Adding a discount line to a vendor bill
Before you start
The Discount line type must be enabled for your account by Luminous support. Once enabled, the option appears automatically in the line-type selector on the bill form.
Step 1 — Open or create the bill
Navigate to Bills and open an existing bill (in Draft or Open status) or create a new one as usual.
Step 2 — Add a Discount line
- Click Add line at the bottom of the bill's line-item table.
- In the Type column, select Discount from the dropdown.
- Enter a Description (e.g. "Early-payment discount" or "Volume rebate Q3").
Step 3 — Enter the discount amount
Discount lines must always be entered as a negative value. There are two ways:
| Method | How |
|---|---|
| Amount only | Leave Quantity and Unit Price blank; type the negative dollar amount directly into the Amount field (e.g. -150.00). |
| Quantity × Unit Price | Enter a positive quantity and a negative unit price (e.g. 2 units at -75.00 each); the Amount calculates automatically to -150.00. |
If you enter a zero or positive amount on a Discount line, the form will show an error and block saving.
Step 4 — Save the bill
Click Save. The discount reduces the bill total immediately. You can verify the updated total in the bill header.
Mapping the Discount line type to a QuickBooks account
If your account syncs bills to QuickBooks Online, you can route Discount lines to a dedicated QBO account:
- Go to Settings → QuickBooks → Bills tab.
- Find the Discount row in the Bill Line Type → Chart of Account grid.
- Select the internal chart-of-account entry that represents vendor discounts.
- In the Chart of Account → QuickBooks Account grid, confirm or set the matching QBO account.
- Click Save Bills Settings.
If no mapping is set, the Discount line falls back to the default expense account.
Notes
- Discount lines do not post to the general ledger independently at this time; they reduce the bill's net payable amount.
- A bill that already contains a Discount line remains fully editable even if the feature is reconfigured for your account.
- Tax rate is optional on Discount lines and works the same as on other line types.