Ever wonder how you three way match in Dynamics BC?
The goods arrived last week. Now the vendor’s invoice lands in the inbox, and accounts payable has one job: make sure you pay for what you ordered and actually received — no more, no less. Accountants call it the three-way match, and it’s where purchasing meets the checkbook.
We entered the order in Round 8 and received it in Round 9. In Round 10 of the Functionality Face-Off, we pay the piper — and see which system makes matching the invoice less of a chore. Now lets compare BC to GP three way match
How It Works in Dynamics GP: Enter/Match Invoices
GP’s invoice matching happens in its own window, documented in Microsoft’s Purchase Order Processing guide:
- Go to Transactions > Purchasing > Enter/Match Invoices to open the Purchasing Invoice Entry window.
- Enter the vendor document number from the invoice and the invoice date.
- Enter or select the Vendor ID, and a batch if you post in batches.
- Select the purchase order, then match each invoice line to its posted shipment lines. The Matched to Shipment field tracks the link — and you can only invoice a quantity equal to or less than what was posted on a shipment.
- If a line shows a warning icon, open the Match Shipments to Invoice window and sort out which shipment quantities this invoice should match (Microsoft’s troubleshooting docs walk through the common error).
- Post the invoice — or save the batch for posting later.
This is real three-way matching, and GP does enforce the rules. But the work of matching is yours: one invoice line to its shipment lines, in a dedicated window, with warning icons refereeing the quantities. When an invoice covers three partial shipments, AP earns their coffee.
How It Works in Business Central: Get Receipt Lines
BC starts from the other end — it already knows what you’ve received and not yet invoiced, and it offers those lines to you:
- Search (Alt+Q) for Purchase Invoices and choose New.
- Pick the vendor — the same vendor as the orders, and BC fills in the rest.
- On the lines, choose Functions > Get Receipt Lines. BC lists every received-but-not-invoiced line for that vendor — across all their purchase orders.
- Select the lines that appear on the paper invoice. Items, quantities, and costs pull in automatically; adjust a price if the invoice differs.
- Enter the Vendor Invoice No. and choose Post.
One invoice can combine receipts from several purchase orders in a single pass — the monthly supplier statement scenario GP users dread. Back on each PO, Quantity Received and Quantity Invoiced stay in sync automatically. For the simple case where the invoice rides along with the delivery, you can skip all of this and post Receive and Invoice straight from the order. And Microsoft keeps investing here: the newest releases add flexible matching of one invoice line to multiple order and receipt lines, with receipts auto-posted during invoicing.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Dynamics GP | Business Central |
|---|---|---|
| Where it happens | Enter/Match Invoices window | New Purchase Invoice, or right on the PO |
| Building the invoice | Enter lines, match each to shipments | Get Receipt Lines pulls them in |
| Multiple POs, one invoice | Match PO by PO | One list of unbilled receipts per vendor |
| Quantity control | Invoice ≤ shipped, warning icons | Only received lines are offered |
| Simple ship-and-bill case | Shipment/Invoice receipt type | Receive and Invoice in one post |
| Price differences | Adjust during matching | Edit the pulled-in line, then post |
| Direction of work | You match invoice to shipments | System hands you the unmatched lines |
Why BC Comes Out Ahead
- The system does the matching legwork. Get Receipt Lines shows exactly what’s received and unbilled — AP picks lines off a list instead of reconciling windows.
- One invoice, many orders. A vendor’s monthly invoice covering five POs is one document in BC, not five matching exercises.
- Fewer wrong turns. BC only offers lines that can be invoiced, so the quantity-mismatch warnings GP users know by heart mostly never appear.
- It keeps getting better. Flexible line matching and auto-posted receipts are rolling out now — matching is an area where BC is still gaining ground, while GP’s window stays as it is.
Close the Loop on Your Purchasing
Order, receive, invoice — that’s the whole purchasing cycle, and if your AP team spends afternoons refereeing quantity warnings, the Aisling Dynamics team would love to show you the list-driven version.
Contact us or call (251) 293-0555 — and come back tomorrow for Round 11, when the vendor owes you money: purchasing credit memos.