Returning goods to suppliers

🌐 Language: 🇻🇳 Tiếng Việt · 🇬🇧 English (current)

InOut — Part 2: Return orders (returning goods to suppliers)

Introduction

This document walks through returning goods to a supplier in the InOut plugin: pick the original purchase order, choose the products to return, take them out of stock and record the refund. It is for warehouse managers and accountants. After reading it you can process a complete return order and reconcile the refund precisely.

Return workflow

flowchart LR
    A["Pick original PO"] --> B["Choose products<br/>(Draft)"]
    B --> C["Confirm"]
    C --> D["Return goods<br/>(out of stock)"]
    D --> E["Receive refund"]
    D -. automatic .-> F["Stock down"]
    E -. automatic .-> G["Receipt voucher<br/>in the cash book"]

Steps

Step 1 — Create the return order

  1. Go to Orders → [IO] Return Orders and click Create Return Order.
  2. Pick the original purchase order (one with goods actually received). The system loads the received products with their qty received.
  3. Enter the qty to return per product (fractional allowed, up to 2 decimals).
  4. (Optional) Add costs incurred by the return (e.g. return shipping), with a category; costs may be negative.
  5. Click Save return order. The code is generated (RO-YYYYMMDD-XXXX).

If it worked, you see the return order detail in Draft status with its reference purchase order.

Never more than received: the total to return (summed over every non-cancelled return order of the same product) cannot exceed the qty actually received. The system refuses on save.

Step 2 — Confirm & return the goods

  1. Click Confirm to move from Draft to Confirmed.
  2. Enter the qty actually returned per product and save. Returns may happen in several batches — line status: Pending → Partial → Returned; the order becomes Returned when every line is done.
  3. Product stock goes down by the returned quantity. Lowering the returned qty restores stock accordingly.

Step 3 — Receive the refund

  1. The system computes the refundable total = Σ(unit cost × qty returned) + costs.
  2. On the order detail, under Refunds, click + Record: amount, refund date, method → save. Several instalments are fine; watch Refundable total / Refunded / Remaining.
  3. Each refund becomes a receipt voucher in the cash book and lowers the debt you owe that supplier.

Never above the refundable total: refunded so far + new amount cannot exceed the refundable total. If the supplier gives you more than the goods were worth → record a separate hand receipt in the cash book (see Part 3), not on the return order.

Return order statuses

Status Meaning
Draft Just created, not confirmed
Confirmed Approved, ready to return
Partially returned Some products returned, not all
Returned Every product returned
Cancelled Return cancelled (only possible while nothing was returned)

Search & filters

The return order list filters by return code, status, reference purchase order and creation date range.

Conditions & Rules (know before you act)

Every rule below keeps stock and debts accurate:

Creating a return:

  • Pick an original purchase order with goods actually received — Draft/cancelled orders are not listed.
  • At least 1 product; each line comes from the received products of the original order.
  • Qty to return > 0, at most 2 decimals.
  • Qty to return (summed over every non-cancelled return of the same product) ≤ qty received — you cannot return more than you physically have.
  • Costs may be negative; same length limits as purchase orders (name ≤ 255, order note ≤ 2000).

Returning goods:

  • Qty returned cannot exceed the qty to return of that line.
  • Stock must be sufficient to deduct — if it is not (goods already sold) the action is blocked, so stock never goes negative.

Refunds:

  • Amount > 0.
  • Refunded so far + new amount ≤ refundable total — anything extra goes through a hand receipt.

Confirm / cancel:

  • Only a Draft return can be confirmed.
  • A return can be cancelled only while nothing was returned.

Period closing: actions on a return inside a closed period (by the order date, or the refund date when recording/deleting refunds) are blocked.

Q&A

Q1: Why can't I pick a purchase order to return from?

→ Only purchase orders with goods actually received (and something left to return) are listed. Draft, cancelled or fully returned orders are not.

Q2: What does "exceeds received quantity" mean?

→ The quantity you want to return (plus other open returns of the same product) is more than what was received. Lower the quantity.

Q3: The supplier refunded more than the goods were worth — where do I record that?

→ The surplus is other income. Create a hand receipt (party = that supplier) in the cash book, not on the return order.

Q4: Does a return deduct stock automatically?

→ Yes. When you record the qty actually returned, stock goes down immediately. If stock is insufficient the system reports an error.

Q5: Can I cancel a return that was already carried out?

→ No. Only returns with nothing returned can be cancelled. Otherwise adjust the returned quantity to match reality.

Q6: Does a refund affect the supplier debt?

→ Yes. A refund lowers the debt you owe that supplier. The formula is in Part 3.

◀ Part 1 — Purchase orders · Index · Part 3 — Cash flow, debts & period closing ▶

📅 Last updated: 2026-10-03 · ✍️ Author: GP247