Upload an invoice and create a bill
const url = 'https://api.elephants.inc/api/v1/organizations/2489E9AD-2EE2-8E00-8EC9-32D5F69181C0/bills/upload';const form = new FormData();form.append('file', 'file');
const options = {method: 'POST', headers: {Authorization: 'Bearer <token>'}};
options.body = form;
try { const response = await fetch(url, options); const data = await response.json(); console.log(data);} catch (error) { console.error(error);}curl --request POST \ --url https://api.elephants.inc/api/v1/organizations/2489E9AD-2EE2-8E00-8EC9-32D5F69181C0/bills/upload \ --header 'Authorization: Bearer <token>' \ --header 'Content-Type: multipart/form-data' \ --form file=@fileCreates a bill from a supplier invoice sent as a multipart form body. The bill is returned at status extracting; reading the document is asynchronous and its result arrives on the organization realtime channel as bill.event_appended.
Authorizations
Section titled “Authorizations”Parameters
Section titled “Parameters”Path Parameters
Section titled “Path Parameters”The organization’s ID
Request Bodyrequired
Section titled “Request Bodyrequired”object
The supplier’s invoice (PDF or image)
Responses
Section titled “Responses”The created bill, at status extracting
object
The total payable, as a decimal string. Null when not yet read.
The approval gating that payment.
When automatic extraction gave up, if it did. The fields are the user’s to fill in; the bill is otherwise a normal one.
The payment this bill produced — pass to getPayment. Null until status is payment_requested.
Where the bill is. extracting means the document is still being read; extracted means it is ready to act on; payment_requested means a payment was requested for it and the bill’s part is done — it keeps this status through approval and payout (follow the referenced payment or approval for their current state), and returns to extracted if that payment is rejected, withdrawn or fails, so a new one can be requested.
Example
{ "status": "extracting"}Error response. error.type is the machine-readable code — branch on it, never on error.message or the HTTP status. error.message is display-grade prose safe to render to a user; when a failure has no specific copy it falls back to a generic sentence, so it never carries a machine code. Unrecognised failures collapse to the generic unprocessable_entity code, so treat type as an open enum: match the codes you handle and fall through to a default branch for the rest.
Error response. error.type is the machine-readable code — branch on it, never on error.message or the HTTP status. error.message is display-grade prose safe to render to a user; when a failure has no specific copy it falls back to a generic sentence, so it never carries a machine code. Unrecognised failures collapse to the generic unprocessable_entity code, so treat type as an open enum: match the codes you handle and fall through to a default branch for the rest.
object
object
Structured error details (e.g. validation errors), when present
Display-grade message, safe to render verbatim. Never a machine code — do not branch on it.
Correlation ID for this request (also in the x-request-id response header). Include it when contacting support.
object
Method used to deliver this challenge
Challenge expiry
Sudo session ID returned to completeStepUp
3-digit number-matching code. This response is the ORIGINATING surface: display the code; a user approving from the Ele mobile app is asked to enter it. Null only for challenges minted before match codes existed.
Available verification methods
The step-up authentication this challenge was minted from — a DIFFERENT id from id (the sudo session). completeStepUp takes id as sudo_session_id; requestStepUpFallback takes this one.
object
object
Machine-readable error code from a stable vocabulary (open enum — handle unknown values)
Example generated
{ "error": { "details": "example", "message": "example", "request_id": "example", "step_up": { "delivery": "example", "expires_at": "2026-04-15T12:00:00Z", "id": "example", "match_code": "example", "methods": [ "example" ], "step_up_authentication_id": "2489E9AD-2EE2-8E00-8EC9-32D5F69181C0", "webauthn": { "allow_credentials": [ { "id": "example", "transports": [ "example" ], "type": "example" } ], "challenge": "example", "challenge_id": "2489E9AD-2EE2-8E00-8EC9-32D5F69181C0", "rp_id": "example", "timeout": 1, "user_verification": "example" } }, "type": "example" }}Missing, invalid, or expired bearer token
Error response. error.type is the machine-readable code — branch on it, never on error.message or the HTTP status. error.message is display-grade prose safe to render to a user; when a failure has no specific copy it falls back to a generic sentence, so it never carries a machine code. Unrecognised failures collapse to the generic unprocessable_entity code, so treat type as an open enum: match the codes you handle and fall through to a default branch for the rest.
object
object
Structured error details (e.g. validation errors), when present
Display-grade message, safe to render verbatim. Never a machine code — do not branch on it.
Correlation ID for this request (also in the x-request-id response header). Include it when contacting support.
object
Method used to deliver this challenge
Challenge expiry
Sudo session ID returned to completeStepUp
3-digit number-matching code. This response is the ORIGINATING surface: display the code; a user approving from the Ele mobile app is asked to enter it. Null only for challenges minted before match codes existed.
