot table
Check the invoice list before importing	Search for the invoice number in the search bar before importing
Strict numbering at your suppliers	Ask your suppliers never to reuse an invoice number
Regular imports (weekly)	Reduces the duplicate detection window compared to monthly bulk imports

Worked example — red duplicate

Situation: invoice FF-2026-0089 from TOTAL Cameroun for 1,045,750 XAF was imported via OCR on 22/04/2026. On 29/04/2026, you attempt to import the same PDF again.

Criterion	Current invoice value	Existing invoice value	Match?
Number	FF-2026-0089	FF-2026-0089	Yes
Supplier	TOTAL Cameroun SA (401TOTAL)	TOTAL Cameroun SA (401TOTAL)	Yes
Total amount	1,045,750 XAF	1,045,750 XAF	Yes
Date	22/04/2026	22/04/2026	Yes

→ Red alert — certain duplicate. Correct action: Cancel the import.

Further reading

• Importing an invoice via OCR →
• Reviewing and correcting OCR data →