How to check unit prices on a bill against the PO

Short answer

1. Open the bill and its PO side by side.
2. Pair each bill line with a PO line.
3. Compare unit price and quantity on each pair.
4. Hold and query any line where the bill is higher.

Before you start

You need the PO number. A good supplier prints it on the bill. If not, ask the person who ordered.

You also need to know how the order was priced. A PO line at quantity 1 is a lump sum. A PO line with quantity and unit price is a unit-priced line. This guide is about unit-priced lines.

The manual way in Xero

1. Go to Business > Purchase orders and open the PO for the supplier.
2. In a second tab open the draft bill at Business > Bills to pay.
3. Read each bill line. Find the matching PO line by item or description.
4. Compare unit price. If the bill is higher, mark it.
5. Compare quantity. If the bill is more than the PO, mark it.
6. Compare the totals last, not first.

If you create the bill from the PO in Xero, the lines come across at the PO price. If the supplier then sends an invoice at a different price, you must edit the bill and compare by eye.

Limits: Xero does not warn you when a bill line is priced above the PO line.

The manual way in MYOB

1. Open the purchase order from the Purchases menu.
2. Open the supplier’s bill in a second window.
3. Compare each line’s price and quantity.
4. Hold the bill and ask the supplier to fix any difference.

The Pulsify way

Pulsify matches the bill to an open PO synced from Xero or MYOB. This guide covers the price part.

1. Pulsify reads the PO number on the bill and links the matching open PO. You can also pick one from the PO # field.
2. Each bill line is matched to a PO line by quantity and unit price. Pulsify can also match a line with the same description and price but a lower quantity.
3. A unit price that differs shows a hint under the line, for example “PO price is $72.90 each”.
4. A quantity above the PO line shows “Exceeds PO by 4”. A line with no PO line is flagged as not on the PO.
5. The PO panel shows how much of the PO is claimed and what is left.

PO checks need at least one synced PO. They can be turned off per company in Settings. They run on invoices, not on other PO documents.

Worked example

Example Hardware Trade raised PO-1042 for 20 boxes of 100mm screws at $38.40 and 10 drill bits at $12.00.

The bill shows 20 boxes at $38.40 (match), 14 drill bits at $12.00 and 1 delivery fee at $25.00.

• Boxes of screws: match.
• Drill bits: 4 above the PO. Pulsify shows “Exceeds PO by 4”.
• Delivery: not on the PO. Flagged.

You pay for 10 bits, ask about the delivery and approve once the supplier agrees.

Common mistakes

• Matching on the bill total. Check each line.
• Treating a lower quantity as an error. Partial delivery is normal.
• Ignoring lump-sum lines. They are not price-checked, so check them yourself.

Next step

Try an invoice and see the PO price hint on a real bill. Read the PO matching guide for the full flow.