Which password does your accountant need?
Adobe distinguishes between protecting PDF viewing and editing; printing and copying can also be restricted. If the reader asks for a password before displaying any pages, you need the opening password. If you can read the document but cannot edit or print it, that restriction alone does not stop your accountant viewing it.
Ask the supplier for access to the document, not the login details for your customer account. Your accountant does not need access to your company mailbox for one PDF either. If they need to print a document with printing restrictions, for example, explain that to the supplier and agree a suitable version. Do not bypass protection or upload the document to an unfamiliar website promising to unlock PDFs.
Source for this section: Adobe: password protection for PDF viewing, editing, printing and copying
Confirm with the supplier who may receive the document
If the message is unexpected, check that the supplier really sent it and that it concerns your purchase before opening the attachment. Call a number you already have or use another contact from your previous dealings. Do not use a new number or link found only in the suspicious message for this check. A password prompt does not establish where the file came from.
For an expected document, first read the supplier’s instructions: they may already explain how to obtain the password. If instructions are missing, request the opening password for the specific attachment and explain that your accountant needs the document too. The supplier may approve sharing the file and password, send the password directly to your accountant or offer another delivery method.
If you cannot see the PDF’s contents yet, identify the attachment by its filename, date received and a known order reference. You do not need to guess the invoice number. In the example request below, replace the details in square brackets with your own and propose a channel you already use securely with the supplier.
Select the text, copy it into an email and fill in the details in square brackets.
Send the file and password separately
Once you have agreed the handover with the supplier, confirm with your accountant where to send the file and how to share the password. Send the PDF through your usual document delivery method. Use a different secure channel that you both already know for the password, such as a password manager with sharing or secure messaging. There is no need to create an account with an unfamiliar service for one document.
A second email with the same recipients would give everyone in the thread access to the password again. Check the recipients of both the file and the password; for a shared link, also check the permissions actually granted. Two different channels are useful only if access goes to the people who need it.
In the group thread, it is enough to say that you are arranging access directly with your accountant. Include the PDF’s filename with the password in the separate channel so it is clear which file it belongs to. Do not put the password in a shared spreadsheet, a document note or the filename.
Keep the original and explain any replacement
Keep the original email and supplied attachment wherever you normally store documents for that company. Record the sender, date received and whether your accountant received the original attachment or a new version from the supplier. This note should explain the document’s origin; do not store the password in it.
If the supplier offers another copy instead of a password, confirm that it is the same document and that you may pass it to your accountant. Keep their explanatory message too. If your accountant already received the earlier attachment, explicitly say that the new one replaces it when you send it. They will then know which version to work with.
Discuss any alternative delivery method suggested by the supplier with your accountant first. Your accountant must be able to access the document, not just you.
Check that your accountant can open the copy they received
Once you have the password, open the supplied file and go through every page. Check readability and compare the supplier, customer and known purchase reference with what you expected. If anything does not match, ask the supplier a specific question. Successfully opening the file confirms access to its contents, not that the invoice is correct or suitable for accounting purposes.
Then send your accountant the attachment you checked or the agreed link, and deliver the password separately. Ask them to open the copy they actually received. A password working on your computer does not yet confirm that the handover worked at their end.
Use the example message below for the original attachment only after sending the password through the agreed channel. If you are sharing a replacement version from the supplier, adjust the first paragraph accordingly.
Select the text, copy it into an email and fill in the details in square brackets.
If the password does not work or you are still waiting for it
If the password does not work, give the supplier the attachment’s filename and the reader’s exact message. Check with them that the password they sent is for this particular file, and ask what to do next. Sharing the same password with more people will not solve the opening problem.
Meanwhile, tell your accountant which document is awaiting access and what you are doing to obtain it. An example message might read: ‘The supplier’s PDF for order [reference] has arrived, but I am waiting for the opening password. I requested access on [date]. Once it is available, I will arrange separate delivery of the password with you and send the document.’ Your accountant will know why the attachment is missing from the documents and will not need to search for it again.