Payment Run Agent
Select due invoices, optimise early payment discounts, generate SEPA XML - with four-eyes approval.
Selects due invoices, optimises early payment discount utilisation, generates SEPA XML files and checks for duplicate payments. Payment approval remains with the human under the four-eyes principle.
Score Dashboard
What This Agent Does
The payment run is the moment money leaves the company. Errors here are costly - duplicate payments, missed early payment discount deadlines, wrong bank details. The manual process is complex: check due dates, calculate discounts, create SEPA file, ensure liquidity, obtain approval.
The Decision Layer breaks the payment run into eight decision steps. Seven are fully rule-based: due date selection, discount optimisation, payment method determination, batch transfer, SEPA XML generation, duplicate payment check and liquidity reserve check. Only the final approval of the entire payment run remains with the human - under the four-eyes principle.
The result: early payment discount utilisation increases significantly, duplicate payments are eliminated, and the payment run is reduced from half a day to a few minutes of preparation plus one conscious human approval.
Micro-Decision Table
Select due invoices Which invoices are due at the payment date? Rules Engine Vendor
Selection by due date from accounts payable
Decision Record
Challengeable: Yes - rule application verifiable. Objection possible for incorrect data or wrong rule version.
Challengeable by: Vendor
Discount optimisation Is early payment worthwhile for the discount? Rules Engine
Comparison of discount deadline against liquidity reserve
Decision Record
Challengeable: Yes - rule application verifiable. Objection possible for incorrect data or wrong rule version.
Determine payment method SEPA, international transfer or cheque? Rules Engine Vendor
Derived from vendor master data and bank details
Decision Record
Challengeable: Yes - rule application verifiable. Objection possible for incorrect data or wrong rule version.
Challengeable by: Vendor
Create batch transfer Which invoices are grouped together? Rules Engine
Grouping by vendor and payment method
Decision Record
Challengeable: Yes - rule application verifiable. Objection possible for incorrect data or wrong rule version.
Generate SEPA XML Is the pain.001 file format-compliant? Rules Engine
Generation per SEPA format standard
Decision Record
Challengeable: Yes - rule application verifiable. Objection possible for incorrect data or wrong rule version.
Duplicate payment check Has this invoice already been paid? Rules Engine
Duplicate check against payment history
Decision Record
Challengeable: Yes - rule application verifiable. Objection possible for incorrect data or wrong rule version.
Liquidity reserve check Does the account balance cover the entire payment run? Rules Engine
Balance comparison with total payment run amount
Decision Record
Challengeable: Yes - rule application verifiable. Objection possible for incorrect data or wrong rule version.
Approve payment run Is the payment run released for execution? Human Auditor
Four-eyes principle - payment approval remains with the human
Decision Record
Challengeable: Yes - via manager, works council, or formal objection process.
Challengeable by: Auditor
Decision Record and Right to Challenge
Every decision this agent makes or prepares is documented in a complete decision record. Affected parties (employees, suppliers, auditors) can review, understand, and challenge every individual decision.
Prerequisites
- ERP system with accounts payable and payment processing
- SEPA-capable bank module or banking interface
- Vendor master data with validated bank details
- Defined approval rules for payment runs (four-eyes)
Governance Notes
GoBD relevance: high - the payment run is the moment of the payment posting. Duplicate payments are a frequent point of objection in internal audits. The four-eyes principle for payment approval is mandated in most internal control systems (ICS) and is architecturally guaranteed by the human approval (H). The SEPA XML generation follows the pain.001 standard and is fully deterministic.
§203 StGB-relevant data is encrypted end-to-end and never passed to AI models in plain text.
Process Documentation Contribution
Infrastructure Contribution
The Payment Run Agent builds the payment infrastructure. The SEPA XML generation is reused for all payment processes. The duplicate payment check is the central safety net of the entire AP chain. The four-eyes approval pattern is adopted by the Payroll Correction Agent and other security-critical agents.
Does this agent fit your process?
We analyse your specific finance process and show how this agent fits into your system landscape. 30 minutes, no preparation needed.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How is discount optimisation calculated?
The agent compares the discount benefit against the opportunity cost of early payment. With sufficient liquidity reserve, the discount deadline is utilised. The calculation is deterministic and considers the current liquidity position.
What happens when liquidity is insufficient?
The agent prioritises payments by configurable rules: statutory deadlines, vendor criticality, discount potential. The reduced payment run is presented to the approver with a justification of which payments were deferred.
Why does approval remain with the human?
Payment approval is a compliance requirement. The four-eyes principle ensures no automated process can move money on its own. The human sees the fully prepared payment run and consciously approves - in seconds instead of hours.
What Happens Next?
30 minutes
Initial call
We analyse your process and identify the optimal starting point.
1 week
Discover
Mapping your decision logic. Rule sets documented, Decision Layer designed.
3-4 weeks
Build
Production agent in your infrastructure. Governance, audit trail, cert-ready from day 1.
12-18 months
Self-sufficient
Full access to source code, prompts and rule versions. No vendor lock-in.
Implement This Agent?
We assess your finance process landscape and show how this agent fits your infrastructure.