# Goods Receipt Note (GRN)

A Goods Receipt Note records goods physically received into inventory. Approving a receipt note increases stock at the receiving center and posts the matching inventory journal entry. Receipt notes are created against a Purchase Order, a Sale Return Order, or a returned Delivery Note.

On this page

Getting started

Overview & List View Quick Start

Form reference

On Transaction Types Header Fields Receipt Items Quality Inspection

Actions & Status Stock & Accounts Master Update View Tabs & Widgets Best Practices FAQ Related & Videos

Overview & List View

The Goods Receipt Notes list shows every receipt with its number, supplier delivery note number, source order, supplier or customer, center, employee, date, and status. Use the quick filter tabs along the top to switch between views, and the Advanced Filters for a precise search. From the list you can create a new receipt note, open one for viewing, edit a draft, or delete a draft. List View Goods Receipt Notes list

List columns | **Column** | **What it shows** | |------------|-------------------| | Number # | Receipt note number. | | Supp. DN # | Supplier's delivery note number, when recorded on the receipt. | | Purchase order | Linked purchase order, when received against an order. | | Supplier | Supplier the goods were received from. | | S. return order | Linked sale return order, when receiving customer returns. | | Customer | Customer for a sale return or delivery return. | | Center | Center where stock was received. | | Employee | Employee who handled the receipt. | | Date | Receipt date and time. | | Status | Current status tag. | Quick filter tabs | **Tab** | **Shows** | |---------|-----------| | Default | All receipt notes except cancelled. | | Approved | Approved receipt notes only. | | Draft | Unapproved drafts. | | Cancelled | Cancelled receipt notes. | | Returned | Receipts fully returned. | | Partially Returned | Receipts with part of the goods returned. | | Closed | Closed receipt notes. | Advanced Filters Id, Bill No, Supp. DN #, Customer, Supplier, Center, Employee, Item, Return reason, Project, Status, Secondary Status, QC Status, date, and Created date. List row actions | **Action** | **Available when status is** | |------------|------------------------------| | edit | Draft, Pre-Approved | | delete | Draft, Pre-Approved | | view | All statuses |

Quick Start — Create a Goods Receipt Note

1. Navigate

Go to Inventory → Goods Receipt Note from the left menu.

2. Create new receipt note

Click New to open the receipt note form. You can also create a receipt note from an approved Purchase Order using Create Receipt Note, or from a Sale Return Order. New Goods Receipt Note

3. Fill in details

Set the Date and the Number (auto-generated when numbering is configured).
Choose the On Transaction source — Purchase Order, Sale Return Order, or Delivery Note.
Pick the source document (Purchase Order, Sale Return order, or Delivery Note) to pull in items, or select the Supplier / Customer directly.
Select the receiving Center and add item lines with Quantity and Unit.
Enter the Supplier Delivery Note Number when the supplier provided a delivery note with the goods.

4. Save

Save — keeps the receipt note as a Draft.
Save And Approve — approves the receipt in one step and posts stock.
Reset / Cancel — clears or closes the form without saving.

On Transaction Types

The On Transaction field sets the source the goods are received against. It controls which reference document and party fields appear, and what the receipt is matched to. | **On Transaction** | **Use it for** | **Effect on stock** | |--------------------|----------------|---------------------| | Purchase Order | Receiving goods from a supplier against an approved purchase order. Shows Purchase Order and Supplier. When Prevent over receipt from purchase order is on in Purchase Settings, received quantity cannot exceed remaining order quantity. | Increases stock | | Sale Return Order | Receiving customer-returned goods against a sale return order. Shows Sale Return order, Customer, and Return Reason. | Increases stock | | Delivery Note | Taking back goods previously sent out on a delivery note. Shows Delivery Note and Customer. | Increases stock |

Header Fields Reference

| **Field** | **Description** | |-----------|-----------------| | Date * | Date the goods were received. | | Number | Receipt note number. Auto-generated when numbering is configured; otherwise entered manually. | | On Transaction * | Source the receipt is created against — Purchase Order, Sale Return Order, or Delivery Note. | | Purchase Order | Source purchase order. Shown and required for the Purchase Order type. | | Sale Return order | Source sale return order. Shown for the Sale Return Order type. | | Delivery Note | Source delivery note. Shown for the Delivery Note type. | | Supplier | Supplier the goods are received from. Shown and required for the Purchase Order type. | | Customer | Customer for the return. Shown and required for the Sale Return Order and Delivery Note types. | | Employee | Employee handling the receipt. | | Center * | Center where the goods are received and stock is increased. | | Project | Optional project link. | | Project Task | Task within the selected project. Enabled after a project is selected. | | Return Reason | Reason for the return. Shown for the Sale Return Order and Delivery Note types. | | Supplier Delivery Note Number | Supplier's own delivery note or consignment reference for the goods received. Optional. | | Notes | Remarks for the receipt note. |

