Manufacturing · Epicor Prophet 21

How to Do an AP Three-Way Match in Epicor Prophet 21

A three-way match checks each vendor invoice against the purchase order and the receiving record before it is entered for payment: was it ordered, was it received, and is the price and quantity billed the same as both. In Epicor Prophet 21 a matched invoice is entered with Convert PO to Voucher against the PO receipt.

Paying unmatched invoices means paying for goods never received or at prices never agreed. This guide follows the routine in the recording: reading invoices, finding receivers in Receipts Inquiry, the 10-day receiver hold, line-level matching, voucher entry and the exception report to AP.

  • Who does itAccounts payable clerk
  • How oftenDaily
  • Steps9 steps · 4 systems
  • By hand8–35 hours a day depending on invoice volume

Watch the full workflow

every click in this recording is an AI agent — no one is touching the keyboard.

In the recording, an AI agent reads four vendor invoices in a PDF parser hub and looks up their PO receivers in P21 Receipts Inquiry, finding none for Northline PO 40240 or Delta Hose PO 40163. On the daily receiver-hold recheck, Midwest Fastener's receiver is found and released, Delta Hose reaches day 10 and becomes an exception, and Northline is held. Line-by-line matching passes Keller Fluid Power and Great Lakes Bearing and fails Summit Valve on a +$250.00 price variance. Passing invoices become vouchers 30071–30073 via Convert PO to Voucher, and an exception report is emailed to AP.

  1. 1:30Read the vendor invoices
  2. 2:15Look up PO receivers in P21
  3. 2:45Is there a receiver?
  4. 3:10Run the daily receiver-hold recheck
  5. 3:35Compare invoice, PO and receipt line by line
  6. 4:05Did the match pass?
  7. 4:15Enter the voucher with Convert PO to Voucher
  8. 4:55Capture the voucher confirmation
  9. 5:20Email the AP exception report

Systems involved

You need access to each of these before you start. In the recording the agent works in all of them from one desktop, signed in as the user.

  • Epicor Prophet 21Receipts Inquiry, Purchase Order Inquiry and Convert PO to Voucher
  • PDF Parser HubReads vendor invoices from the AP inbox and keeps the Receiver Hold queue
  • MailException report to AP, Purchasing copied
  • 3-Way_Match_Evidence_2026-09-28.xlsxEvidence workbook attached to the exception email

What you start with

  • Vendor invoice PDFs from the AP inbox
  • P21 PO receipts (receivers)
  • P21 purchase order lines and unit prices
  • Receiver Hold queue

What you end with

  • Vouchers entered in P21
  • Invoices held awaiting a receiver
  • AP exception email with evidence workbook and voucher confirmation

The workflow at a glance

Action Decision Human review Select a step to jump to how it's done.

  1. 01 Action · PDF Parser Hub Read the vendor invoices
  2. 02 Action · Prophet 21 – Receipts Inquiry Look up PO receivers in P21
  3. 03 Decision · Prophet 21 Is there a receiver? Yes Go to the three-way match. No Place the invoice on Receiver Hold.
  4. 04 Decision · PDF Parser Hub – Receiver Hold Run the daily receiver-hold recheck Yes Receiver found: release to matching. No Still missing: hold and recheck tomorrow; on day 10 send AP an exception.
  5. 05 Action · Prophet 21 – Purchase Order Inquiry Compare invoice, PO and receipt line by line
  6. 06 Decision · Match results Did the match pass? Yes Enter the voucher in P21. No Do not enter; report to AP as an exception.
  7. 07 Action · Prophet 21 – Convert PO to Voucher Enter the voucher with Convert PO to Voucher
  8. 08 Action · Prophet 21 Capture the voucher confirmation
  9. 09 Action · Mail Email the AP exception report

Step-by-step: how to do it

  1. Action · PDF Parser Hub · 1:30 in the video

    Read the vendor invoices

    Open each invoice from the AP inbox and capture vendor, P21 vendor ID, invoice number and date, PO number, total, freight and every line. Check low-confidence fields against the PDF before passing it on.

