Purchase order status

Let's work together to determine why the purchase orders are closing after creating them and resolve this behavior, Kimmy.

There are several possible reasons why a purchase order status shows closed when you enter them in QuickBooks Online (QBO). I've listed them below:

• The quantity or amount fields are zero
• QBO automatically closes a purchase order once linked to a bill or expense.
• Someone accidentally edited or closed the transaction.

To determine the exact cause of the issue, I recommend following the troubleshooting steps below.

First, let's ensure the quantity and amount columns aren't blank. The system will mark the purchase order as closed if both fields are empty. Add the correct details to avoid this.

If the details have been entered correctly, I recommend checking the purchase order to see if there's an associated bill or expense. Here's how:

1. Go to the Expenses menu and then select Expenses.
2. Click the All transactions drop-down arrow and then select Purchase order.
3. Filter the correct dates.
4. Select and double-click the closed transaction.
5. After that, you'll be routed to the Purchase order page. Under the Amount, you can find the transaction linked to the entry.
6. Click it to review the bill or expense.
7. You can remove it by clicking More, then Delete.

If no transactions have been linked, please check the Audit Log tool. This feature allows you to monitor all activities in your accounts. I'll show you how:

1. Go to the Gear icon and select Audit log.
2. Choose Filter.
3. Use the fields on the Filter panel to choose the appropriate User, Date, or Events filter to narrow the results.
4. Hit Apply.

Moreover, you can follow these steps to reopen the purchase order:

1. From the Expenses menu, select the Expenses tab.
2. Locate the entry and click the drop-down arrow under the Action column.
3. Select View/Edit. Then, from the Purchase Order status drop-down arrow, choose Open.
4. Once done, hit Save and close.

Finally, you can run various reports in QBO to view your open purchase orders. Here's how:

1. Go to Reports.
2. Search for and run an Open Purchase Order List report, Open Purchase Order Detail report, Purchases by Product/Service Detail report, or a Purchases by Vendor Detail report.
3. Personalize the data to generate details you want to view.

Please don't hesitate to click the reply button to leave a comment if you have more questions about linking your purchase order to your bill in QBO. I'll be here to assist you at any time.

I'm not sure what you are referring to because under amount is the PO number - but there is nothing to click and link to.  My POs are always $0.00 until the bill is received and at that time, I need to be able to go to my open POs to apply the bill to the appropriate one.

I appreciate your prompt response and the screenshot you've added regarding your concern, Kimmy. I'm here to share more details about the Purchase Order (PO) and ensure its status remains open in QuickBooks Online (QBO).

Based on the image you've added, the PO is not associated with your bills. That's why there are no linked transactions under the PO's Amount.

On the other hand, we can follow my colleague's advice above to avoid the PO from automatically closing. That said, you can utilize the Item details section instead of the Category details to save a PO amounting to zero.

By entering your PO's details in the Item details section, ensure you input at least one quantity (QTY) value for each item line. Doing so secures its status to remain Open once saved.

Following that, you can link it to your bill. To help you with this task, please refer to the Add a purchase order to an expense, bill, or check section from this link: Add purchase orders to vendor transactions in QuickBooks Online.

I'm also adding this resource to help you once you need a complete contrast of the money moving in and out of your business: Run a Profit and Loss Comparison Report in QuickBooks Online. This way, you can review the productivity of your business in a given timeframe.

If you require additional assistance with your PO or other transactions in QBO, please add a comment below. I'm one reply away.

I've tried repeatedly to change my status from closed to open and then click save.  The problem is that once I hit save, it automatically reverts to closed.  This has been going on for quite a while, so I don't know how to find it in my audit log.  I cannot find a way to narrow down log enough to locate what I need.  Regardless, even if I locate it, I'm not sure how that helps me fix it.

QBO automatically closes PO with zero value.

If you want to keep them open, make sure it's not zero.

Thanks for coming back to the thread and following the suggestions above, Kimmy.

You can easily locate any changes made to purchase orders by filtering the Audit log. With this, we can verify if someone edited the transaction or if this was system-generated.

Since the PO automatically reverts to closed after clicking Save, I suggest performing some troubleshooting steps. Let's start by accessing your account in a private window. This will help us check if the problem is related to a browser issue.

• Google Chrome: Ctrl + Shift + N
• Mozilla Firefox: Ctrl + Shift + P
• Safari: Command + Shift + N
• Microsoft Edge: Ctrl + Shift + P

If it works, return to your regular browser and clear its cache. If the issue persists, switch to another supported browser.

Once a vendor accepts a purchase order and delivers the products, you can log this transaction in QuickBooks by recording it as a bill or expense. This action effectively closes the initial purchase order, links it to the bill or expense, and ensures accurate accounting records.

You can always get back to the thread if you have follow-up questions about managing PO transactions. I'll be here to help.

I feel like I am being unclear on the issue I am having because I'm not getting any actual solutions.

**Once a vendor accepts a purchase order and delivers the products, you can log this transaction in QuickBooks by recording it as a bill or expense. This action effectively closes the initial purchase order, links it to the bill or expense, and ensures accurate accounting records.**

THIS above is my issue!  When I enter a bill, I used to be able to link a purchase order to it because the PO would remain open.  Because they are automatically closing, it no longer gives me the option to link the 2 together.

When I do CTRL+Shift+P, it prints the portion of my audit log that I've got open. Is that what was supposed to happen?

Also, my Audit log does not show a "Filter" option. Since this issue started months ago, there are entirely too many entries to search through when I don't know what I'm looking for.

Based on your previous comments I was under the impression that the PO value was zero.

Can you share a full snapshot of one of the POs which closed automatically?

I'll take it from here and turn the table around for you, @Kimmylcla. I'll share some insights about the closed purchase orders and help you ensure that they are open when creating your bill.

A purchase order (PO) with a value of $0.00 is automatically closed if the Quantity column is also 0. This occurs because QuickBooks Online (QBO) recognizes that there is nothing to track or receive when all line items in the PO have zero quantities. As POs are typically used to request items from suppliers, I suggest entering a specific quantity in the Quantity column to ensure the bill remains open after clicking Save.

In addition, the shortcut key brings up the private browsing window for Firefox. If you use these keys in Chrome or Edge, it opens the print settings, which isn't something we need to do.

Your Audit Log is fine and just to clarify further, my colleague wanted to find out if there was a user who closed the purchase orders. You can use the filter options on your screenshot.

Additionally, you can check this article for more details: Add purchase orders to expenses, bills, or checks in QuickBooks Online

Moreover, you can visit this article to track your bills and record the payments in QBO: Enter and manage bills and bill payments in QuickBooks Online

If you have any concerns about your purchase orders or bills, please feel free to leave a comment. I'm here to assist you at any time.

Good morning,

We typically only use purchase orders to match what our techs say they're ordering to what is really ordered & shown on their invoice tickets. They call from a supply house & give us a number of lines and a work order to go with the PO.  At that time, they usually do not have prices yet to give us.  I enter category details of "supplies", the description is how many lines in the order and amount stays zero at that time.  Once I receive the invoice with a price on it, I go in & create a bill that matches that PO# to tie it all together.  I have discovered that if I only fill in the category details, that is when my PO closes automatically but if I fill in Item details instead, it will leave it open even with a zero dollar amount.  Apparently I will need to check with my accountant to see what will keep her books straight.

Sounds about right.

By the way creation of PO doesn't impact your accounting. It impacts your ledger when converted to a bill.

Your accountant might just tell you to continue with the process that is deemed best for your purchasing workflow.