Three-way matching Purchase Order–Delivery–Invoice 2026/2027 – Invoice Verification & Excel | Word/PDF

Three-Way Matching 2026/2027 – compare purchase orders, goods receipts, and supplier invoices

Has the supplier invoiced the correct quantity and agreed price for what has actually arrived? With this document package, companies can structure three-way matching prior to separate invoice approval. You receive a functional Excel template, internal control routines, matching protocols, a discrepancy form, an English working document, and a detailed user guide.

Price 79 SEK · Word (DOCX), PDF, and Excel (XLSX) · Swedish with English working form. Developed for Swedish companies, warehouses, workshops, purchasing teams, associations, and other businesses with goods procurement.

What is included in the document package

Total of 11 files in ZIP: 5 editable Word documents, 5 searchable A4 PDFs, and 1 Excel workbook. No monthly fee or physical delivery.

Excel template for three-way matching and invoice control

• Overview: number of purchase lines, registered receipts, invoiced lines, basic checked lines, and discrepancy indicators.
• Purchase lines: up to 100 item lines with unique line keys, agreed price, and ordered quantity.
• Receipts: up to 160 lines where separate partial deliveries are linked to the purchase line ID.
• Invoice lines: up to 160 entries with invoice number, item, invoiced quantity, and unit price excluding VAT.
• Matching control: automatic summation of received and invoiced quantities, price differences, and flags for insufficient receipts, exceeded orders, and higher invoice prices.
• Discrepancies: up to 100 investigation cases with assigned responsibility, action, deadline, and manual decision status.
• Settings: ability to specify company and approved positive price tolerance, with zero percent as a cautious standard.
• Instructions: built-in guide, process description, and source references.

How to perform three-way matching

1. Collect valid purchase order, receipt, and supplier invoice.
2. Create a unique line key, e.g., PO-001|1, for each purchase line in Excel.
3. Register the ordered quantity and agreed price excluding VAT in Purchase lines.
4. Register the quantity actually received in Receipts; enter each partial delivery separately.
5. Register invoiced item lines and unit price in Invoice lines.
6. Review Matching Control: compare order, receipt, invoice, and price. Investigate all lines that deviate.
7. Document correction, credit note, or other basis and make a separate approval decision according to the company's internal mandates.

Practical example

A company orders 100 units at 40 SEK each. The warehouse has only received 80 units, but the supplier invoices for 100. Excel then flags EXCEEDS RECEIVED. If the invoice instead refers to 80 units at 41 SEK and no positive price tolerance has been set, it flags PRICE DISCREPANCY. The supplier may need to explain the discrepancy or send a corrected invoice before further processing.

Accounting Act, vouchers, and internal controls

Three-way matching is a method for internal control, not a general legal requirement for this specific type of document. However, the Swedish Accounting Act (1999:1078) applies, including Chapter 5, Sections 6–9 regarding vouchers and corrections. The Swedish Tax Agency emphasizes that invoices and other received documents can be included as voucher documentation and that the connection between the business transaction and the documentation must be verifiable. A completed Excel template does not replace the invoice or statutory bookkeeping and does not determine whether an invoice is materially or contractually correct.

Official and technical sources: The Swedish Parliament – Accounting Act · Swedish Tax Agency – Vouchers 2026 · Microsoft Learn – Three-way matching method.

FAQ

What is three-way matching?

A comparison between three documents: purchase order, documented receipt, and supplier invoice. The goal is to detect deviating quantities or prices before an authorized person approves the invoice.

Can Excel handle partial deliveries and partial invoices?

Yes, several registered receipt and invoice lines can be summarized against the same unique purchase line key. Complex cases still require manual review.

Does Excel automatically release invoices?

No. A status flag is only administrative support. Authorized approval and actual payment processing must occur in the company's regular process.

Does the template work with Fortnox or Microsoft Dynamics?

The documents can be used as standalone support when working in other systems. No direct integration, automatic import, or export to such systems is included.

Is this the same as accounts payable?

No. Accounts payable tracks outstanding supplier debts and payments. This product validates ordered, delivered, and invoiced amounts at the item line level.

Are English documents included?

Yes, a separate English working form and a short English user instruction. Swedish documents are the main versions and are based on Swedish conditions.

Do all companies need three-way matching by law?

No, not as a generally mandatory method. It can be included as a suitable control step depending on the company's purchasing volume and internal control.

Digital delivery

11 digital files in a ZIP (5 DOCX + 5 PDF + 1 XLSX). The product is not physical. The download file must be actually linked to Digital Products for automatic customer delivery.