How to Match a Vendor Invoice to a PO in Acumatica
PO invoice matching confirms that a vendor invoice agrees with its purchase order before AP pays it: right vendor, right PO, right line, quantity and amount. Invoices that match move to billing; anything else is held as an exception for the buyer or project manager.
This guide follows the recorded process in Acumatica Construction Edition: finding the PO, checking status and lines, attaching the invoice with a note, creating and releasing a purchase receipt, starting the AP bill from it, and emailing an exceptions workbook.
- Who does itAccounts payable specialist; the buyer or project manager resolves variances
- How oftenDaily, as approved invoice packages arrive
- Steps12 steps · 4 systems
- By hand2–16 hours a day, scales with 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 downloads the approved invoice package from the AP mailbox and reviews Harbor Line Tank Services invoice HLT-55210 ($5,000.00, PO-40020, project PR00000058). In Acumatica it filters Purchase Orders, confirms PO-40020 is Open for vendor VEN00362, and checks the line (RESPONSE-SUBS, 1.00 EACH, 5,000.00, cost code 5100, task ELECSUB) against the invoice. It attaches invoice_HLT-55210.pdf to the PO, adds the note 'Invoice is attached', creates purchase receipt 00007 from the PO, releases it and clicks Enter AP Bill. It then reviews a PROCESSED_INVOICES workbook covering 50 invoices with match and exception statuses and emails it to the accounts team.
- 0:57Download the approved invoice package
- 1:12Read the invoice and note the match fields
- 1:32Sign in to Acumatica
- 1:47Find the PO and check its status
- 2:12Compare the PO to the invoice
- 2:47Attach the invoice to the PO
- 2:57Add a record note
- 3:12Create the purchase receipt from the PO
- 3:37Release the receipt
- 3:47Start the AP bill from the receipt
- 3:57Build the invoice status workbook
- 4:32Email the status report to Accounts
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.
- Acumatica Construction EditionPurchase Orders (status, lines, Files, Notes, Enter PO Receipt) and Purchase Receipts (Release, Enter AP Bill)
- Outlook (web)AP mailbox with the approved invoice package and the outgoing status report
- invoice_HLT-55210.pdfHarbor Line Tank Services invoice matched to PO-40020
- PROCESSED_INVOICES workbookPer-invoice match status, attachment status, exception reason and final status
What you start with
- Approved invoice package (zip of invoice PDFs) from the AP mailbox
- Open and On Hold purchase orders in Acumatica
What you end with
- Invoice PDF attached to the PO with the note 'Invoice is attached'
- Released purchase receipt and an AP bill started from it
- PROCESSED_INVOICES status workbook emailed to the accounts team
The workflow at a glance
Action Decision Human review Select a step to jump to how it's done.
- 01 Action · Outlook (web) Download the approved invoice package
- 02 Action · Vendor invoice PDF Read the invoice and note the match fields
- 03 Action · Acumatica Construction Edition Sign in to Acumatica
- 04 Decision · Acumatica Construction Edition Find the PO and check its status Yes Status is Open or On Hold: continue to the line match. No Closed, Completed or other status: log a PO status exception and do not process.
- 05 Decision · Acumatica Construction Edition Compare the PO to the invoice Yes Everything agrees: attach the invoice and continue. No Any difference (for example amount over the PO): log a matching exception for review.
- 06 Action · Acumatica Construction Edition Attach the invoice to the PO
- 07 Action · Acumatica Construction Edition Add a record note
- 08 Action · Acumatica Construction Edition Create the purchase receipt from the PO
- 09 Action · Acumatica Construction Edition Release the receipt
- 10 Action · Acumatica Construction Edition Start the AP bill from the receipt
- 11 · Human review · PROCESSED_INVOICES workbook Build the invoice status workbook
- 12 Action · Outlook (web) Email the status report to Accounts
Step-by-step: how to do it
-
Action · Outlook (web) · 0:57 in the video
Download the approved invoice package
Open the AP mailbox, find the email carrying the approved invoices and download the zip attachment. Extract it so each invoice is a separate PDF.
