# How to Receive Inventory Against a Purchase Order in QuickBooks Desktop

> Receive inventory against a purchase order in QuickBooks Desktop with or without the bill, and record partial receipts so the rest stays on order.

- URL: https://logistify.ai/guides/quickbooks-desktop/receive-inventory-against-purchase-order/
- Section: QuickBooks Desktop Guides, Purchasing
- Applies to: QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise, Premier, Pro
- Steps checked against: Intuit's QuickBooks Desktop help articles, updated August 2026
- Updated: 2026-10-18

**Short answer:** In QuickBooks Desktop, select Receive Inventory on the Home page, pick the vendor, and select Yes to receive against their open purchase order. Choose Receive Inventory with Bill if the bill came with the goods, or Receive Inventory without a bill if it didn't. Set each quantity to what arrived, then save. This works in Pro, Premier and Enterprise.

## Before you start

- Inventory and purchase orders must be on: Edit > Preferences > Items & Inventory > Company Preferences, then Inventory and purchase orders are active.
- Have an open purchase order for the vendor. Receiving against it carries the items and quantities over, so you don't retype them.
- Count what actually arrived and keep the packing slip next to you.
- In Enterprise, check whether Enhanced Inventory Receiving is on. It changes how item receipts and bills post, and it can't be turned off.

## Step 1: Receive items that arrive with the bill

1. On the Home page, open the Receive Inventory dropdown and select Receive Inventory with Bill.
2. In the Enter Bills window, choose the vendor from the Vendor dropdown.
3. When QuickBooks asks whether to receive against an open purchase order, select Yes.
4. Select the purchase order you're receiving against, then select OK.
5. Review the bill. The Memo is the only purchase order field that doesn't copy over.
6. Change each quantity and cost to match what arrived and what the supplier billed.
7. Select Save & Close. Pay the bill later from Pay Bills.

Without Enhanced Inventory Receiving, saving adds the items to quantity on hand and records what you owe the vendor.

## Step 2: Receive items before the bill arrives

1. On the Home page, open the Receive Inventory dropdown and select Receive Inventory without a bill.
2. In the Item Receipt window, choose the vendor.
3. Select Yes to receive against an open purchase order, choose it, and select OK.
4. Set each quantity to what arrived.
5. Select Save & Close.

The item receipt adds the stock to inventory right away. Without Enhanced Inventory Receiving, it also records the amount in accounts payable.

## Step 3: Enter the bill when it arrives

1. On the Home page, select Enter Bills Against Inventory.
2. In the Select Item Receipt window, choose the vendor.
3. To keep the date the stock arrived, select Use Item receipt date for the bill date.
4. Pick the item receipt the supplier's bill covers. Each item receipt converts on its own, so repeat for any others.
5. Select OK. QuickBooks turns the item receipt into a bill, ready for Pay Bills.

## How to record a partial receipt

- Receive only what arrived. On the bill or item receipt, change each line's quantity to the count on the dock.
- The purchase order stays open for the rest.
- When the rest ships, receive against the same purchase order again.
- In Enterprise with Enhanced Inventory Receiving, the purchase order shows both the quantity received and the quantity billed.

Short shipments on the sales side work differently. See our guide to [backorders and partial shipments](https://logistify.ai/guides/quickbooks-desktop/backorders-partial-shipments/).

## Receiving with the Enterprise warehouse worksheet

In Enterprise, the Purchase Order Management Worksheet tracks receiving by site, status or vendor. It's an Advanced Inventory setting. Go to Edit > Preferences > Items & Inventory > Company Preferences > Advanced Inventory Settings. On Site Operations, select Enable Purchase Order Management Worksheet, then open it from the Inventory menu.

- On the Purchase Orders tab, select the purchase order and send it to a device, or print it for manual receiving.
- On the PO Progress tab, the Actions menu can create an item receipt or a bill for the selected purchase order.
- Statuses run from Sent for Receiving to Received, then Complete once it is billed.
- The worksheet isn't available once Enhanced Inventory Receiving is on.

## Troubleshooting

- The purchase order isn't offered: check you picked the same vendor, and that it isn't closed or already received in full.
- With Enhanced Inventory Receiving, item receipts can't carry expenses, and neither item receipts nor bills can have negative lines.
- With Enhanced Inventory Receiving, close a purchase order for non-inventory items with an item receipt.
- Bills no longer add stock once Enhanced Inventory Receiving is on. Record an item receipt as well.

If a later count still doesn't match QuickBooks, [adjust the quantity on hand](https://logistify.ai/guides/quickbooks-desktop/adjust-inventory-quantity-value/).

## Where QuickBooks Desktop leaves the work to you

- Someone has to compare the packing slip with the purchase order and key in every quantity.
- QuickBooks only knows the expected date someone typed. Whether a shipment is really on its way, you learn from the supplier.
- Short shipments leave lines open until someone receives the rest or closes them.
- Matching the supplier's bill to the item receipt and the purchase order is manual.

## How Logistify helps before the truck arrives

Logistify doesn't receive inventory or enter bills. The [Procurement Service](https://logistify.ai/agents/procurement/) follows up with suppliers on open purchase orders and captures confirmed dates and quantities. If a supplier confirms a smaller quantity, that exception goes to a person on your team. Read [how AI purchase order tracking works](https://logistify.ai/blog/ai-purchase-order-tracking-supplier-follow-up-quickbooks-desktop-enterprise/) with QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What's the difference between Receive Inventory with Bill and without a bill?

With Bill records the stock and what you owe in one step. Without a bill creates an item receipt now, and you turn it into a bill later with Enter Bills Against Inventory.

### Can I receive part of a purchase order in QuickBooks Desktop?

Yes, change the quantity on the bill or item receipt to what arrived. The rest stays open on the purchase order until it's received or closed.

### Does creating a purchase order add stock?

No. Quantity on hand goes up when you save the item receipt or the bill against it. With Enhanced Inventory Receiving, only the item receipt adds stock.

### Can I turn off Enhanced Inventory Receiving?

No. Intuit says it can't be turned off once it's on, so back up your file and test it in a sample company first.

## Sources

- [Intuit: Receive inventory](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/inventory-management/receive-inventory/L688Eaau2_US_en_US)
- [Intuit: Enter bills against inventory](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/item-receipts/enter-bills-inventory/L6UVSttVp_US_en_US)
- [Intuit: Manage Enhanced Inventory Receiving](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/product-preferences/turn-enhanced-inventory-receiving-eir/L9VnCgFvY_US_en_US)
- [Intuit: Use the purchase order management worksheet](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/product-preferences/use-purchase-order-management-worksheet/L7TsaEbW9_US_en_US)
- [Intuit: Accounts Payable workflows in QuickBooks Desktop](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/pay-bills/accounts-payable-workflows-quickbooks-desktop/L6te5f7ph_US_en_US)
- [Intuit: Mastering QuickBooks Desktop Level 1 learning manual (PDF)](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/oidam/intuit/sbseg/en_us/priority-circle/content/QBD-Level1-Manual-2021.pdf)