Shipment Details

Shown when Shipment details in delivery / receipt notes is enabled in Inventory Settings. | **Field** | **Description** | |-----------|-----------------| | Carrier Name/Agent | Transporter or agent who delivered the goods. | | Bill Of Lading/LR-RR No. | Waybill, LR, or RR reference number from the transporter. Not the same as Supplier Delivery Note Number in the header. | | Motor Vehicle No. | Vehicle number used for delivery. |

Receipt Items

| **Column** | **Description** | |------------|-----------------| | Sl Num | Line serial number. Auto-numbered. | | Item * | Item being received. Required. | | Variant | Item variant. Shown when the item has variants. | | Description | Optional line description. | | Quantity | Quantity received. | | Unit * | Unit of measure. Defaults from the item. | | Batch | Batch number. Shown when the item is batch-tracked. | | Serial Number | Serial numbers received. Shown when the item is serial-tracked. For a purchase order receipt the system adds new serial numbers; for a sale return the original serial numbers are selected. | | Inv Bin | Storage bin within the center. Shown when bins are enabled. | | QC | Quality inspection status for the line. Shown when quality inspection is enabled. | > Use the import option in the items section to upload lines from a file for faster entry.

Quality Inspection

When quality inspection is enabled for receipt notes, each draft receipt carries a QC status and must pass inspection before it can be approved. While QC is pending, the Approve action is hidden. Goods Receipt Note quality inspection

Save the receipt note as a Draft.
Click Start Quality Inspection on the receipt note.
Inspect each item and update its result using the QC column.
Once inspection is complete, Approve the receipt note.

The list view QC Status filter lets you find receipts that are QC Pending, QC Passed, QC Failed, or QC Cancelled.

Actions & Status

View toolbar actions

| **Action** | **Description** | **Available when status is** | |------------|-----------------|------------------------------| | Approve | Approves the receipt and increases stock. Hidden while quality inspection is pending. | Draft (and during multi-level approval) | | Start Quality Inspection | Opens quality inspection for the receipt. Shown when QC is enabled. | Draft | | Edit | Opens the receipt for editing. | Draft, Pre-Approved | | Delete | Permanently removes the receipt. | Draft, Pre-Approved | | Clone | Creates a copy of the receipt. | All (if permitted) | | Print | Prints the receipt note. | All |

More menu (⋮) actions

| **Action** | **Description** | **Available when status is** | |------------|-----------------|------------------------------| | Create Invoice | Opens a new Purchase Invoice from this receipt. Shown when the receipt is against a purchase order. | Approved, Partially Returned | | Create Credit Note | Opens a new Credit Note from this receipt. Shown when the receipt is against a sale return order. | Approved, Partially Returned | | Create Return | Opens a Goods Delivery Note to send the received goods back. Reduces stock. | Approved, Partially Returned | | Cancel | Cancels the receipt and reverses its stock and journal entries. | Approved, Closed | | WorkFlow Request | Starts a company process linked to this receipt. Does not approve the receipt note. See WorkFlow Request. | Approved, Closed | | Create Shipment | Creates a shipment linked to this receipt. | Approved, Closed, Partially Returned | | Update Serial Numbers | Updates serial number properties for received items. | Approved, Closed | | Add/Update Note | Adds or edits a note on the receipt. | All | | Update Secondary Status | Updates a custom secondary status. | Approved, Closed, Returned, Partially Returned | | Master Update | Updates selected header fields without reopening the full form. See Master Update. | Approved, Closed, Returned, Partially Returned | | Print | Prints the receipt note. | All | Goods Receipt Note post-approval actions

Goods Receipt Note post-approval actions

Statuses

| **Status** | **Description** | |------------|-----------------| | Draft | Saved but not yet approved. Can be edited or deleted. No stock impact. | | Pre-Approved | Awaiting approval. Treated like a draft for edit and delete. | | Approved | Finalized. Stock has been increased and the journal posted. | | Partially Returned | Part of the received goods has been returned. | | Returned | All received goods have been returned. | | Closed | Receipt is closed — typically after invoicing. | | Cancelled | Receipt has been cancelled and its stock and journal entries reversed. |

Stock & Accounts

Stock: Approving a receipt note increases stock for each item at the selected Center, including batch, bin, and serial number details where applicable.
Accounts: Approval posts an inventory journal entry that debits the inventory account and credits the matching interim account for the source transaction.
Edit: Editing an approved receipt re-posts its stock and journal entries to match the changed lines.
Cancel: Cancelling reverses the stock movement and the journal entry.

