Purchase Invoice
Go to: Financials → Purchase Invoice
The purchase invoice records what you owe a supplier. It is the last document in the procurement cycle and the first in the payables cycle.
The purchase invoice lives in the Financials module, because posting it creates the payable in your accounts. This page covers what it means for procurement. For the accounting reference — tax treatment, ledger postings, ageing, and payment matching — see Financials → Invoices.
Where the invoice comes from
For stock items the invoice is raised from the Goods Received Note, not from the purchase order. Invoicing straight off a purchase order is restricted to service items, which never enter stock and therefore have no GRN.
So the goods path is always Purchase Order → GRN → Purchase Invoice, and the services path is Purchase Order → Purchase Invoice.
This is what makes three-way matching work: the order says what was agreed, the GRN says what arrived, and the invoice says what is being charged. Anything that does not line up is visible before you pay.
Key fields
| Field | What it means |
|---|---|
| Supplier | Who is billing you |
| Bill No | The supplier’s own invoice number |
| Bill Date | Date on the supplier’s document |
| Posting Date | Date it enters your books |
| Due Date | When payment is due, from the payment term |
| Items | Pulled from the GRN (or a service purchase order) |
| Taxes and charges | Tax lines and additional charges |
| Grand Total | The amount payable |
Statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | Being prepared, not yet in your books |
| Unpaid | Posted and outstanding |
| Partially Paid | Some payment received against it |
| Paid | Fully settled |
| Overdue | Past its due date and still unpaid |
| Return | A return invoice |
| Debit Note Issued | A debit note has been raised against it |
| Cancelled | Reversed; kept for audit |
Effect on the purchase order
Posting the invoice updates the Billed Quantity on each order line, which feeds back into the purchase order status:
| Received complete? | Billed complete? | Order status |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | Completed |
| Yes | No | To Bill |
| No | Yes | To Receive |
| No | No | To Receive And Bill |
Returns and debit notes
When goods go back to the supplier, raise a return GRN in Inventory and a debit note against the invoice. The original invoice moves to Debit Note Issued so the reduction in what you owe is explicit rather than netted off silently.
Before you post
| Check | Why |
|---|---|
| Invoice quantity matches the GRN | Prevents paying for goods that never arrived |
| Rate matches the purchase order | Catches unagreed price increases |
| Tax treatment is correct | Wrong tax is painful to unwind after payment |
| Freight and duty are handled | If they belong in item cost, use a Landed Cost Voucher, not an invoice line |
| Supplier bill number is entered | It is how you find the document when the supplier calls |
Reports
| Report | Answers |
|---|---|
| Unpaid Purchase Invoice | What is outstanding |
| Purchase Invoice by Supplier | Billed value per supplier |
| Purchase Invoice by Item | Billed value per item |
| Pending GRN | Received but not yet fully invoiced |
| Accounts Payable / Ageing | What you owe, and how overdue |
Full reference
Ledger postings, tax handling, payment entries, and ageing are documented in Financials.