How to Receive a PO in Epicor and Run the 3-Way Match
how to receive in epicor
Also searched as
- epicor 3 way match
- how to use fulfillment workbench in epicor kinetic
- epicor receipt entry purchase order
Short answer
In Epicor you receive purchased material in Receipt Entry (Purchase Management > Receiving): enter the vendor packing slip, pull the PO lines, key the received quantity and save. The three-way match then compares the PO, the receipt and the AP invoice in AP Invoice Entry, so you pay only what was ordered and received. Fulfillment Workbench is the outbound counterpart for sales orders.
Applies to: Epicor 10.x and Kinetic, on-prem and private cloud
How to receive against a purchase order
- 1Confirm the PO is approved and released. Unapproved PO releases cannot be received.
- 2Open Receipt Entry from the Purchase Management area (or menu search 'Receipt Entry').
- 3Create a new receipt: enter the supplier and the vendor packing slip number, and the receive date.
- 4Select the PO and the release lines you are receiving. Use the PO lookup or the receipt detail's PO selection.
- 5Enter the received quantity per line, the unit of measure and, where used, lot, serial or bin details.
- 6Choose the warehouse and bin for stock receipts, or let direct job and direct sales order demand receive straight to the job or shipment.
- 7Save and, if your process requires it, run the receipt through inspection before it reaches stock.
- 8Review the receipt in Receipt Tracker or the PO tracker to confirm received quantity updated.
What the three-way match checks
A three-way match ties together three documents: the purchase order (what you agreed to buy and at what price), the receipt (what physically arrived) and the supplier invoice (what they bill). In Epicor, AP Invoice Entry lets you pull received PO lines onto the invoice so quantity and price arrive from the PO and receipt, and you reconcile the invoice against them.
Differences show up as price or quantity variances. Common causes are partial shipments, supplier price changes not reflected on the PO, and receipts keyed against the wrong release. Fix the PO or receipt first when the fault is on your side, and use the invoice tolerance and hold options to decide whether small variances pass.
Receiving variations
Direct-to-job receipts (for subcontract or job-specific purchase) skip stock and attach cost to the job. Stock receipts go to a warehouse and bin. Receiving inspection can hold material in an inspection location until quality releases it.
Over-receipts are controlled by the PO's over-receipt tolerance. If the supplier shipped more than the tolerance, change the PO or return the excess rather than forcing the receipt.
Where Fulfillment Workbench fits
Fulfillment Workbench is a sales-side tool. It lets shipping and customer service view order releases that are ready to fulfil, check allocation and stock, and drive picking and shipment creation from one screen. It does not receive purchases.
If your goal is to ship against sales orders, learn Fulfillment Workbench together with pack-out and shipping entry. If your goal is to receive, stay in Receipt Entry.
Try it here, free
Epicor Kinetic Job Status Reference
A searchable lookup of the job lifecycle flags and related fields in Epicor Kinetic job entry, so you can build BAQs and dashboards with the right filter.
Common pitfalls
- !Receiving against an unapproved or closed PO release fails; check approval status first.
- !A wrong vendor packing slip number makes later invoice matching harder because staff search for the paperwork.
- !Keying quantities in the wrong unit of measure silently skews stock and cost.
- !Matching an invoice before the receipt is entered forces manual overrides that auditors later question.
How an ERP-grounded AI assistant handles this
A grounded assistant can list open PO lines that have been invoiced but not received, or received but not invoiced, straight from the PO, receipt and AP tables. That gives AP and purchasing a daily exception list rather than discovering mismatches at month end. Netray's ERPray is read-only by default, so it flags the exceptions without changing receipts.
Frequently asked questions
What is the three-way match in Epicor?
It is the comparison of the purchase order, the receipt and the supplier invoice before payment. Quantity and price on the invoice should agree with what was ordered and received, within your tolerance.
Why can I not receive my PO in Epicor?
Typical causes are the PO release not approved, the line closed or already fully received, wrong company or plant, or missing permission to Receipt Entry. Check the PO tracker for status first.
Is Fulfillment Workbench used for receiving?
No. It is used on the sales side to process order releases for picking and shipping. Receiving uses Receipt Entry.
Can I receive part of a PO?
Yes. Receive the partial quantity on the release; the remainder stays open. Later receipts apply to the same line until it is fulfilled or closed.
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