The quick answer
Go to Transactions > Inventory > Transfer Inventory. Pick the Subsidiary, the From Location and the To Location. On the Items subtab, select the item, check Qty. On Hand, and enter Qty. To Transfer. If your account uses inventory statuses, open Inventory Detail and set the From Status and To Status for the quantity. Save. Both locations update when you save. A standard inventory transfer has no fulfillment, shipment or receipt step like a transfer order, though your account's workflows or permissions can still control who enters one.
The example moves 45 cast iron skillets from Portland Main Warehouse to Eugene Outlet ahead of a weekend sale. The truck is going today, so nobody needs an approval or a separate receipt. Portland starts with 340 on hand and Eugene with none. The screenshots use sample data, and the person and company names are fictional.
If the move needs approval, a pick and ship, or in-transit visibility, use a transfer order instead. See how to transfer inventory with a transfer order. If the total quantity is wrong rather than its location, that's an inventory adjustment.
Before you start
You need Multi-Location Inventory, permission to enter inventory transfers, and access to both locations. The date has to fall in an open period. In a OneWorld account, both locations must belong to the subsidiary on the transfer. Moving stock between subsidiaries is a different process, usually an intercompany transfer order.
The item here is an average-cost inventory item that isn't lot or serial numbered, and neither location uses bins. The account has Inventory Status turned on, so the line has Inventory Detail for the status. Lot and serial items also need their numbers there, and bin locations need their bins. If you use multiple units of measure, check Units before you type a quantity. Your role, form and features decide which fields you see.
01. Check the stock at each location
Open the item from Lists > Accounting > Items. Here it's CK-210 Cast Iron Skillet. On the Purchasing/Inventory subtab, Costing Method is Average and Average Cost is 12.00.
Scroll to the Locations list and keep its View on Inventory. Portland Main Warehouse has Quantity On Hand 340 and Value 4,080, and all 340 are available. Eugene Outlet has 0.
02. Start the transfer and pick the locations
Go to Transactions > Inventory > Transfer Inventory. Enter Transfer Orders sits a few rows down in the same menu, so don't grab that one by accident.
Keep Date 9/14/2026 and Posting Period Sep 2026. Enter Ref. No. OUTLET-RESTOCK-0914 and Memo Weekend outlet restock. If your account numbers transfers automatically, Ref. No. shows To Be Generated and you can skip it. Under Classification, select Subsidiary Harborline Kitchen Supply US. Then select From Location Portland Main Warehouse and To Location Eugene Outlet.
03. Add the item and quantity
On the Items subtab, select CK-210 Cast Iron Skillet. Description and Units fill in, and Qty. On Hand shows 340, the stock at the From Location. Enter 45 in Qty. To Transfer.
Qty. On Hand isn't the same as what you can move. Committed stock and stock in an unavailable status count as on hand but normally can't be transferred, so check what's available before you pick a quantity.
04. Set the inventory status
Click the Inventory Detail icon on the line. The window shows the item and Quantity 45. Because Good is the only status holding skillets at Portland, the row opened filled in: From Status Good, To Status Good, Available 340 and Quantity 45. Available is the quantity in that status at Portland. Your form may not fill the row in, so check the values or select them yourself. Keep To Status the same as From Status unless you mean to change the status too, and your status setup allows it.
Click Add on the row (the button can read OK on some forms), then OK to close the window. The detail quantity has to equal the line quantity, or NetSuite won't let you save. Then click Add on the Items line.
05. Save the transfer
Click Save. NetSuite shows "Transaction successfully Saved" with the reference OUTLET-RESTOCK-0914 at the top, From Location Portland Main Warehouse, To Location Eugene Outlet and a Transaction Number, here ITR00000027. That number is just this example's; your account's numbering will look different.
The Items subtab keeps the line: Qty. On Hand 340 at the time of entry and Qty. To Transfer 45.
A standard inventory transfer posts. It commonly credits inventory for the source location and debits it for the destination, at the cost your costing method gives. If both locations use the same inventory asset account, the lines usually net to zero. Accounts and amounts depend on your costing, account setup, subsidiaries and books. The recording doesn't open GL Impact, so check it on your own transfer.
06. Confirm the new location balances
Open CK-210 Cast Iron Skillet again and go back to the Locations list in the Inventory view. Portland Main Warehouse now shows 295 on hand and Value 3,540. Eugene Outlet shows 45 on hand and Value 540.
Check the result
- The From Location went down by the transferred quantity: 340 - 45 = 295.
- The To Location went up by the same amount, from 0 to 45.
- The values still total 4,080 (3,540 + 540). Eugene started empty, so its 45 skillets came in at 45 × 12.00 = 540. If the destination already holds stock, or other transactions or cost changes happen in between, your numbers can differ.
The Value column is a quick check. For the accounting view, use the transfer's GL Impact or an inventory valuation report.
Common questions
What's the difference between an inventory transfer and a transfer order?
An inventory transfer moves the stock in one transaction, the moment you save it. A transfer order is a multi-step process: approval, fulfillment, in transit, then receipt at the other end. Use the inventory transfer when the goods are already moving and you don't need to track those stages.
How is an inventory transfer different from an inventory adjustment?
A transfer changes where the stock sits. It takes 45 out of Portland and puts 45 into Eugene, and the total stays at 340. An adjustment changes the total quantity or value and posts the difference to an adjustment account. Don't use an adjustment to record a move between locations.
Does an inventory transfer change the total inventory value?
Not in a simple case like this one. Portland went from 4,080 to 3,540 and Eugene from 0 to 540, so the total is still 4,080. Other transactions or cost updates on the same item can change the numbers you see afterward.
Can I use an inventory transfer between subsidiaries?
No. A standard inventory transfer moves stock between locations in the same subsidiary. Moving stock to another subsidiary is an intercompany process, usually an intercompany transfer order, and isn't covered here.
Why does Inventory Detail ask for From Status and To Status?
With Inventory Status turned on, NetSuite needs to know which status the units leave at the source and which status they get at the destination. For a plain move, use Good on both sides. The detail quantity has to match the line quantity.
What GL impact does an inventory transfer have?
It isn't a sale, so there's no cost of goods sold. It moves inventory value from the source location to the destination, and if both use the same inventory asset account the lines usually net to zero. The walkthrough doesn't open GL Impact, so check the saved transfer to see the accounts your setup uses.
Can I transfer stock that's committed to an order?
Generally no. A transfer needs stock that's available at the source, and committed stock isn't. If the units are committed to a sales order, deal with that commitment first. A transfer order can commit stock for the move itself, but that's a different process.
What happens to average cost at the destination if it already has stock?
The units arrive at their transfer cost and the destination's average cost is recalculated with its existing stock. If Eugene already had skillets at a different cost, its average would end up somewhere between the two. The company total doesn't change because of the transfer itself.
Can I change the inventory status during the transfer?
Yes, if Inventory Status is on. Pick a different To Status from the From Status, as long as that status is valid for the item and location. The quantity moved stays the same; only how the units count toward availability changes.