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
- Approved purchase order
- Bill create permission
The Xero way
Where to find it: Purchases > Purchase orders > open an approved order > Create bill
- Open the approved purchase order.
- Click Create bill.
- Quantities default to the full order. Change the quantity on each line to what arrived.
- Save the bill. The order shows a Billed column with items billed and items left.
- When all items are billed the order marks itself as billed. Use the three dot menu to Unmark as billed if more will arrive.
Limits in Xero
- Xero records what arrived on the bill. Xero Central describes no separate goods received note. Xero's purchase orders page mentions goods receipts but does not show a screen for them.
Good to know in Xero
- Part-receive was released to all users on 17 June 2026 according to Xero's community manager.
Words Xero uses
- Create bill. The button that turns an approved purchase order into a bill.
The Pulsify way
- Sync your open POs from Xero to Pulsify.
- Forward each bill. 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 bill adds and what is left.
- Pulsify flags a line that bills more than what is left on the purchase order.
- Approve. The bill is created in Xero against the purchase order.
Pulsify connects to Xero in one click. Approved bills are created in Xero with the source file attached.
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 Xero
Example Tile Co is ordered 500 tiles at $4.00 on PO-0108, which is $2,000.00 ex GST.
| Line | Amount | Tagged to |
|---|---|---|
| Bill 1: 300 tiles | $1,200.00 | Billed column: 300 billed, 200 left |
| Bill 2: 200 tiles | $800.00 | Billed column: 500 billed, 0 left |
After bill 2 the order marks itself as billed. Total billed $2,000.00 ex GST. If a third delivery was coming, use the three dot menu to Unmark as billed.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the quantity at the full order amount when only part arrived.
- Looking for a goods received note. Xero records what arrived on the bill, with no separate receipt step.
More help
- How to handle a partial delivery against a purchase order in AccountRight
- How to handle a partial delivery against a purchase order in MYOB Business
- How to handle a partial delivery against a purchase order in Sage 50
- How to match a bill to a purchase order in Xero
- How to raise a purchase order and get it approved in Xero
- How to apply a credit note to a bill in Xero
- All Xero how-to guides
- Pulsify setup guides
Sources
Last checked 2026-10-19. Confidence: confirmed.
Common questions
How do I bill only part of an order in Xero?
Open the approved order and click Create bill. Quantities default to the full order, so change each line to the quantity that arrived.
How do I see what is left on the order?
The order shows a Billed column with items billed and items left.
What if more goods arrive after the order shows as billed?
When all items are billed the order marks itself as billed. Use the three dot menu to Unmark as billed if more will arrive.
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 Xero.