Posting note: A receipt note in Draft or Pre-Approved status has no effect on stock or accounts. Posting happens only on approval.

Master Update

Master Update lets you change selected header fields on an approved or in-progress receipt without editing the full document or its item lines. Open the three-dot menu and select Master Update. | **Field** | **Can be updated?** | **Notes** | |-----------|---------------------|-----------| | Date * | Yes | Cannot be set before the accounts closing date. | | Employee In charge | Yes | | | Project | Yes | | | On Transaction, Center, Supplier / Customer, item lines | No | Edit the full receipt while it is a draft, or cancel and recreate. | Click Confirm to save changes or Cancel to close without saving.

View Tabs & Side Panels

When you open a receipt note in full view, the header shows linked documents — Purchase Order, Sale Return Order, Delivery Note, Purchase Invoice, Credit Note, and WorkFlow Request — and the right side shows tabbed panels. Goods Receipt Note view

| **Tab** | **What it shows** | |---------|-------------------| | Summary | Overall receipt note details and linked documents created from it. | | Journal Info | The inventory journal entry posted on approval. | | History | Activity log — who created, approved, edited, or cancelled the receipt and when. | | Attachments | Files uploaded to this receipt. | | Secondary Status | Custom secondary status history and updates, when secondary status is configured. |

Best Practices

Create the receipt against the correct On Transaction source so quantities and rates carry forward and the receipt links to the right order.
Record the Supplier Delivery Note Number from the supplier's paperwork so you can match receipts to supplier documents and find them later with the list filter.
Confirm the receiving Center before approving — stock is increased there and cannot be changed by Master Update.
Complete Quality Inspection before approval when QC is enabled.
Record batch, bin, and serial numbers at receipt so downstream issues and returns stay accurate.
Use Create Invoice (purchase order receipts) or Create Credit Note (sale return receipts) to bill against received quantities.
Use Cancel rather than deleting an approved receipt — cancelling reverses stock and accounts cleanly.

FAQ

Does approving a Goods Receipt Note increase stock?
Yes. Approval increases stock at the selected center and posts the inventory journal entry. Drafts have no stock impact. Why is the Approve button hidden?
Quality inspection is still pending. Run Start Quality Inspection and pass the items, then approve. What sources can I receive goods against?
A Purchase Order, a Sale Return Order, or a returned Delivery Note. Choose the source in the On Transaction field. What is Supplier Delivery Note Number?
It is the supplier's own delivery note or consignment reference for the goods you received. Enter it on the receipt so you can match FreeSpace receipts to the supplier's paperwork. Search by it using the Supp. DN # list filter. This is different from Bill Of Lading/LR-RR No. under Shipment Details, which is the transporter's waybill. How do I bill the supplier from a receipt?
Use Create Invoice on a purchase order receipt to open a Purchase Invoice for the received quantities. How do I return received goods?
Use Create Return to open a Goods Delivery Note that sends the goods back; this reduces stock. For sale return receipts, Create Credit Note records the financial return. Can I change the center after approving?
No. The center is fixed once stock is posted. Cancel and recreate the receipt if the wrong center was used. Why can't I cancel my receipt note?
Cancel is blocked while a linked Purchase Invoice or Credit Note is still approved. Cancel those documents first. Why does approve fail when linked to a delivery note?
The receipt note date must be on or after the linked delivery note date when receiving a return delivery. What is the difference between a Goods Receipt Note and a Purchase Invoice?
The GRN records goods received into stock. The Purchase Invoice bills the supplier and posts payables. You often receive first, then invoice. Why won't approve work on a purchase return receipt?
Quantities must match the linked debit note or return delivery note. Over-receipt or mismatched items are rejected on approve. Which header fields can I change with Master Update?
Date, Employee In charge, and Project. Item lines, center, and quantities cannot be changed through Master Update. Why was receipt quantity blocked against a purchase order?
When Prevent over receipt from purchase order is on in Purchase Settings, total received quantity (including other open receipts) cannot exceed the ordered quantity on each line. Checked on update and approve. Why is my linked purchase order blocked?
The purchase order must be approved and not cancelled or closed, and must belong to the same supplier as the receipt. Related documentation

Purchase Order — receive goods against an approved order.
Purchase Invoice — bill the supplier for received goods.
Goods Delivery Note — send goods out or return received stock.
Credit Note — record the financial side of a customer return.

Video — Goods Receipt Note overview