What is the correct action for recording an increase in accounts payable?

To record an increase in accounts payable, the correct action is to credit Accounts Payable. This is aligned with the double-entry accounting system, where every transaction affects at least two accounts. When a company increases its accounts payable, it indicates that it owes more to its creditors, which reflects an increase in liabilities.

By crediting Accounts Payable, the accounting records accurately reflect this liability increase. The corresponding debit would typically be to another account such as an expense or an asset, depending on what the company has acquired on credit. This maintains the balance in the accounting equation: Assets = Liabilities + Equity.

In this context, options suggesting a debit to Accounts Payable, like assets or expenses, would result in inaccurately lowering the liabilities and failing to reflect the true financial position of the company. Thus, crediting Accounts Payable is essential to correctly document the increase in the amount owed to creditors.