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How to Track Purchase Returns

What you're doing here​

Once you've sent goods back, this is where you keep an eye on them: which returns are still in progress, which are done, why each was raised, and how much supplier credit each one created. When you need to answer "did we ever get credited for those damaged units?", the answer is here.

We'll keep following the running example: 20 damaged units returned out of 480 received.

Find your returns​

  1. Go to Purchase in the sidebar
  2. Click Purchase Return
  3. The list of your returns appears, newest first

Each row shows the return at a glance — its number, the date, the supplier, how many units went back, the reason, its current stage, and the value of the credit it raised.

Filter and search the list​

When you have a lot of returns, narrow the list down:

  • Search by return number or supplier to jump straight to one
  • Filter by supplier to see everything you've sent back to one company
  • Filter by reason to see, say, every return marked Damaged — useful for spotting a supplier whose deliveries keep arriving broken
  • Filter by stage to separate what's still in progress from what's done
  • Filter by date to focus on a period

What each stage means​

StageMeaning
DraftStill being built — nothing has gone to the supplier yet
Awaiting approvalWaiting for someone to sign it off before the goods leave
ConfirmedAgreed and on its way back — your stock has been reduced
CompletedGoods are back with the supplier and the supplier credit is in place
Rejected / CancelledTurned down at approval, or called off before it went ahead

Open a return to see the full story​

Click any return to open it. Inside, you'll find everything about it in one place:

  • Which goods went back, and how many of each
  • The reason you set, plus any notes
  • The receipt it was returned against, so you can trace it back to what you originally received and ordered
  • Any restocking fee the supplier charged
  • Attachments — the photos or emails you added as evidence
  • The supplier credit it raised, and a link to the debit note

For our example, opening the return shows the 20 damaged units, the Damaged reason, the receipt they came in on, and the credit sitting on the supplier's account.

Check the credit reached the supplier's account​

The point of a return is that the supplier ends up owing you for the goods you sent back. To confirm that landed:

  1. Open the return and find its supplier credit
  2. Follow the link to the debit note it created
  3. Check the value matches what you expected — the returned goods, less any restocking fee

When you next settle up with that supplier, this credit comes off what you owe them. If the numbers don't match, the usual cause is a restocking fee that wasn't recorded on the return.

Common tasks​

See everything you've returned to one supplier​

  1. Filter the list by that supplier
  2. You'll see every return, its reason, and the credit each one raised

Spot a supplier with recurring problems​

  1. Filter by reason — for example, Damaged
  2. If one supplier keeps appearing, that's a conversation to have with them

Trace a return back to the original order​

  1. Open the return
  2. Follow it back to the goods receipt, and from there to the purchase order

Confirm a return is finished​

  1. Open it and check the stage is Completed
  2. Confirm the goods are marked as dispatched back and the supplier credit is in place

Troubleshooting​

I can't find a return I know I raised​

Solution: Check your filters first — a stage or supplier filter may be hiding it. Clear the filters and search by the return number or the supplier name.

A return still shows as in progress​

Solution: It's probably waiting on approval, or the goods haven't been marked as dispatched back yet. Open it to see which step is outstanding.

The credit value looks wrong​

Solution: Open the return and check whether a restocking fee applies. The supplier credit is the value of the returned goods less any fee — if a fee should have been recorded and wasn't, the credit will look too high.

Best practices​

Tips for staying on top of returns

Filter by reason now and then — a supplier that keeps showing up under Damaged is telling you something

Chase returns stuck in Awaiting approval so goods aren't sitting in limbo and credits aren't delayed

Always check the credit landed on the supplier's account before you settle their next bill

Keep the evidence on the return itself, so anyone can answer a supplier's query without hunting through email

Need help? Contact support at support@bizconnekt.com