Process for receiving partial items on a PO, applying partial invoice to that PO but keeping remaining balance of PO [unreceived items] open? Might someone help?

Side note question: is there a way to check what you want to receive from the PO without bringing over the entire PO? I have a PO with 100 line items and they will be invoiced in single items or small batches. So today I had to unlink 99 line items just to receive 1 line item. It would be easier to check which items to bring over to the bill vs unlinking unreceived items.

Thanks for joining the thread.

In QuickBooks Online (QBO), we can receive only part of a purchase order, or make a partial payment and add just those parts to a bill or expense. This links multiple transactions to the same purchase order. You can also link multiple transactions to a single purchase order.

QuickBooks Online automatically closes purchase orders when all quantities are added to bills, expenses, or checks. You can check out this article for the steps and details: Add purchase orders to expenses, bills, or checks in QuickBooks Online. Then, go to Add part of a purchase order to an expense, bill, or check section. 

However, the option to receive only 1 line item only in the Purchase Order without bringing over the entire items is unavailable in QBO. We see consumer feedback as an opportunity to improve the numerous features of our products. I'd recommend giving our engineers direct feedback. They may look into this suggestion and incorporate it into future updates. Here's how: 

1. Go to the Gear icon on the top menu.
2. Click Feedback.
3. Type in your recommendation in the Share your feedback field.
4. Tap Next.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

I've attached screenshots below for your reference:

Also, I'm adding this article for additional information, as well as the steps for adding a part of a PO to a transaction as well as updating its status: Enable and use Purchase Orders in QuickBooks Online.

Please keep in touch with me here should you need any further assistance regarding managing your POs or have follow-up concerns about QuickBooks. The Community and I always have your back. Have a great day ahead. 

we have a situation where a vendor is requiring a series of partial payments against a Purchase Order we sent them. These partial payments are based on a percentage of the bill, not any specific quantity of line items on the PO.

For instance, we issued a PO with 4 line items totalling about $20,000. We paid 10% ($2,000) to start, and then another 50% ($10,000), and then the remainder of $8,000 when the items were received.

How do we enter the three different payments made such that the PO and its related items are associated with the total transaction?

Thanks for dropping by the Community and sharing the details of your concern. I see you want to record three different payments and associate them with the related PO and its items. I've got steps you can follow to help you record these payments.

In QuickBooks Online, you can handle this situation by adding those parts to a bill or expense. Here's how you can do it:

1. Go to + New.
2. Select Expense, Check, or Bill. Learn more about when to use expenses or bills.
3. From the Payee ▼ dropdown, select the vendor. It opens a window with their open purchase orders.
4. Choose Add for the correct purchase order. It adds the items from the purchase order. They appear in the Item Details section.
5. Adjust the quantity or amount for each line item to reflect the portion you received or plan to pay for.
6. Pick Save and Close.

For detailed information, refer to this article: Add purchase orders to expenses, bills, or checks in QuickBooks Online.

I'm adding these articles you can use in the future: 

• Upload your receipts to QuickBooks Online.
• Email receipts and bills to QuickBooks Online.

By following these steps, you can associate all the payments with the original Purchase Order and its related items. If you have more questions about managing payments in QuickBooks Online, don't hesitate to post them here. I'll be around to answer all of them ASAP! Have a great day!

your reply did not address my question. I already know how to deal with a partial receipt of PARTS. My problem is when the payment being made is not associated with a specific part or group of parts, but rather a percentage of the entire bill. 

Let's make the question simple. How do I account for a downpayment of 10% of the total order that is required by the vendor? This is not associated with any specific part or group of parts, but rather with the purchase order as a whole.

I appreciate you for getting back to us, @square1 comp. Allow me to chime in and help you record partial prepayments to a vendor in QuickBooks Online (QBO).

In QBO, we're unable to record payments against a purchase order since it's a non-posting transaction. However, you'll need to enter a Check or an Expense affecting Accounts Payable to record partial prepayments. 

Then, convert the purchase order to a bill and apply the payments. Here's how:

1. Go to Expenses and click Bills.
2. Go to the Unpaid tab and select the bill in question.
3. Click Mark as paid.
4. In the Outstanding Transactions section, enter the amount of the partial payment in the Payment column.
5. Go to the Credits section and tick the boxes of the payments.
6. Select Save and Close.

Furthermore, run reports in QBO to track vendor transactions and balances. 

Keep in touch if you need additional assistance recording partial prepayments in QBO. I'll be available in the Community anytime to provide further help. Take care, and have a good one.

@square1 comp Did you ever get an answer for this? I'm having the same issue. I was beginning to feel like I was the only one that had to prepay via a percentage of total PO. 

@square1 comp  did you ever figure out how to do this? I'm having the same issue and can't seem to find a solution. Thanks.

I have not tried their solution of converting the PO to a Bill and then just partially paying the Bill.

It makes sense though.

Thanks - I'll try it.