Three-way match: PO, receipt, and bill exceptions

Compare ordered, received, and billed quantities and prices, set an Off, Warn, or Block policy with tolerances, and resolve or override exceptions with an audited reason.

Plans: Advanced and above (with purchase orders)
Availability: Rolling out in prelaunch
For: Owners, Bookkeepers, Accountants
In KontoCore: Settings → Purchasing → Three-way match · exceptions shown on the vendor bill and PO

In plain English

Before you pay, KontoCore checks that you were billed for what you ordered and actually received, at the agreed price.

What this does

Ordered (PO), received (receipts), and billed (vendor bill) stay distinct quantities on every PO line. The match compares them.

Exceptions include missing receipt, billed more than received or ordered (overbilled), and quantity or price variance beyond tolerance.

A purchase order is a commitment, never GL actual cost. Posted job-coded AP remains the actual job cost.

Before you start

Use purchase orders and record receipts for the items you want matched (see Purchase order matching).

How to

Set the policy

1Open Settings → Purchasing → Three-way match.
2Choose Off, Warn, or Block.
3Set quantity and price tolerances (percent and/or amount).
4Optionally require a receipt before a matched bill can post.
5Save.

Handle an exception

1Open the bill; exceptions are listed per line.
2Fix the cause (record the receipt, correct the bill, or update the PO via change), or
3Choose Override (authorized users only), enter a reason, and confirm.

Statuses and lifecycle

Status	Meaning
Matched	Within tolerance.
Warning	Exception shown; posting allowed (Warn policy).
Blocked	Exception prevents posting (Block policy).
Overridden	Authorized override recorded for the current exception set.

Corrections, voids, and reversals

An override applies only to the exceptions that existed when it was made. If quantities, prices, or receipts change and the exception set changes, the override no longer counts and the bill must be re-reviewed.

Audit trail

Every override records the user, reason, and timestamp, alongside the exceptions it covered.

Availability and provider notes

Built – unverified: this workflow exists in the prelaunch product but has not yet completed human certification. Review results before relying on them.
No external provider is required.

Permissions

Administrators set the policy. Only users authorized to override match exceptions can override; others must resolve the cause.

What happens in your books

The match itself posts nothing. The bill posts normally once allowed; POs and receipts never post actual cost.

Common mistakes

Setting wide tolerances that hide real overbilling.
Overriding instead of recording a receipt that actually arrived.

Troubleshooting

Bill blocked with Missing receipt

Record the receipt, or the policy requires one before posting.

Override disappeared

The bill, PO, or receipt changed, creating a new exception set.

Matching vendor bills to purchase orders (partial billing and receiving)Enter a vendor invoice, optionally link it to a purchase order, match bill lines to PO lines, and track each line as open, partially received, partially billed, or closed.Commitments and subcontractsTrack purchase orders and subcontracts as committed cost per job and cost code, see what is billed and still open, and close commitments that won’t be used.Putting vendor bills on holdPlace a vendor bill on hold with a recorded reason so it cannot be selected for payment, batches, or check/ACH preparation until an authorized user releases it.Vendors, bills, and bill paymentsAdd vendors, enter bills with due dates, pay them, and apply vendor credits.

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Last reviewed October 6, 2026