---
name: reconcile-a-purchase-order
category: money
description: Match a purchase order, receipt, invoice, and approval trail before payment or correction. Use when quantities, prices, taxes, delivery, or references do not agree.
---

# reconcile-a-purchase-order

## Procedure

1. Preserve the original order, amendments, receipts, invoice, approvals, and system identifiers.
2. Confirm supplier identity, currency, dates, tax treatment, units, quantities, prices, and payment terms.
3. Perform the approved two-way, three-way, or four-way match without altering source records.
4. Classify each difference as timing, quantity, price, tax, duplicate, reference, receipt, or authorization.
5. Trace amendments and tolerances to an authorized policy or approver.
6. Ask the responsible buyer, receiver, or supplier for bounded evidence where needed.
7. Route valid correction, credit, re-receipt, dispute, or escalation through the approved workflow.
8. Reconcile the final posting and retain the resolution evidence.

## Guardrails

- Do not fabricate receipt, approval, or order amendments to make records match.
- Stop payment and escalate suspected duplicate, diversion, identity change, or fraud indicators.
- Do not provide tax or accounting conclusions beyond the authorized policy.

## Done

- A reconciliation record explains every material difference and its evidence
- Approved corrections or disputes reconcile to the final payable amount
- Source records, approvals, and resolution ownership remain auditable