Matching FAQ & Troubleshooting

Common questions and error solutions for 3-way matching in PayInvoice Next.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What does the match score percentage mean? The match score (0–100%) reflects how closely the invoice aligns with the Purchase Order and Goods Receipt Note across quantity, price, and value. A score of 95% or above typically means the invoice can be auto-approved. Lower scores indicate variances that may need review. See How 3-Way Matching Works for the full score calculation.

Q: What is the difference between "Auto-Approve" and "Approve with Variance"? Auto-Approve means all components matched perfectly or within tolerance — no human review is needed. Approve with Variance means minor variances exist (e.g., a small favorable price difference) but they fall within acceptable limits and the invoice can proceed with the variances recorded for audit purposes.

Q: Can I override the matching decision? Yes. If you have the Accounts Manager role and the invoice is routed to you for review, you can approve an invoice that the system recommended for rejection, or reject one that was recommended for approval. All overrides are recorded in the audit trail with your comments.

Q: What happens if there is no GRN for an invoice? The system performs a two-way match (PO vs. Invoice only). This is common for service invoices where physical goods receipt doesn't apply. The match status shows "Two-Way Match" and the quantity comparison uses PO quantities directly.

Q: What is a "Non-PO" invoice? An invoice submitted without a linked Purchase Order. Non-PO invoices skip the standard matching process and are routed directly for manual approval following your organization's approval rules. Examples include utility bills, rent, and subscriptions.

Q: How does matching handle partial deliveries? If a supplier delivers in multiple shipments (multiple GRNs against one PO), the matching engine aggregates received quantities across all GRNs linked to the same PO line. The invoice quantity is compared against the total received, not individual GRN quantities.

Q: Can I re-run matching after correcting data? Yes. If the original match failed due to incorrect data (e.g., wrong PO reference, OCR misread a quantity), correct the data on the IPU record and trigger re-matching. The old Match Result is superseded by the new one.

Q: What does "tolerance" mean in matching? A tolerance is the acceptable margin of difference. For example, a 2% quantity tolerance means an invoice for 98 units against a PO for 100 units is accepted (2% variance), but an invoice for 95 units is flagged (5% variance). Tolerances are configured by your organization's administrators.

Q: Does matching check taxes (GST)? Yes. The value matching component compares tax amounts between the invoice and the PO. Tax mismatches (e.g., CGST/SGST amounts don't match the expected rates) are flagged as value variances.

Error Messages and Solutions

"Invoice does not reference a Purchase Order" No PO is linked to this invoice. If a PO exists, manually assign it on the IPU record using the PO Reference field. If no PO applies, mark the invoice as a Non-PO invoice.

"Billing exceeds received quantity" The invoice claims a higher quantity than what was received on the GRN. This is flagged as a critical variance because it means paying for goods not yet delivered. Ask the supplier to revise the invoice or verify if additional deliveries are expected.

"Price variance exceeds tolerance" The invoiced rate is higher than the agreed PO rate by more than the configured tolerance. Check whether a contractual price escalation applies. If not, ask the supplier to invoice at the PO rate.

"No matching PO line found for invoice line [ITEM]" The engine could not find a corresponding PO line for an item on the invoice. This may happen if the item code on the invoice doesn't match the PO, or if the item was not part of the original order. Verify the item mapping and correct if needed.

"Match score below rejection threshold" The combined match score is too low for any form of approval. This typically means multiple significant variances exist across quantity, price, and value. Review the Match Result line by line to identify all issues.

"Duplicate invoice detected" The system found an existing invoice with the same invoice number, supplier, and similar amount. If this is genuinely a new invoice (e.g., same number in a different financial year), the duplicate flag can be cleared by an Accounts Manager.

Match status stuck at "In Progress" The matching process may have encountered an error. Check the IPU record's status history for details. If the issue persists, contact your system administrator — the matching engine logs errors for diagnosis.

Related Pages

• How 3-Way Matching Works — Understanding the matching logic and scores
• Handle Match Failures — Step-by-step variance resolution
• Matching Field Reference — What each Match Result field means
• 3-Way Matching Overview — Summary of the matching module