Orders

Answers to common questions on purchase orders, sales orders, returns, and invoice customization in BoxHero's Purchases & Sales feature.

---

What's the difference between a purchase order and a sales order?

A purchase order (PO) records items you're buying from a supplier. A sales order (SO) records items you're selling to a customer.

Both are managed under the Purchases & Sales feature, but they map to different inventory transactions: a PO results in a Stock In when items are received, while an SO results in a Stock Out when items are shipped.

What do the different order statuses mean?

Order statuses update automatically based on how much of the order has been received or shipped.

Purchase orders:

• Draft — Created but not yet sent to the supplier.

• Ordered — Placed and awaiting delivery.

• Partially Received — Some items have arrived; others are still pending.

• Received — All items have been received.

Sales orders:

• Draft — Created but not yet confirmed with the customer.

• Confirmed — Confirmed by the customer, but no items shipped yet.

• Partially Shipped — Some items have shipped; others are pending.

• Shipped — All items have shipped.

Inventory levels only change once items are received (PO) or shipped (SO). Draft and Ordered/Confirmed statuses don't affect stock.

What's the difference between "Partially Receive/Ship" and "Receive/Ship All"?

When you open a purchase order or sales order, you'll see two buttons:

• Receive All / Ship All — Marks the entire order as Received or Shipped in one step and stocks all items in or out at once.

• Partially Receive / Partially Ship — Opens a new transaction screen where you select the location, enter the quantity received or shipped, and tap Submit. The order moves to Partially Received or Partially Shipped, and you can repeat this until everything is accounted for.

What does "Stock In/Out items immediately" do?

This checkbox appears at the bottom of the order creation screen. If you check it before saving the order, BoxHero creates the order and stocks the items in or out in a single step — the order is created with a Received or Shipped status right away. Leave it unchecked if you're creating the order ahead of time and will record receipt or shipment later.

How do I select a location in an order?

You don't choose a location when creating an order itself. Locations are selected later, when items are received or shipped via inventory transactions (Stock In for purchase orders, Stock Out for sales orders).

Can I attach files or notes to an order?

Yes. Every order includes a Memo field where you can add internal notes, payment terms, special packaging instructions, or supplier remarks. Memos also support file attachments and hashtags.

Can I export my order details?

Yes. Open any order and click the ... menu in the top right corner. From there you can:

• Export to Excel — Download order data for reporting or accounting.

• Print PDF — Generate a clean copy of the purchase order or sales invoice.

• Send Email — Send the PO or sales invoice directly to your supplier or customer without leaving BoxHero.

How do I add, edit, or delete tax and discount options?

Manage tax and discount options under Settings > Orders. From there, you can create new options, edit existing ones, or remove options you no longer use. You can also apply the same rate (e.g., 10%) to all items in an order at once using the Apply to All action.

If I update an item’s pricing, will existing orders be affected?

No. Updating item prices does not change orders that have already been created. Existing orders keep the original prices from the time they were created.

I updated an order, but the item quantity didn’t change. Why?

If an order already has Stock In or Stock Out transaction records associated with it, editing the order itself won't update inventory levels. You'll also need to edit the related transaction to adjust quantities.

How do I process a returned item?

For sales returns, open the original sales order and click + Add Return. Select the returned item, enter the quantity, choose the location where the item will be stocked back in, and tap Stock In to complete the return.

You can view all recorded returns under the Returns tab, or find the Returned Items entry inside the related sales order.

Can I record an order in a different currency than my team currency?

Yes. Each order is stored in its own currency, while reports convert everything to your team's display currency using the exchange rate as of the report date. Make sure new orders are created in the correct currency so reported amounts aren't unexpectedly converted.

Why aren't returned items showing in my Sales Report?

Returns appear in Reports > Sales based on the return date, not the original sale date. Make sure the return date falls within the date range you're viewing.

Can I customize my purchase orders and sales invoice?

Yes. You can personalize the layout and content of your purchase orders and sales invoices by adding or removing fields. Go to Settings > Orders and update your Print Layout and Custom Fields.

Purchases & Sales