Can I allocate a purchase credit note to a purchase order?

This article covers whether a purchase credit note can be allocated to a purchase order. It cannot. A purchase credit note can only be allocated against a purchase invoice with an outstanding balance, not against a purchase order directly.

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How document matching connects a purchase credit note to a purchase order

iplicit supports the following matching paths:

• A goods received note (GRN) matches to a purchase order and a purchase invoice
• A purchase credit note allocates to a purchase invoice.

The purchase credit note links to the purchase invoice, which in turn links to the purchase order. This creates a full audit trail across all three documents, but the credit note and purchase order can't be linked directly. 'Matching' here refers to linking a GRN to a purchase order or invoice, while 'allocating' refers to applying a credit note against an invoice's outstanding balance. They're related but separate actions.

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How to allocate a purchase credit note correctly

1. Confirm the purchase invoice has already been matched to the purchase order
2. Open the purchase invoice that has the outstanding balance
3. Allocate the purchase credit note against that invoice.

The document history on each record shows the full chain, from purchase order through to purchase invoice through to purchase credit note.

For detailed steps on allocation and matching, see the purchase invoices and credit notes user guide.