Goods receipt note (GRN)
The record made when a delivery is received and checked, stating what actually arrived against what was ordered.
The goods receipt note is the moment stock becomes yours in the records. It captures what physically arrived — quantities, batches, expiry dates, condition — as distinct from what the purchase order said and what the invoice claims.
Why it must be separate from the invoice
Because the three documents disagree often enough that you need all three. The PO says 100. The receipt says 94 received and 3 damaged. The invoice says 100. Without the receipt you either pay for goods you did not get, or spend an afternoon reconstructing what happened at the gate.
Record it at the gate, not later
Short quantities, damaged cartons and short-dated batches are all easiest to raise on the day. A week later the transporter is gone, the supplier disputes it, and the claim is written off.
What to capture beyond quantity
Batch number and expiry for anything that carries them. The supplier's document number. The condition of rejected items. This is also where the trace of a batch begins — if it is not recorded here, it does not exist downstream.
How KillStock handles it
On the Growth plan and above, receipts are recorded against the purchase order, partially or in full, with batch and expiry where the trade needs it. Short, damaged or rejected goods can be settled through a supplier debit note that restocks correctly and adjusts the ledger.
A common mistake
Receiving the full ordered quantity by default because the boxes look right. Count what is billed, especially on lines with free-goods schemes.