In the videoEmail 'Hello AP Team, Attached is the zip file...' with the invoices attachment
-
Action · Vendor invoice PDF · 1:12 in the video
Read the invoice and note the match fields
For each invoice record the vendor and vendor ID, invoice number and dates, PO number, project, line description, quantity, unit price, cost code, task and total. These are the fields you will compare to the PO.
In the videoHarbor Line Tank Services invoice.
- Invoice
- HLT-55210
- Dated
- 10/01/2025
- Due
- 10/31/2025, Net 30
- PO
- PO-40020
- Vendor ID
- VEN00362
- Project
- PR00000058
- Line
- Electrical subs - annual tank maintenance service (Cost Code 5100, Task ELECSUB)
- Qty x price
- 1.00 EACH x 5,000.00
- Tax
- exempt
- Total
- $5,000.00
-
Action · Acumatica Construction Edition · 1:32 in the video
Sign in to Acumatica
Choose the tenant, sign in and confirm the company and business date in the top bar before working.
In the video- Tenant
- Northgate Group - UAT (Consolidation)
- Business date
- 10/2/2025
-
Decision · Acumatica Construction Edition · 1:47 in the video
Find the PO and check its status
Go to Purchases > Purchase Orders and filter for the PO number on the invoice. Confirm the vendor matches and the status allows invoicing.
- If yes Status is Open or On Hold: continue to the line match.
- If no Closed, Completed or other status: log a PO status exception and do not process.
In the video- PO40020 Open
- Type
- Normal
- Date
- 10/1/2025
- Vendor
- VEN00362
- PO40021 On Hold
- PO40016 Closed
- PO40013 Completed
-
Decision · Acumatica Construction Edition · 2:12 in the video
Compare the PO to the invoice
Open the PO and compare vendor, project, line item, quantity, unit cost, amount, cost code and project task to the invoice. Note the line's billing setting, which tells you whether the bill comes from a receipt.
- If yes Everything agrees: attach the invoice and continue.
- If no Any difference (for example amount over the PO): log a matching exception for review.
In the video- PO
- PO-40020 Harbor Line Tank Services
- Project
- PR00000058
- Description
- Annual tank inspection and maintenance service
- Order total
- 5,000.00
- RESPONSE-SUBS
- Type
- Non-Stock
- UOM
- EACH
- Qty
- 1.00
- Amount
- 5,000.00
- Account
- 41210
- Task
- ELECSUB
- Cost code
- 5100
- Billing
- based on Receipt
-
Action · Acumatica Construction Edition · 2:47 in the video
Attach the invoice to the PO
Click FILES on the PO, browse to the invoice PDF and upload it so the invoice sits with the order as audit evidence.
In the videoFiles dialog: invoice_HLT-55210.pdf
-
Action · Acumatica Construction Edition · 2:57 in the video
Add a record note
Click NOTES, enter a short note so anyone opening the PO knows the invoice has been received and attached, and click OK.
In the videoRecord note 'Invoice is attached'
-
Action · Acumatica Construction Edition · 3:12 in the video
Create the purchase receipt from the PO
Click ENTER PO RECEIPT. Check vendor, location, date, post period and vendor reference, confirm the receipt line ties to the PO line, then remove hold.
In the video- Vendor
- VEN00362 - Harbor Line Tank Services
- Location
- MAIN - Primary Location
- Date
- 10/1/2025
- Period
- 10-2025
- Vendor Ref
- SRM-INV-88341
- Line
- RESPONSE-SUBS 1.00 EACH from PO-40020 line 1, cost code 5100
-
Action · Acumatica Construction Edition · 3:37 in the video
Release the receipt
Click RELEASE and wait for the confirmation. A released receipt is what receipt-based PO lines bill from.
In the video- Receipt
- 00007 - Harbor Line Tank Services
- Status
- Balanced
- Total qty
- 1.00
- Message
- The operation has completed
-
Action · Acumatica Construction Edition · 3:47 in the video
Start the AP bill from the receipt
On the released receipt click ENTER AP BILL to create the bill from the received quantities, then review and save it in Bills and Adjustments.
