When you post a supplier invoice in a currency other than NOK, Catacloud automatically fetches the current exchange rate and converts the amount to Norwegian kroner. Here we explain how it works, and the difference between registering payment directly to an accounting account versus via bank integration.
How currency works when posting
When you post a supplier invoice, you select the currency in the Currency field (e.g. USD, EUR, DKK, AUD). Catacloud then automatically fetches the current exchange rate from the European Central Bank (ECB) and calculates the NOK amount for you. Rates are updated daily and applied automatically based on the invoice date.
To see the rate used: hover over the arrow icon (⇄) next to the total amount field. A tooltip will show:
NOK – the converted amount in Norwegian kroner
Exchange rate – the rate used for the conversion
Note: The ECB rate is a reference rate and may differ slightly from the rate your bank uses for the actual payment. If your agreement with the supplier uses a different rate, you can override the amount manually.
Option 1: Register payment directly to an accounting account
Use this when the payment has already been made – for example paid by company card or via online banking outside of Catacloud.
In the Payment section of the voucher, select:
Payment method – select the correct account, e.g. "Paid to bank (1920)"
Payment date
Amount in currency (e.g. 890.00 USD) – the NOK equivalent is calculated automatically (e.g. 8,690.22 NOK)
Click Save and post to complete. No payment order is created – the payment is registered for accounting purposes only.
Option 2: Send payment via bank integration
Use this when you want to send the payment directly to the recipient's bank from Catacloud. This requires an active bank integration (ZTL or Aritma).
Select Register payment on the voucher. The dialog opens with the following fields:
Payment method – select the bank account the payment should go from
IBAN number – the recipient's international account number (with country code, e.g. DK10...)
BIC/SWIFT – the bank's identification code (e.g. NDEADKKK for Nordea Denmark)
KID/message – payment reference for the recipient
Payment date and payment amount in currency
Address – the recipient's address (required for international payments)
Save bank account on supplier – turn on to avoid entering IBAN and BIC/SWIFT next time
Click Add to approval to send the payment to the approval queue, or Confirm payment for direct approval.
If you post and register the payment in the same operation, click Save and post directly. The invoice is then posted and added to the approval queue in the bank module at the same time. This is what the payment order looks like in the bank module:
Currency differences are posted automatically
When you pay an invoice in a foreign currency via bank integration, the rate the bank uses may differ from the rate the invoice was posted at. Once the bank has completed the payment, Catacloud automatically posts a payment voucher (type Payment) in which the difference is posted as an exchange gain or loss. With the standard chart of accounts, the voucher has these lines:
Accounts payable (2400) – debit, the NOK amount the invoice was posted at
The bank account (e.g. 1920) – credit, the amount in currency and the NOK amount the bank debited
8060 Exchange gain (agio) or 8160 Exchange loss (disagio) – the difference between the two amounts
7770 Bank and card fees – only if the bank charges a fee for the payment; the fee is credited to the bank account
This happens automatically – you don't need to do anything manually. The voucher is marked "Automatically posted payment cannot be changed".
Error message: "When using a different currency, you cannot create a transaction in the future"
When you post an invoice in a currency other than NOK – or send it for attestation – the dates on the voucher cannot be in the future. The exchange rate for a future date does not exist yet.
Invoice date must be today or earlier.
Payment date in the Payment section must be today or earlier. This also applies when you have only filled in CID/Message. The payment date is filled in automatically with the due date, so this is often what triggers the error.
Exception: If you pay via bank integration (a bank account selected as Payment method), the payment date can be in the future.
How to fix it
Check that the Invoice date is today or earlier.
If you are paying the invoice outside Catacloud, for example in your online bank: clear the Payment section (remove the payment method and CID/Message).
Post the voucher or send it for attestation as usual.
Once the invoice has been paid, register the payment with the actual payment date – see Option 1 above.
Tips
The exchange rate is fetched automatically based on the invoice date. If you change the invoice date, the rate updates accordingly.
VAT is always calculated on the NOK amount after conversion – not on the foreign currency amount.
If you have sent a payment via bank integration, you can view it again under Actions → Preview or create a new one with the same details via New payment like this.
The ECB does not publish rates on weekends and public holidays – on those days the most recent available rate is used.
When should you contact us?
The rate shown seems wrong or outdated – provide the currency, invoice date and the rate you would expect.
You get an error message when paying in a foreign currency – provide the client name, currency and error message.
The currency difference has been posted to the wrong account – provide the voucher number and which accounts are affected.