Purchase order statuses and marking orders billed, paid, or void
A purchase order's status tells you where it is between "we're thinking about ordering this" and "it arrived and we paid for it". The status also decides what you're still allowed to change.
The statuses
Draft
Created but not placed with the supplier. Fully editable. Doesn't count as incoming stock and can't be received against.
Submitted
Placed with the supplier, either by emailing it or by marking it submitted yourself. Line items and costs are locked; the supplier can still be corrected. Counts toward Incoming.
Partially Received
Some of the ordered quantity has arrived. Set automatically as you receive.
Fully Received
Everything ordered has arrived. Set automatically as you receive.
Fully Billed
The supplier has invoiced you for the order.
Paid
You've paid the supplier.
Void
Cancelled. Terminal — nothing further happens to it.
Receiving is what drives Partially Received and Fully Received; you never set those by hand.
Billing and payment don't have to wait for delivery. A supplier may bill you before the goods arrive, so you can mark an order Fully Billed or Paid at any point after it's Submitted.
Mark an order fully billed
When the supplier's invoice arrives, open the purchase order and choose Mark Fully Billed. You can record the supplier's invoice or reference number, and attach the bill itself to the purchase order's files so it's stored alongside the order.
Marking an order Fully Billed doesn't stop deliveries. If stock is still outstanding you can keep receiving against it; the quantities update and the status stays Fully Billed.
Mark an order paid
Choose Mark Paid once you've paid the supplier. You can record the date you paid and a payment reference, such as a cheque or transfer number.
Paid is the end of the normal lifecycle. A paid purchase order can't be voided or have its items, quantities, costs, or supplier changed, so mark it paid once the money side is genuinely settled. Outstanding deliveries can still be received against it — paying early doesn't stop the goods — and its notes, estimated delivery date, and attachments stay editable, so you can still file the paperwork against it afterwards.
Essential doesn't track supplier balances or payments beyond this — Fully Billed and Paid are marks you set to keep your team informed, not an accounts-payable ledger.
Void an order
If an order is cancelled, duplicated, or was raised by mistake, open it and choose Void. You'll be asked for a reason, which is stored on the order so anyone looking at it later knows why it stopped.
Voiding is available from any status except Paid, and it's permanent — there's no way to bring a voided order back, so void one only when you're sure. A voided order stops counting toward Incoming and can't be received against.
Voiding is how you get rid of a purchase order. Purchase orders are never deleted, so the record and its history stay available.
Where to find it: Open a purchase order under Inventory -> Purchase Orders. Mark Fully Billed, Mark Paid, and Void are on the purchase order's menu.
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