    In the video
    • 88-41027 · Keller Fluid Power
      PO
      40218
      Amount
      $2,605.20
    • GLB-55190 · Great Lakes Bearing
      PO
      40225
      Amount
      $1,572.50 incl. 38.50 freight
    • 771402 · Summit Valve & Fitting
      PO
      40231
      Amount
      $5,094.00
    • NL-230918 · Northline Electrical Supply 98% confidence
      PO
      40240
      Amount
      $1,016.50
      Vendor
      20533

  2. Action · Prophet 21 – Receipts Inquiry · 2:15 in the video

    Look up PO receivers in P21

    In Receipts Inquiry search by PO number, with the location and a receipt date range, and note the receipt number, date, amount and whether it is already vouchered. Include POs for invoices already on hold.

    In the video
    • PO 40218
      Receiver
      1102871
      Date
      09/24/2026
    • PO 40225
      Receiver
      1102874
      Date
      09/25
    • PO 40231
      Receiver
      1102879
      Date
      09/26
    • PO 40240 'No receiver found'
    • PO 40197 · Midwest Fastener
      Receiver
      1102866
      Date
      09/27
      Amount
      $620.00
    • PO 40163 · Delta Hose 'No receipts found'

  3. Decision · Prophet 21 · 2:45 in the video

    Is there a receiver?

    If the PO has a receipt, the invoice goes on to matching. If not, the goods have not been received in P21 and the invoice is placed on receiver hold.

    • If yes Go to the three-way match.
    • If no Place the invoice on Receiver Hold.
    In the video

    POs checked 6/6 — 4 receivers found, 2 missing

  4. Decision · PDF Parser Hub – Receiver Hold · 3:10 in the video

    Run the daily receiver-hold recheck

    Once a day, recheck P21 for every held invoice and track its day count. Release it when the receiver appears, keep holding if it is still missing, and raise an AP exception on day 10.

    • If yes Receiver found: release to matching.
    • If no Still missing: hold and recheck tomorrow; on day 10 send AP an exception.
    In the video
    • MFS-10442 · Midwest Fastener Released
      Hold
      Day 5 of 10
      Receiver
      1102866 found
    • DH-66031 · Delta Hose AP exception
      Amount
      $2,310.00
      Held since
      09/18, day 10 of 10
    • NL-230918 · Northline On hold
      Hold
      Day 1 of 10
      Next check
      09/29

  5. Action · Prophet 21 – Purchase Order Inquiry · 3:35 in the video

    Compare invoice, PO and receipt line by line

    Open the PO and, for every invoice line, compare quantity billed with quantity received and invoice unit price with PO unit price. Treat freight as its own line and note any dollar variance.

    In the video
    • Keller Passed
      HYD-HOSE-08
      6/6 @ 212.40
      FIT-JIC-0808
      120/120 @ 4.85
      CPL-QD-08
      24/24 @ 31.20
      Total
      2,605.20
    • Great Lakes Passed
      Total
      1,572.50 incl. 38.50 freight
    • Summit Valve Failed
      VLV-BALL-075
      Invoiced 18.75 vs PO 17.50
      Variance
      +250.00

  6. Decision · Match results · 4:05 in the video

    Did the match pass?

    Invoices that agree on every line go to voucher entry. A failed invoice is never entered; it goes on the exception report with the evidence.

    • If yes Enter the voucher in P21.
    • If no Do not enter; report to AP as an exception.
    In the video

    4 invoices matched: 3 passed, 1 exception (Summit Valve)

  7. Action · Prophet 21 – Convert PO to Voucher · 4:15 in the video

    Enter the voucher with Convert PO to Voucher

    Under Accounts Payable > Convert PO to Voucher enter the vendor ID, select the PO receipt, and key invoice number, invoice date and amount. Check the items to voucher, confirm the difference is 0.00 and save.

    In the video
    • Voucher 30071 · Vendor 20114 Keller Fluid Power
      PO / receipt
      40218 / 1102871
      Invoice
      88-41027
      Dated
      09/25/2026
      Amount
      2,605.20
    • Voucher 30072 · Great Lakes
      Invoice
      GLB-55190
      Amount
      1,572.50
    • Voucher 30073 · Midwest Fastener
      Invoice
      MFS-10442
      Amount
      620.00

  8. Action · Prophet 21 · 4:55 in the video

    Capture the voucher confirmation

    Screenshot the vouchers entered today so the batch can be traced later.