Available verification methods
The step-up authentication this challenge was minted from — a DIFFERENT id from id (the sudo session). completeStepUp takes id as sudo_session_id; requestStepUpFallback takes this one.
object
object
Machine-readable error code from a stable vocabulary (open enum — handle unknown values)
Example generated
{ "error": { "details": "example", "message": "example", "request_id": "example", "step_up": { "delivery": "example", "expires_at": "2026-04-15T12:00:00Z", "id": "example", "match_code": "example", "methods": [ "example" ], "step_up_authentication_id": "2489E9AD-2EE2-8E00-8EC9-32D5F69181C0", "webauthn": { "allow_credentials": [ { "id": "example", "transports": [ "example" ], "type": "example" } ], "challenge": "example", "challenge_id": "2489E9AD-2EE2-8E00-8EC9-32D5F69181C0", "rp_id": "example", "timeout": 1, "user_verification": "example" } }, "type": "example" }}Error response. error.type is the machine-readable code — branch on it, never on error.message or the HTTP status. error.message is display-grade prose safe to render to a user; when a failure has no specific copy it falls back to a generic sentence, so it never carries a machine code. Unrecognised failures collapse to the generic unprocessable_entity code, so treat type as an open enum: match the codes you handle and fall through to a default branch for the rest.
Error response. error.type is the machine-readable code — branch on it, never on error.message or the HTTP status. error.message is display-grade prose safe to render to a user; when a failure has no specific copy it falls back to a generic sentence, so it never carries a machine code. Unrecognised failures collapse to the generic unprocessable_entity code, so treat type as an open enum: match the codes you handle and fall through to a default branch for the rest.
object
object
Structured error details (e.g. validation errors), when present
Display-grade message, safe to render verbatim. Never a machine code — do not branch on it.
Correlation ID for this request (also in the x-request-id response header). Include it when contacting support.
object
Method used to deliver this challenge
Challenge expiry
Sudo session ID returned to completeStepUp
3-digit number-matching code. This response is the ORIGINATING surface: display the code; a user approving from the Ele mobile app is asked to enter it. Null only for challenges minted before match codes existed.
Available verification methods
The step-up authentication this challenge was minted from — a DIFFERENT id from id (the sudo session). completeStepUp takes id as sudo_session_id; requestStepUpFallback takes this one.
object
object
Machine-readable error code from a stable vocabulary (open enum — handle unknown values)
Example generated
{ "error": { "details": "example", "message": "example", "request_id": "example", "step_up": { "delivery": "example", "expires_at": "2026-04-15T12:00:00Z", "id": "example", "match_code": "example", "methods": [ "example" ], "step_up_authentication_id": "2489E9AD-2EE2-8E00-8EC9-32D5F69181C0", "webauthn": { "allow_credentials": [ { "id": "example", "transports": [ "example" ], "type": "example" } ], "challenge": "example", "challenge_id": "2489E9AD-2EE2-8E00-8EC9-32D5F69181C0", "rp_id": "example", "timeout": 1, "user_verification": "example" } }, "type": "example" }}Error response. error.type is the machine-readable code — branch on it, never on error.message or the HTTP status. error.message is display-grade prose safe to render to a user; when a failure has no specific copy it falls back to a generic sentence, so it never carries a machine code. Unrecognised failures collapse to the generic unprocessable_entity code, so treat type as an open enum: match the codes you handle and fall through to a default branch for the rest.
Error response. error.type is the machine-readable code — branch on it, never on error.message or the HTTP status. error.message is display-grade prose safe to render to a user; when a failure has no specific copy it falls back to a generic sentence, so it never carries a machine code. Unrecognised failures collapse to the generic unprocessable_entity code, so treat type as an open enum: match the codes you handle and fall through to a default branch for the rest.
object
object
Structured error details (e.g. validation errors), when present
Display-grade message, safe to render verbatim. Never a machine code — do not branch on it.
Correlation ID for this request (also in the x-request-id response header). Include it when contacting support.
object
Method used to deliver this challenge
Challenge expiry
Sudo session ID returned to completeStepUp
3-digit number-matching code. This response is the ORIGINATING surface: display the code; a user approving from the Ele mobile app is asked to enter it. Null only for challenges minted before match codes existed.
Available verification methods
The step-up authentication this challenge was minted from — a DIFFERENT id from id (the sudo session). completeStepUp takes id as sudo_session_id; requestStepUpFallback takes this one.
object
object
Machine-readable error code from a stable vocabulary (open enum — handle unknown values)
Example generated
{ "error": { "details": "example", "message": "example", "request_id": "example", "step_up": { "delivery": "example", "expires_at": "2026-04-15T12:00:00Z", "id": "example", "match_code": "example", "methods": [ "example" ], "step_up_authentication_id": "2489E9AD-2EE2-8E00-8EC9-32D5F69181C0", "webauthn": { "allow_credentials": [ { "id": "example", "transports": [ "example" ], "type": "example" } ], "challenge": "example", "challenge_id": "2489E9AD-2EE2-8E00-8EC9-32D5F69181C0", "rp_id": "example", "timeout": 1, "user_verification": "example" } }, "type": "example" }}Error response. error.type is the machine-readable code — branch on it, never on error.message or the HTTP status. error.message is display-grade prose safe to render to a user; when a failure has no specific copy it falls back to a generic sentence, so it never carries a machine code. Unrecognised failures collapse to the generic unprocessable_entity code, so treat type as an open enum: match the codes you handle and fall through to a default branch for the rest.
