Glossary
What is 3-way matching in accounts payable?
3-way matching is an accounts-payable control that compares three documents before an invoice is paid: the invoice, the purchase order that authorized the spend, and the receiving report that confirms what was delivered. When all three agree on quantity and price, the invoice is cleared to pay. It exists to stop overbilling and payment for goods never received.
The three documents
Each document answers a different question:
- Purchase order: what did we agree to buy, and at what price?
- Receiving report: what actually arrived?
- Invoice: what is the vendor billing us for?
Why extraction quality matters here
3-way matching is only as reliable as the numbers you feed it. If the invoice total or a line-item quantity is mis-read, the match is meaningless. Verified extraction, where the invoice fields carry a confidence level and cite their source, gives the match trustworthy inputs to compare against your purchase order and receiving data.
Common questions
Does InvoiceJet do 3-way matching?
InvoiceJet's job is the first document in the match: it turns the invoice into verified, structured line items and totals you can trust, so your matching process compares against accurate numbers. Export or webhooks push that data into your workflow.
Keep reading
Turn your next invoice into verified data
Free for 10 invoices a month, no card. Every field carries a confidence level and cites its source.