Glossary
What is a goods received note (GRN)?
By Tim White · Last updated
A goods received note, or GRN, is the record a business creates when a delivery arrives, listing what was actually received against what was ordered. Also called a receiving report, it is the third document in three-way matching, alongside the purchase order and the invoice, and it is what lets you confirm goods turned up before a bill gets paid.
What a GRN records and does
A GRN captures the date received, the supplier, the purchase order number, the items and quantities that arrived, and their condition. It is filled in by whoever accepts the delivery. That record does two jobs: it updates inventory, and it becomes the proof of receipt that the invoice is later checked against.
The GRN in three-way matching
Three-way matching lines up the purchase order (what was ordered), the GRN (what was received), and the invoice (what was billed). All three have to agree before payment. If an invoice bills for 500 units but the GRN shows 480 arrived, the extra 20 are held back until the supplier issues a credit. InvoiceJet verifies the invoice side, so the figures you match the GRN against are right to begin with.
Common questions
Is a goods received note the same as a receiving report?
Yes. The two terms describe the same document: the buyer's record of what was actually delivered and accepted.
Do services need a GRN?
Usually not, since there is nothing physical to receive. Services are typically checked with two-way matching, the purchase order against the invoice.
Sources
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