An AI three-way match agent pairs each invoice line with its PO line and receipt record, then checks item, quantity, unit price and total against the tolerances your policy sets.
The agent reads PO number, lines, quantities and prices.
It pulls the order and goods receipt records.
It checks price, quantity and item across all three.
An AP analyst rules on any mismatch.
Clean matches are marked ready for approval.
It reminds receivers when goods receipt is missing.
It handles real-world messiness, such as one invoice covering several receipts or one PO delivered in partial shipments, by matching quantities cumulatively.
It writes a plain explanation for every mismatch, naming the document that disagrees, and routes the exception to the buyer, receiver or AP.
Three-way match protects against paying for goods that were never ordered or never arrived, but doing it by hand across three documents is slow.
Goods arrive, but nobody records them until the invoice is chased.
Several shipments may sit behind one invoice, or the reverse.
The PO is in one system, the receipt in another and the invoice in an inbox.
A small price or quantity gap may be fine, or may not.
Without a clear reason, cases pass between AP, buyers and receivers.
The agent finds the PO and the receipts linked to the invoice, or searches by supplier and item if no link exists.
It matches invoice lines to PO lines and then to received quantities.
It tests quantity, price and total against the limits in your policy.
For each failure it states what was ordered, received and billed.
It sends each exception to the person best placed to resolve it, and records the decision.
Bring a small sample and watch Flo work through it.
| Aspect | By hand | With the agent |
|---|---|---|
| Gathering | Analysts open three systems to compare one invoice. | The agent lines up invoice, order and receipt side by side. |
| Partial deliveries | Part receipts are matched by hand and often misread. | Receipts are summed against invoiced quantity automatically. |
| Missing receipts | Invoices wait until someone notices no receipt exists. | The agent names the missing receipt and asks the receiver. |
| Tolerance | Tolerances are applied differently by person. | One agreed tolerance rule is applied to every line. |
| Evidence | Why a mismatch was accepted is not recorded. | Each decision stores the figures compared and who ruled. |
| If | Then | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| All three agree within tolerance | Marks the line matched | None, passes to approval |
| Invoiced quantity exceeds received quantity | Holds the line and shows the gap | Receiver or analyst decides |
| Invoiced price exceeds PO price | Holds the line and shows the PO price | Buyer decides |
| No goods receipt exists | Asks the named receiver to confirm delivery | Receiver replies |
| Invoice covers items not on the PO | Flags them as unordered | Buyer decides |
| PO is closed or cancelled | Flags the invoice as against an inactive order | AP lead decides |
The agent checks for a service acceptance record instead of a goods receipt. The requester confirms the service was done.
The agent matches each line to its own PO and reports per order. The analyst resolves any line without a home.
The agent waits and rechecks when the receipt posts. The analyst may release earlier on a buyer's word.
The agent converts known units and flags unknown ones. The buyer confirms the correct unit.
Talk it through with the team. We will map it to your steps and show where a person stays in control.
Begin with physical goods where receipts exist.
Agree one written tolerance rule.
Turn on partial-delivery logic.
Add acceptance records for non-goods spend.
This shows how many invoices pass the control cleanly. A low rate usually points to receipts not being recorded or POs raised after the fact.
Quick answers to what people ask most about three-way match.
Book a demoIt is a payment control that compares the invoice, the purchase order and the goods receipt, and pays only where the three agree within set tolerances.
It pairs lines across the three documents, tests item, quantity and price, and explains every difference. A person resolves exceptions.
It reports a clean match and moves the invoice to the next step. Approval and payment release follow your normal authority rules.
There is usually no goods receipt, so the agent can use a recorded confirmation from the requester in place of a receipt, if your policy allows.
Project coding is the step of tagging an invoice line to the project, grant, job or work order it supports, so costs can be tracked against that project's budget.
→Two-way match is the check that compares an invoice with its purchase order only, confirming that supplier, items, quantities and prices agree with what was ordered.
→Spend owner resolution is the step of identifying the person accountable for a given supplier, contract or invoice, so questions, approvals and budget decisions reach someone who can answer.
→Price variance is the gap between the price a supplier charges on an invoice and the price agreed on the purchase order or contract.
→Bring a small sample of real items. We will show what Flo handles on its own and where it hands over to your team.