Error response. error.type is the machine-readable code — branch on it, never on error.message or the HTTP status. error.message is display-grade prose safe to render to a user; when a failure has no specific copy it falls back to a generic sentence, so it never carries a machine code. Unrecognised failures collapse to the generic unprocessable_entity code, so treat type as an open enum: match the codes you handle and fall through to a default branch for the rest.
object
object
Structured error details (e.g. validation errors), when present
Display-grade message, safe to render verbatim. Never a machine code — do not branch on it.
Correlation ID for this request (also in the x-request-id response header). Include it when contacting support.
object
Method used to deliver this challenge
Challenge expiry
Sudo session ID returned to completeStepUp
3-digit number-matching code. This response is the ORIGINATING surface: display the code; a user approving from the Ele mobile app is asked to enter it. Null only for challenges minted before match codes existed.
Available verification methods
The step-up authentication this challenge was minted from — a DIFFERENT id from id (the sudo session). completeStepUp takes id as sudo_session_id; requestStepUpFallback takes this one.
object
object
Machine-readable error code from a stable vocabulary (open enum — handle unknown values)
Example generated
{ "error": { "details": "example", "message": "example", "request_id": "example", "step_up": { "delivery": "example", "expires_at": "2026-04-15T12:00:00Z", "id": "example", "match_code": "example", "methods": [ "example" ], "step_up_authentication_id": "2489E9AD-2EE2-8E00-8EC9-32D5F69181C0", "webauthn": { "allow_credentials": [ { "id": "example", "transports": [ "example" ], "type": "example" } ], "challenge": "example", "challenge_id": "2489E9AD-2EE2-8E00-8EC9-32D5F69181C0", "rp_id": "example", "timeout": 1, "user_verification": "example" } }, "type": "example" }}Too many requests
object
object
Structured error details (e.g. validation errors), when present
Display-grade message, safe to render verbatim. Never a machine code — do not branch on it.
Correlation ID for this request (also in the x-request-id response header). Include it when contacting support.
object
Method used to deliver this challenge
Challenge expiry
Sudo session ID returned to completeStepUp
3-digit number-matching code. This response is the ORIGINATING surface: display the code; a user approving from the Ele mobile app is asked to enter it. Null only for challenges minted before match codes existed.
Available verification methods
The step-up authentication this challenge was minted from — a DIFFERENT id from id (the sudo session). completeStepUp takes id as sudo_session_id; requestStepUpFallback takes this one.
object
object
Machine-readable error code from a stable vocabulary (open enum — handle unknown values)
object
Example
{ "error": { "type": "rate_limited" }}Headers
Section titled “Headers”How long to wait before retrying, expressed as delay seconds or an HTTP date
Unexpected server error
Error response. error.type is the machine-readable code — branch on it, never on error.message or the HTTP status. error.message is display-grade prose safe to render to a user; when a failure has no specific copy it falls back to a generic sentence, so it never carries a machine code. Unrecognised failures collapse to the generic unprocessable_entity code, so treat type as an open enum: match the codes you handle and fall through to a default branch for the rest.
object
object
Structured error details (e.g. validation errors), when present
Display-grade message, safe to render verbatim. Never a machine code — do not branch on it.
Correlation ID for this request (also in the x-request-id response header). Include it when contacting support.
object
Method used to deliver this challenge
Challenge expiry
Sudo session ID returned to completeStepUp
3-digit number-matching code. This response is the ORIGINATING surface: display the code; a user approving from the Ele mobile app is asked to enter it. Null only for challenges minted before match codes existed.
Available verification methods
The step-up authentication this challenge was minted from — a DIFFERENT id from id (the sudo session). completeStepUp takes id as sudo_session_id; requestStepUpFallback takes this one.
object
object
Machine-readable error code from a stable vocabulary (open enum — handle unknown values)
Example generated
{ "error": { "details": "example", "message": "example", "request_id": "example", "step_up": { "delivery": "example", "expires_at": "2026-04-15T12:00:00Z", "id": "example", "match_code": "example", "methods": [ "example" ], "step_up_authentication_id": "2489E9AD-2EE2-8E00-8EC9-32D5F69181C0", "webauthn": { "allow_credentials": [ { "id": "example", "transports": [ "example" ], "type": "example" } ], "challenge": "example", "challenge_id": "2489E9AD-2EE2-8E00-8EC9-32D5F69181C0", "rp_id": "example", "timeout": 1, "user_verification": "example" } }, "type": "example" }}