In the videoENTER AP BILL clicked on receipt 00007 (the bill screen itself is not shown)
-
Human review · PROCESSED_INVOICES workbook · 3:57 in the video
Build the invoice status workbook
For every invoice record reference, vendor, PO, invoice total, PO total, match status, attachment status, exception reason and final status. Review the exceptions before sending.
In the videoStatus workbook rows for the processed invoices.
- HLT-55210 Matched · Attached · Processed
- PO
- PO-40020
- Invoice
- $5,000
- PO amount
- $5,000
- INV-2026-9006 · Fairmont Electrical Supply Co. Amount Variance · Review Needed
- PO
- PO-40015
- Invoice
- $4,620
- PO amount
- $4,200
- INV-2026-9011 · Ironclad Fabrication Co. Missing supporting documentation · Review Needed
- INV-2026-9016 · Crestline Building Materials Duplicate Exception: Matched existing voucher · Exception
-
-
Action · Outlook (web) · 4:32 in the video
Email the status report to Accounts
Send the workbook to the accounts team with a short summary of how many invoices were processed and that exceptions are listed in the file.
In the videoBody: 'We have processed the 50 invoices for the invoice-PO match process...' with the workbook attached
Rules, exceptions and controls
Rules to follow
- Only POs in Open or On Hold status are processed against an invoice.
- Invoice total must equal the PO total; $4,620.00 against a $4,200.00 PO is an Amount Variance.
- When PO lines bill based on receipt, create and release the purchase receipt before entering the AP bill.
- An invoice that matches an existing voucher is a duplicate exception and is not processed.
- An invoice without supporting documentation attached stays at Review Needed.
When something doesn't match
- Amount variance: INV-2026-9006 at $4,620.00 against PO-40015 at $4,200.00, marked Review Needed.
- Missing supporting documentation: INV-2026-9011, marked Review Needed.
- Duplicate: INV-2026-9016 matched an existing voucher, marked Exception.
- PO status not eligible (for example Closed or Completed): logged as a PO status exception.
Controls and audit trail
- Invoice PDF attached to the PO as audit evidence
- Record note on the PO showing the invoice is attached
- Receipt released before billing so the bill ties to received quantity
- Exceptions workbook sent to Accounts for follow-up
- Variances beyond tolerance go to the buyer or PM with both documents side by side
Practitioner tips
- Run the match line by line: PO price, received quantity and invoiced amount, judged against your tolerance table.
- Check the PO line's billing setting first; a receipt-based line cannot be billed until a receipt is released.
- Put the vendor's reference on the receipt so the receipt, bill and invoice can be traced to one another.
- Bills and Adjustments (AP301000) and AP Document Recognition are the Acumatica screens for reviewing the resulting bills.
About this recording
In the recording, the agent matched invoice HLT-55210 to PO-40020, attached the PDF and note, created and released the purchase receipt and started the AP bill, then emailed a 50-invoice status workbook. Exceptions were left for people to review.
Documented the way you'd train a new hire — and the same way an agent learns it.
Frequently asked questions
How do you match a vendor invoice to a PO in Acumatica?
Find the PO from the invoice's PO number, confirm it is Open or On Hold, compare vendor, line, quantity and amount, attach the invoice, then create and release a purchase receipt and enter the AP bill from it.
What happens when an invoice amount exceeds the PO?
It is not billed. It is marked Amount Variance and Review Needed in the status report so the buyer or PM can resolve it.
Why create a purchase receipt before the AP bill in Acumatica?
When PO lines are billed based on receipt, Acumatica creates the bill from the released receipt, tying the bill to the received quantity.
How do you attach an invoice to a purchase order in Acumatica?
Open the PO, click FILES, browse to the invoice PDF and upload it. Adding a record note through NOTES tells others the invoice is on file.
What goes in a PO invoice exceptions report?
Invoice and PO references, invoice and PO totals, match status, attachment status, exception reason and final status.
Can an AI agent do PO invoice matching in Acumatica?
Yes. As shown in the video, the agent works the same Acumatica screens a person does, and invoices with variances, missing documents or duplicates are left for a person to review.