How to Raise a Purchase Return
What you're doing here
Raising a purchase return is telling Bizconnekt "these goods are going back to the supplier." You start from what you actually received, pick the items and quantities you're returning, say why, and send it. Bizconnekt then takes those goods out of your stock and sets up a supplier credit for their value.
We'll follow one running example throughout: a supplier delivered 480 units, 20 of them are damaged, and you're sending those 20 back.
Before you start
- The goods you're returning were received in Bizconnekt — there's a goods receipt for them
- You know which items are going back and how many
- You know the reason for the return
- Your role allows you to create purchase returns
Step-by-step
Step 1: Open the new return form
- Go to Purchase in the sidebar
- Click Purchase Return
- Click the add button to start a new return
Step 2: Choose the goods you're sending back
A return is always made against goods you've already received, so this is where you tell Bizconnekt which receipt you're returning from.
- Pick the supplier you're returning to
- Choose the goods receipt the items came in on
- Bizconnekt fills in the items that were received, so you're working from real quantities — not typing them in by hand
In our example, you'd choose the receipt where all 480 units came in. You'll now see those 480 units, ready for you to pick what goes back.
Step 3: Pick the items and quantities to return
For each item, set how many are going back.
- Enter the return quantity for the item — in our example, 20 out of the 480 received
- Leave the items you're keeping untouched, or set their return quantity to zero
- You can never return more than was received — Bizconnekt won't let the return quantity go above what came in
If your goods are tracked by batch or serial number, pick the exact ones going back so the right units leave your stock.
Step 4: Say why the goods are going back
Choose a return reason. This is the single most useful thing you'll record — it's what a report, or the supplier, will look at first.
For our example, you'd choose Damaged. Other common reasons are wrong item, excess quantity, defective, expired and quality issue. If none fits, choose Other and explain it in the notes.
Step 5: Add a restocking fee, if the supplier charges one
Some suppliers charge a fee to take goods back. If yours does, record it here so your supplier credit reflects the real amount you'll get back — not the full value of the goods.
- Add the fee as a percentage (for example, 15% of the returned value) or a fixed amount
- Give it a short description, such as "Restocking fee", so it's clear on the record
If your supplier doesn't charge one, skip this — most returns won't need it.
Step 6: Add references and notes (optional)
These make the return easier to trace later:
- A reference number of your own, if you file returns by your own numbering
- The supplier's return reference, if they've given you one (an RMA number, for instance)
- A note explaining anything the reason code doesn't capture — "cracked corners, photos sent to supplier by email"
Step 7: Attach evidence (optional)
If you have photos of the damage, an email trail, or the supplier's return authorisation, attach them. When a supplier queries a return weeks later, having the evidence sitting on the return itself saves a lot of back-and-forth.
Step 8: Check the summary
Before you send it, look over the totals on the return:
- The quantity going back matches what you intended — 20 units, in our example
- The value of the return looks right, less any restocking fee
- The reason and any notes are clear
Step 9: Send the return
Save and confirm the return. Depending on how your business is set up, one of two things happens:
- If approval is required, the return waits in Awaiting approval until someone signs it off.
- If it isn't, the return is confirmed straight away.
Once confirmed, you can mark the goods as dispatched back when they physically leave you. At that point your stock drops by the returned quantity, and a supplier credit — a debit note — is set up for the value going back.
Field definitions
| Field | What it means | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier | The supplier the goods are going back to | |
| Goods receipt | The record of what you received — the return is made against this | |
| Return date | The date you're raising the return | |
| Item | The received goods you're sending back | |
| Return quantity | How many of that item go back — never more than you received | |
| Return reason | Why the goods are going back (damaged, wrong item, excess, and so on) | |
| Batch / serial numbers | The exact units going back, if your goods are tracked this way | If tracked |
| Restocking fee | A charge the supplier applies for taking goods back | Optional |
| Reference number | Your own reference for the return | Optional |
| Supplier return reference | The supplier's reference, such as an RMA number | Optional |
| Notes | Anything the reason code doesn't capture | Optional |
| Attachments | Photos, emails or the supplier's return authorisation | Optional |
Common issues & solutions
The goods I want to return aren't showing
Solution: A return works only from goods you've received. If they're not there, the receipt hasn't been recorded yet — record the goods receipt first, then come back and raise the return against it. Also check you've picked the right supplier and the right receipt.
It won't let me return the quantity I've entered
Solution: You can't send back more than was received. If you received 480 and try to return 500, Bizconnekt will stop you. Check the number you received, and make sure earlier returns against the same receipt haven't already sent some of these units back.
I can't send the return — it's stuck waiting
Solution: Your business likely requires approval before goods leave. The return sits in Awaiting approval until someone signs it off. Ask your approver, or check whether your own role is allowed to approve it.
The supplier credit is more than I'll actually get back
Solution: Your supplier is probably charging a restocking fee that you haven't recorded. Add the fee to the return (Step 5) so the credit reflects the real amount, not the full value of the goods.
I picked the wrong reason
Solution: While the return is still in draft, open it and change the reason. Once it's confirmed and the goods have gone, raise the correction with support rather than editing a completed return.
Related guides
- Track Purchase Returns — follow your returns and their credits
- Goods Receipt — the received goods a return starts from
- Debit Note — the supplier credit a return sets up
- Suppliers — the supplier you're returning to
Best practices
Tips for clean returns
Raise the return as soon as you spot the problem, while the delivery and the evidence are fresh
Always set the most specific reason — "damaged" or "wrong item" tells a far better story than "other"
Attach photos of damaged goods at the time; they settle supplier queries weeks later without argument
If the supplier charges to take goods back, record the restocking fee so your credit is the real figure
Need help? Contact support at support@bizconnekt.com