Goods Receipt Note
Record a goods receipt note against a purchase order, add stock to your items and convert it to a purchase bill in one click. Free GRN format PDF.
In short
A goods receipt note (GRN) is the document a buyer prepares when material arrives from a supplier, confirming what was received against the purchase order, in what quantity and condition, and who checked it. VyaparKit's Goods Receipt Note tool converts a purchase order into a GRN, lets you record the quantity actually received, adds the goods to stock, and can be converted to a purchase bill. Free accounts get 5 transport documents a month.
Create a Goods Receipt Note in under a minute
Sign in once with Google or email. Your business name, GSTIN, logo, bank details and saved customers fill in automatically. Download a PDF or share a link on WhatsApp. 5 documents a month are free, forever.
- ✓Beautiful PDF with your logo and details
- ✓GST calculated automatically where applicable
- ✓Saved customers, vendors and items, so no retyping
- ✓Share link with WhatsApp button and UPI QR
- ✓Converts to related documents in one click
About the goods receipt note tool
When a truck arrives at the godown, someone counts the cartons, checks them against the purchase order and the supplier's challan, and signs for them. The goods receipt note is the record of that check. It is the buyer's document, not the seller's, and it is what accounts will later match with the supplier's invoice before releasing payment. In a small business the GRN may be a scribble on the challan; in a slightly larger one it becomes the control that prevents paying for 100 units when 92 arrived.
Skipping the GRN is how short supplies and damaged cartons go unnoticed until stock-taking, and how the same supplier bill gets paid twice. VyaparKit's Goods Receipt Note tool starts from your purchase order: click Convert to goods receipt and every line appears with the ordered quantity, so you only enter the received quantity, note damages or rejections, record the supplier's challan number, vehicle and LR number, and name the person who checked. The GRN is numbered in a GRN/26-27/0001 series and linked to the purchase order.
Saving the GRN adds the received quantity to stock for your saved items, so the low-stock and valuation reports are current from the day material lands. When the supplier's invoice comes, convert the GRN to a Purchase Bill; the bill carries the received quantities, updates the vendor ledger, and any difference from the invoice becomes a Debit Note.
How to make a goods receipt note in VyaparKit
- 1
Start from the purchase order
Open the purchase order in Documents and click Convert, then Goods receipt. The vendor, items and ordered quantities are copied. You can also open Goods Receipt Note and start blank for a delivery without a PO.
- 2
Enter what arrived
For each line, enter the received quantity and, if different, the accepted quantity after inspection. Note shortages, damages or rejected units in the remarks.
- 3
Record the delivery details
Enter the supplier's challan or invoice number and date, the vehicle number, the LR number and the number of packages, and the name of the person who checked the goods.
- 4
Create and update stock
Click Create. The GRN is numbered, linked to the purchase order, and the accepted quantities are added to stock for saved items.
- 5
Convert to a purchase bill
When the supplier's tax invoice arrives, open the GRN and click Convert to purchase bill. Match the invoice against the accepted quantities, and raise a debit note for any difference.
What a GRN should record
- GRN number and date, and the purchase order number it is received against.
- Supplier name, address and GSTIN, and the supplier's delivery challan or invoice number and date.
- Transport details: vehicle number, LR number, transporter name and number of packages, with the e-way bill number for consignments above ₹50,000.
- Item lines: description, HSN, ordered quantity, received quantity, accepted quantity and rejected quantity with reason.
- Condition on receipt: seals intact, damage, shortage, wrong item, with photos filed separately if needed.
- Storage location or bin where the goods were put away.
- Name and signature of the person who received and inspected, and of the driver where you take an acknowledgement.
- Remarks for accounts, for example 'short supply of 8 units, debit note to be raised'.
Who uses the goods receipt note
FMCG distributor in Indore
Every company dispatch is checked against the purchase order at the godown; shortages and damaged cases are recorded on the GRN and claimed from the company the same week.
Furniture manufacturer in Jodhpur
Plywood and hardware from a dozen suppliers are booked into stock through GRNs, and the purchase bill is matched to accepted quantities before payment.
Pharmacy chain in Vijayawada
Batch numbers and expiry dates are noted on the GRN for each medicine received, which the drug inspector expects to see.
D2C brand's fulfilment partner
A Bengaluru brand storing inventory with a 3PL receives a GRN for every inbound shipment, and reconciles it against the packing list it sent.
Goods Receipt Note: frequently asked questions
- What is a goods receipt note (GRN)?
- A goods receipt note is an internal document prepared by the buyer when goods are delivered, recording the quantity and condition received against the purchase order and the supplier's challan. It is signed by the person who inspected the goods and is the basis for updating stock and for accounts to match the supplier's invoice before paying. It is sometimes called a material receipt note or an inward note.
- What is the difference between a GRN and a purchase bill?
- The GRN records physical receipt: what arrived, when, in what condition, checked by whom. The purchase bill records the supplier's tax invoice in your books: the amount payable, GST and the input tax credit you can claim. The GRN comes first and the bill is matched to it; a bill for more than was received should be short-paid with a debit note. In VyaparKit the GRN converts into the purchase bill so the quantities carry over.
- What if the quantity received is less than the purchase order?
- Record the received and accepted quantities on the GRN as they are, not the ordered quantity, and note the shortage in remarks. Inform the supplier with the GRN number. If the supplier's invoice still bills the full quantity, book the purchase bill at the accepted quantity and raise a debit note for the difference, or ask the supplier for a credit note. The remaining quantity can arrive against a second GRN on the same PO.
- Does a GRN affect stock?
- Yes. In VyaparKit, saving a goods receipt note adds the accepted quantity of each saved item to stock on hand, so the low-stock, reorder and stock valuation reports reflect material as soon as it is inspected, not when the invoice is booked. If you skip the GRN and book only the purchase bill, the bill adds the stock instead; do not do both for the same delivery, since the GRN converts into the bill.
- Who should sign a GRN?
- The person who physically counted and inspected the goods, typically the storekeeper or godown in-charge, and ideally a second person from purchase or accounts. Where the delivery is by a transporter, take the driver's acknowledgement of any shortage or damage noted on his copy of the challan as well, because transit claims depend on it. VyaparKit prints signature lines for the receiver and the checker.
- Is a GRN required under GST?
- No. GST does not prescribe a GRN; the documents it cares about are the supplier's tax invoice, the delivery challan where applicable, and the e-way bill. But input tax credit under Section 16 requires that you have actually received the goods, and a signed GRN with the vehicle and LR number is the simplest proof of receipt if the department asks. It also supports the date on which ITC becomes available.