How to Clear a Bill Variance in Charted by Correcting the PO and Rechecking

The quick answer

In the demonstrated Charted configuration, save the vendor bill with its exceptions, correct the source transaction that is actually wrong, and select Recheck Variances after each change. Correct the PO only when purchasing confirms the ordered quantity was wrong. Record an item receipt only after the warehouse confirms the additional goods physically arrived. In this example, rechecking after the PO edit cleared the two line-level comparisons against the PO, and rechecking after the 12-unit receipt cleared the two against the receipt. The remaining total and tax-line exceptions depended on how this configuration treats the 192.60 tax charge, which no PO or receipt line covers.

This is an account-specific Charted example. The names of its screens, buttons, subtabs and variance labels, and its thresholds, tax treatment, recheck behavior and calculations, are configuration of that SuiteApp and can differ by version, account, role and form. Native NetSuite purchase orders, item receipts and vendor bills, and any native matching or variance workflow, are separate from the Charted screens shown. Person and operating-company names in the screenshots are fictional example data.

Before you start

You need the Charted SuiteApp with its bill workspace and three-way matching configured, and a role that can open the Bills Inbox, edit and receive the purchase order, create an item receipt and save the bill with variances. Before you start, record the installed name and version, the comparison criteria and tolerance values, how tax and other charges are treated, whether a bill may be saved while exceptions remain, and whether the matching supports partial and multiple item receipts for your item type.

The example uses Lakeshore Filtration Supply, invoice LFS-30417 and purchase order PO7418. The order has two receivable lines, ordered and received at 12 of Filter Cartridge 20 in and 9 of Housing Gasket Kit. The supplier invoice bills 24 and 9, and adds a 192.60 sales tax charge that no order line covers.

Change data only when it was wrong. Purchasing must confirm that the first order line should have been 24, and the warehouse must confirm that the extra 12 cartridges arrived. A supplier invoice shows what the vendor billed. It does not show what was received, and neither record should be edited only to make a bill pass. Editing a received and billed order is a control point: closed periods, approval workflows and posted variance journals can prevent it. If that happens, stop and route the issue to the accounting owner instead of recreating receipts or bills.

01. Open the PO-backed bill

In the Bills Inbox, open the For Review document for Lakeshore Filtration Supply, invoice LFS-30417. Its PO Number column names PO7418.

The Bills Inbox For Review list shows Lakeshore_LFS-30417.pdf with invoice LFS-30417 and PO7418. — Open the document whose PO Number is PO7418.

In this Charted configuration, the bill opens beside the supplier invoice PDF with Purchase Order PO7418 selected, along with the vendor and reference number. Confirm that the bill is linked to the intended order before you change anything.

The bill form shows Reference No. LFS-30417, Purchase Order PO7418 and vendor Lakeshore Filtration Supply. — The full image shows the invoice PDF beside the form; confirm the PO, vendor and reference.

On the Items subtab, line 1 Filter Cartridge 20 in carries the order quantity of 12 and line 2 Housing Gasket Kit carries 9. The invoice bills 24 cartridges.

The Items subtab shows Filter Cartridge 20 in at quantity 12 and Housing Gasket Kit at quantity 9. — Both lines carry the order quantities before any edit.

Open the Expenses subtab. It holds one Sales Tax line of 192.60. It is not tied to any order line.

The Expenses subtab shows a Sales Tax line posted to 6900 Sales Tax Expense for 192.60. — The tax charge sits on an expense line, separate from the order lines.

02. Raise the quantity and save with variances

Edit line 1 and change the quantity from 12 to 24 to match the invoice, then select OK.

Line 1 on the Items subtab now shows a quantity of 24. — Line 1 now carries the invoice quantity of 24.

Scroll right to the Rate and Amount columns. At 85.00 a unit, the line amount becomes 2,040.00.

The Rate and Amount columns show 85.00 and 2,040.00 for line 1, and 130.00 and 1,170.00 for line 2. — Line 1 is now 2,040.00; line 2 is unchanged at 1,170.00.

Select Save. The 3-Way Match Validation dialog opens for PO7418. It lists six comparisons: for item line 1, the quantity and amount above the PO and above the receipt, plus the total billed above the PO and above the receipt. The tax line sits under Missing PO as Expense Line 1: Not Associated to PO, which makes seven exceptions.

The 3-Way Match Validation dialog lists six variances for PO7418, a Missing PO line, and a Reason for Variances box. — Six variances and one Missing PO entry, with a Reason for Variances box and Save with Variances.

In this configuration, pointing at a variance shows its details. The first one shows PO Quantity: 12, Total Billed: 24.

A tooltip beside the second variance reads PO Quantity 12, Total Billed 24. — Each variance shows the order or receipt figure beside what the bill carries.

Type a reason in Reason for Variances, for example “Billed quantity under review with purchasing”, then select Save with Variances. In this configuration, entering a reason lets the bill save with its exceptions. Record the bill's status afterward. How your account routes, approves and pays such a bill is a separate question.

03. Read the saved variances

The saved bill opens in view mode. Edit, Cancel Bill, Submit for Approval, Recheck Variances and View Invoice are available. Open the 3-Way Match Variances subtab. It lists the exceptions by Purchase Order, Variance and Details.

