Purchase Returns#

A Purchase Return (PPT) records that you are sending goods back to a supplier — typically because they were defective, damaged in transit, failed QC, or were shipped in excess. It reverses some or all of a goods receipt.

An accounting credit note from the supplier usually follows as a separate commercial step outside Neriyam.

Where it sits in the flow#

Purchase Order  →  Goods Receipt  →  Purchase Return

A PPT is a stock entry with transaction type PPT. It has a header (supplier, warehouse, posting date) and one or more lines, each typically drawn from a GRN.

Two ways to create a Purchase Return#

1. From GRN (default — preferred)#

Tied to a specific Goods Receipt in Neriyam. The return is traceable back to the exact GRN, which is itself traceable to the PO line. Most returns should use this mode — it preserves the audit chain and the per-line returnable-quantity caps.

2. External Reference (for pre-ERP purchases)#

For returns of purchases that pre-date Neriyam, where there is no GRN to link against. Tick the External Reference toggle on the create page; the form switches to capture the supplier's original invoice details instead of a GRN link. See External Reference mode below.

Creating a Purchase Return — From GRN#

1. Navigate to Purchase › Purchase Return.
2. Click + New Purchase Return.
3. Leave External Reference unchecked.
4. Pick the GRN being returned against (the dropdown shows your recent GRNs with available returnable qty).
5. The warehouse is inherited from the GRN.
6. Tick the lines to return; enter the Return Qty per line (capped at the line's returnable qty).
7. Click Save as Draft — you land on the detail page.
8. On the detail page, review and click Submit for Approval when the goods have physically left your premises.

The create page only has Cancel and Save as Draft buttons; the Submit for Approval action lives on the detail page once the draft exists.

Header fields (From GRN)#

Line selection (From GRN)#

For each eligible GRN line:

External Reference mode#

For purchases that pre-date Neriyam — where you have a real return to make but no GRN to link against — tick the External Reference toggle on the create page. The form switches to capture the supplier's original invoice instead of a GRN link.

When to use it#

• Returns of stock that existed before you started using Neriyam.
• Emergency damage returns where the original GRN cannot be identified.
• Cleanup of legacy supplier transactions during onboarding.

What changes when the toggle is on#

• The GRN picker is replaced by free-text fields:
  • Original Invoice Number (required)
  • Original Invoice Date (required)
  • Notes (optional)
• A Supplier picker appears; you choose the supplier directly.
• A Warehouse picker appears; you choose where the goods are leaving from.
• Per-line Returnable Qty caps do not apply (there is no GRN to compare against).
• You add lines manually — pick the item, warehouse, and quantity.

What stays the same#

• Validation rules: items must be purchasable + stockable, ownership is own-only, supplier and items must be Approved.
• Posting effect: an outward stock-ledger entry per line at the current moving-average cost.
• Status flow: D → S → optionally C.

What happens when you submit#

• An outward stock ledger entry is posted in the warehouse the goods are leaving from, reducing balance quantity at the current moving-average cost.
• (From GRN only) The PO line's Returned Qty increases; Net Received adjusts accordingly.
• The PPT gets its own code from the PPT numbering series.

Cancelling a Purchase Return#

Cancelling a submitted PPT posts a reversal — an inward entry at the same rate. Both the original and the reversal stay on the ledger.

If a downstream document references this PPT's lines, cancellation is blocked; you will see an error naming the dependent document(s).

In the other direction: if a PPT exists against a GRN, cancelling that GRN is blocked until the PPT is cancelled first. The same applies up the chain — cancelling a PO with active PPTs against its GRNs is blocked. Cancel from the leaves up: PPT first, then GRN, then (if needed) PO.

Cancellation requires INVENTORY.CANCEL_STOCK_ENTRIES permission and a reason.

List page#

• Search by PPT code or supplier
• Filter by status, date range, warehouse
• Row menu: View PDF, Submit (Draft), Cancel (Submitted)

Printing#

View PDF generates a return document showing the supplier, warehouse, reference GRN/PO codes (or the External Reference details), line items with return quantities, and the reason.

Permissions#

Related#

• Purchase Orders — the originating commitment
• Goods Receipt — what a PPT typically reverses
• Stock valuation
• Stock Ledger

FAQ#

Does PPT change the PO's receipt status? Net received qty (received minus returned) drops, which can change the PO's receipt status back from FR → PR if a return took the fully-received PO below 100%. This is correct behaviour.

Does the PO line's Received Qty decrease? Yes — PPT from GRN reduces the PO line's effective received qty via the GRN link. External-Reference PPTs do not touch any PO.

Can I return the same GRN line twice? Yes — as long as the total returned qty stays within the originally received qty. Each PPT reduces the returnable qty that the next PPT can draw from.

Does a PPT create an accounts credit note? No — PPT handles the physical return and the stock impact only. The commercial credit note / debit note to the supplier is a separate accounts process.

Can I return customer-supplied material this way? No. PPT is own only — customer material does not leave through a supplier return. Customer material flows back to the customer through a planned Job Work Delivery; for now, treat that case separately.

Validation rules#

A Purchase Return (PPT) entry can only be submitted when these rules are met:

Item requirements

• All items must be purchasable (is_purchasable = true) AND stockable (is_stockable = true). The line item picker filters to purchasable + stockable items upfront, and the API rejects mismatches at line save and at submit.

Quantity

• Always positive in the form. The system records the line as outward (stock decreases).

Document linkage

• The default mode requires a prior Goods Receipt with available returnable qty.
• External Reference mode replaces the GRN link with the supplier's original invoice number and date. When the toggle is on, GRN linkage is suppressed; when off, the External Reference fields are not used.

Header

• Supplier is required. Customer is not allowed.

Ownership

• Own only. Customer-owned material does not return through PPT.

Approval state

• The supplier and all items must be Approved to be selectable in the picker.

If a rule is violated, submission fails with a specific error naming the line and the problem.