A partial delivery is when a supplier delivers and bills only part of a purchase order, so the PO stays open with a balance.
Before you start
- Goods receipt per delivery
- Goods receipt based invoice verification set on the PO item if you want a check against the receipt
The S/4HANA way
Where to find it: Post the goods receipt for the PO, then Manage Supplier Invoices (F0859) or MIRO
- Post a goods receipt for the quantity that arrived.
- Create the supplier invoice against the PO. SAP proposes the quantity still to be invoiced.
- Invoice only what was received. If you invoice more, the tolerance rules apply.
- The rest of the PO stays open for the next delivery and invoice.
Limits in S/4HANA
- Separate quantity tolerances exist for invoice after goods receipt and invoice before goods receipt.
Words S/4HANA uses
- Goods receipt. The record that goods arrived against a PO.
The Pulsify way
- Sync your open POs from S/4HANA to Pulsify.
- Forward each supplier invoice. Pulsify links it to the purchase order and matches lines on quantity and unit price.
- Pulsify shows how much of the purchase order is claimed, what this supplier invoice adds and what is left.
- Pulsify flags a line that bills more than what is left on the purchase order.
- Approve. The supplier invoice is created in S/4HANA against the purchase order.
Pulsify connects to S/4HANA. We set up the connection for you.
What Pulsify does not do here
- Pulsify matches to within 1 cent and has no tolerance setting.
- A lower quantity than the purchase order line is not flagged, because partial delivery is normal.
Example in S/4HANA
Example Pipe Co raises a PO for 500 metres of pipe at $9.00 a metre, which is $4,500.00 before GST. The pipe arrives in two deliveries.
| Line | Amount | Tagged to |
|---|---|---|
| First delivery, 300 metres | $2,700.00 | Goods receipt 300, then invoice the quantity SAP proposes |
| Second delivery, 200 metres | $1,800.00 | Second goods receipt 200, then invoice the quantity SAP proposes |
After the first invoice the PO stays open for the next delivery and invoice. Invoicing more than was received brings the tolerance rules into play.
Common mistakes
- Invoicing the full PO quantity after a part delivery and landing in the tolerance rules.
- Not setting goods receipt based invoice verification on the PO item when you want a check against the receipt.
More help
- How to handle a partial delivery against a purchase order in Dynamics 365 Finance
- How to handle a partial delivery against a purchase order in Kinetic
- How to handle a partial delivery against a purchase order in IFS Cloud
- How to match a supplier invoice to a purchase order in S/4HANA
- How to set a price tolerance on purchase order matching in S/4HANA
- How to raise a purchase order and get it approved in S/4HANA
- All S/4HANA how-to guides
- Pulsify setup guides
Sources
Last checked 2026-10-19. Confidence: confirmed.
Common questions
How do I invoice a partial delivery in SAP?
Post a goods receipt for the quantity that arrived. Create the supplier invoice against the PO and SAP proposes the quantity still to be invoiced. The rest of the PO stays open for the next delivery.
What if I invoice more than was received?
Invoice only what was received. If you invoice more, the tolerance rules apply.
Are there separate tolerances for this?
Yes. Separate quantity tolerances exist for invoice after goods receipt and invoice before goods receipt. Goods receipt based invoice verification on the PO item gives a check against the receipt.
Does Pulsify handle partial deliveries?
Yes. It tracks the PO balance across invoices and flags a line that goes over what is left.
Pulsify setup guides
Want this done for you?
Book a call to see how Pulsify handles supplier bills in S/4HANA.