The 3-Way Match Variances subtab lists seven exceptions for PO7418 with their order and receipt figures. — Seven exceptions: four on item line 1, two on totals, and the unmatched tax line.

Line 1 shows 12 ordered and 12 received against 24 billed. The corresponding amounts are 1,020.00 against 2,040.00. The order and receipt totals are 1,020.00 + 1,170.00 = 2,190.00. The bill's item lines are 2,040.00 + 1,170.00 = 3,210.00, plus the 192.60 tax charge, for 3,402.60 billed.

04. Correct the PO and recheck

Purchasing confirms that the first order line was keyed in error. Use the PO7418 link on a variance row to open the order, then select Edit. Line 1 shows 12 ordered, 12 received and 24 billed.

The purchase order Items grid shows line 1 with quantity 12, received 12 and billed 24. — Line 1 is ordered 12, received 12 and billed 24.

Change the line 1 quantity to 24 and select OK. A prompt asks you to confirm modifying an item that has been received and billed. In this account the prompt appeared before the edit was accepted. Other accounts may block the change, allow it without a prompt, or route it through approval.

A browser prompt asks whether to modify an item that has been received and billed, with OK and Cancel. — Confirm only because purchasing verified that 24 is the right ordered quantity.

The edit changes the ordered quantity to 24. It does not change the existing 12-unit receipt or the bill's 24 units. Confirm, then save the order. Its total becomes 3,210.00. In this account its status became Partially Received, because only 12 of the 24 cartridges have been received. Record the status your account shows.

The saved purchase order shows a confirmation, status Partially Received and a total of 3,210.00. — The order is saved at 3,210.00 and now offers Receive.

Return to the bill and open the 3-Way Match Variances subtab. It still shows the earlier seven exceptions. Changing the order did not refresh the saved bill. Select Recheck Variances and read the subtab again.

After Recheck Variances, five exceptions remain: two receipt exceptions on line 1, two total-billed exceptions and the tax line. — The two item-line exceptions against the order are gone; the receipt exceptions remain.

The demonstrated account now shows five exceptions. The quantity and amount comparisons against the order for line 1 are gone. The two receipt comparisons for line 1 remain, because 12 received is still short of 24 billed. The two total comparisons remain too, and the order total is now 3,210.00 against 3,402.60 billed, along with the unmatched tax line.

05. Receive the remaining quantity and recheck again

The warehouse confirms that the other 12 cartridges arrived. Open PO7418 again and select Receive. The item receipt opens with line 1 marked to receive, for the remaining 12.

The item receipt line for Filter Cartridge 20 in is marked to receive with a quantity of 12. — Receive only the quantity that actually arrived. The full image shows the PO7418 reference.

Confirm the receiving location, date, posting period and any required inventory detail, and set the quantity to 12 only because the warehouse confirmed those units. Leave the original 12-unit receipt unchanged. Save the receipt, return to the bill and select Recheck Variances again.

06. Read what remains

Open the 3-Way Match Variances subtab. In this configuration, the line 1 quantity and amount exceptions against the receipt are no longer listed. Two total comparisons remain, PO Total: 3,210.00, Total Billed: 3,402.60 and Received Total: 3,210.00, Total Billed: 3,402.60, along with the unmatched expense line. The 192.60 tax charge is on the bill but not on the order.

The subtab lists two total-billed exceptions of 3,210.00 against 3,402.60 and the Expense Line 1 not associated to PO. — Three exceptions remain, all caused by the tax charge that no order line covers.

Route the remaining exceptions to whoever owns tax, invoice corrections or variance approval in your account. Do not change the purchase order or the receipt only to remove the warning. Also check how your Charted configuration classifies tax, freight, discounts and other charges.

Common questions

Why does the bill still show the old variances after I edit the PO?

In the demonstrated configuration, editing the order did not refresh the saved variance result. Select Recheck Variances on the bill after you change the order or the receipt, and check the new list. Whether a scheduled or background recheck also runs depends on your configuration, so do not rely on one unless you have tested it.

Should I change the purchase order or record a receipt?

Change the order only when the original ordered quantity was wrong. Record a receipt only when the goods physically arrived. Neither action should be used only to remove a warning. In this example, the order correction cleared the comparisons against the order and the receipt cleared those against the receipt. Neither one cleared the other.

Does Save with Variances approve the bill?

No. In this configuration, entering a reason let the vendor bill save with its exceptions. That does not mean it was approved, released for payment or paid. Check the bill's approval status, payment hold, workflow state and payment eligibility separately.

Why do total-billed exceptions remain after the quantities match?

Here the bill total is 3,402.60, while the order and receipt total 3,210.00. The 192.60 difference corresponds to a tax charge that no order line covers and that the comparison did not include. Other configurations may include tax, freight, discounts or other charges differently, so check yours.

Why is the tax line flagged as Missing PO?

In this example Charted showed the charge as an expense line with no purchase order line behind it. Before you explain a similar flag, check whether your charge is stored as an expense line, a tax detail, a tax code result or another charge type.

Will every NetSuite account show these Charted screens?

No. These screens and labels belong to the demonstrated Charted configuration. What you see depends on the installed SuiteApp and version, enabled features, forms, role permissions, matching rules, tax setup and customizations. Native NetSuite purchase order, receipt and vendor bill pages can look different.