    In the video

    P21_Voucher_Confirmation.png: 3 vouchers totaling 4,797.70

  9. Action · Mail · 5:20 in the video

    Email the AP exception report

    Email AP, Purchasing copied, with each exception, its evidence and a recommended next action, plus invoices still on hold and vouchers entered. Attach the invoices, evidence workbook and confirmation.

    In the video
    To
    ap@acme-industries.example, cc purchasing@
    Subject
    'AP 3-way match exceptions – 09/28/2026'
    Exceptions
    2
    Attachments
    4
    • Summit Valve 771402 Request a $250.00 credit memo or Purchasing approval
    • Delta Hose DH-66031 No receiver after 10 days, confirm with the Evansville branch
    • Northline Still on hold

Rules, exceptions and controls

Rules to follow

  • Every invoice line must agree with the PO line and the receipt on quantity and unit price before a voucher is entered.
  • An invoice with no receiver is held and P21 is rechecked once a day for up to 10 days.
  • On recheck: receiver found → release to matching; still missing → hold; day 10 still missing → AP exception.
  • An invoice that fails the match is never entered.
  • Freight is compared as its own line (38.50 on Great Lakes Bearing).

When something doesn't match

  • Price variance: Summit Valve VLV-BALL-075 billed $18.75 vs PO $17.50 on 200 ea (+$250.00) — request a credit memo or Purchasing approval.
  • No receiver after 10 days: Delta Hose PO 40163 — confirm receipt with the branch or dispute.
  • No receiver yet: Northline PO 40240 — held and rechecked daily through 10/08/2026.

Controls and audit trail

  • Line-level three-way match before any voucher is entered.
  • Voucher confirmation screenshot and evidence workbook retained.
  • Purchasing copied on every exception; AP decides the next action.
  • Hold window tracked per invoice (day X of 10).

Practitioner tips

  • Use exact rules for item matching and a controller-approved tolerance for price and quantity; tolerance is policy, not a judgment call at month end.
  • Review each held or failed invoice with the PDF beside the P21 record.
  • Watch for partial invoices that each pass unit-price tolerance but together overbill the line.
  • Never key a PO invoice as a non-PO invoice; it skips the match and the buyer.
  • Clear holds quickly on discount terms — on 2/10 net 30 an invoice parked past day 10 loses the discount.

About this recording

In the recording, the agent read the invoices, checked receivers and the hold queue in P21, matched three invoices and entered vouchers 30071–30073, and emailed AP the price-variance and missing-receiver exceptions.

Documented the way you'd train a new hire — and the same way an agent learns it.

See it on your workflow

Frequently asked questions

How do you do a three-way match in Epicor Prophet 21?

Find the PO receipt in Receipts Inquiry, then compare each invoice line with the PO line and the quantity received in Purchase Order Inquiry. If quantity and price agree, enter the invoice with Convert PO to Voucher against that receipt.

What happens when an invoice arrives before the goods are received?

It goes on receiver hold. P21 is rechecked once a day for up to 10 days; if the receiver appears the invoice is released to matching, and if not by day 10 AP gets an exception.

How do you handle a price variance in an AP three-way match?

Do not enter the invoice. Send AP the invoice price, PO price and dollar variance with a recommended action, such as requesting a credit memo or getting Purchasing to approve the new price.

How do you enter a PO invoice in Prophet 21?

Use Accounts Payable > Convert PO to Voucher: enter the vendor ID, select the PO receipt, key the invoice number, date and amount, check the items to voucher, confirm the difference is 0.00 and save.

Should freight be part of the three-way match?

Compare it as a separate line so a freight charge is not mistaken for a price variance on the goods.

Can an AI agent do an AP three-way match in Epicor Prophet 21?

Yes. As shown in the video, the agent works the same P21 screens a person does, entering only invoices that pass and sending holds and variances to AP for a person to decide.

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