What a 3-Way Match Checks
A 3-way match compares three documents before an invoice is paid: the purchase order (what you agreed to buy, at what price), the goods receipt (what actually arrived) and the supplier's invoice (what you are asked to pay). An invoice passes when every line agrees on the item, the quantity billed is no more than was received, and the price is the price on the PO. For the background, see our guide to how three-way matching works.
2-way, 3-way and 4-way matching
| Match | Documents | Catches |
|---|---|---|
| 2-way | PO and invoice | Wrong prices, items nobody ordered, billing more than ordered. Used for services and low-value orders. |
| 3-way | PO, goods receipt and invoice | Everything a 2-way match does, plus billing for goods that never arrived or arrived short. Common for stock and inventory purchases. |
| 4-way | PO, receipt, inspection report and invoice | Also stops payment for goods that arrived but failed quality inspection. Common in food, pharma and manufacturing. |
Common exceptions and what to do
- Short shipment billed in full. Pay for what arrived and ask for a credit note for the rest.
- Price above the PO. Pay at the PO price unless the buyer approved the increase in writing.
- Freight not on the PO. Check your terms. On delivered pricing the supplier pays freight.
- Unit of measure changed. 10 cases on the PO billed as 120 each can hide a price change; convert before you compare.
- Item not on the PO. Do not pay it until the buyer adds it to the order.
If you trade by EDI, the EDI 3-way match compares 850, 856 and 810 files directly, including carton-level ship notices. To pull the data out of a single document, use the invoice scanner or the PO extractor. Need a receiving document to match against? The packing slip and delivery note generator makes one. For how ERPs set matching up, see NetSuite's overview of three-way matching.