The receipts not invoiced balance (RNI, also called goods received not invoiced or GRNI) should be one of the easier numbers to explain at month-end. It represents goods that have been received but not yet invoiced by the supplier. In practice, it is often one of the hardest. The balance grows, old items stay open for months, and when the auditors ask what makes up the number, nobody can say with confidence.
This guide explains why the RNI balance drifts in Sage X3, how to reconcile it at month-end, and how to keep it from building up again.
What the RNI balance represents
When a purchase receipt is posted in Sage X3, the system records the value of the goods received and, through the stock accounting interface, posts that value to an accrual account for receipts not yet invoiced. When the supplier invoice is entered and matched to the receipt, the accrual is cleared and the liability moves to accounts payable.
In a clean process, the RNI account balance at any point in time equals the value of receipts that are waiting for an invoice. If you can list those receipts and they add up to the general ledger balance, the account is reconciled. If they do not, something has posted outside the normal receipt-to-invoice flow.
Reconciling this account depends on a report that can list open receipts as of the period-end date. Sage X3's standard inquiries show receipt lines that have not been fully invoiced, but they reflect the current position rather than the position at a past date, and they are not designed to tie to the RNI account. For that reason, the reconciliation is usually supported by a custom report that lists open receipts as of the period end and compares the total to the RNI account balance in the general ledger for the same date.
Two related balances: invoices not received and returns not credited
RNI is one of three related purchasing accruals. Depending on how your accounting codes are set up, each may post to its own account, and all three should be reconciled together at month-end.
Invoices not received (INR)
The supplier invoice is posted before the goods are received. The invoice value is held in an account for invoices awaiting receipt until the receipt is posted and matched. A growing INR balance usually means receipts are being posted late, invoices were matched to the wrong order, or goods were invoiced but never delivered.
Returns not credited (RNC)
Goods are returned to the supplier, but the credit note has not yet been received or matched. The return value is held until the credit note clears it. A growing RNC balance usually means credit notes are not being requested, are posted without matching to the return, or were never issued by the supplier.
Each balance follows the same logic as RNI: list the open items as of period end, compare the total to the general ledger account, explain the difference, and assign an owner to each aged item. If your configuration posts returns or early invoices to the same account as RNI, the open items report should still show them separately so each can be followed up correctly.
Signs the RNI balance needs attention
- The open receipts report does not agree with the RNI account in the general ledger.
- The balance grows every month even though purchasing volume is stable.
- Items older than 90 days make up a large share of the balance.
- Small debit and credit amounts remain open on receipts that were invoiced long ago.
- The difference between the report and the ledger changes from month to month without explanation.
- Year-end or audit preparation requires manual analysis in spreadsheets to support the number.
Why the balance drifts
Most RNI problems come from a small number of causes. It is worth checking them in roughly this order.
Invoices that differ from the receipt
When the invoiced quantity or price differs from the receipt, the matching may clear only part of the accrual. Depending on how purchase price differences are configured, the remaining amount may post to a variance account, to stock value, or remain open. Partial invoices that are never completed leave the rest of the receipt open indefinitely.
Purchase order lines closed without an invoice
A receipt line can stay open after the purchase order is closed, cancelled, or replaced, for example when goods were returned, a credit was agreed outside the system, or the supplier never invoiced. The accrual remains even though nothing is expected.
Returns not matched to credit notes
When goods are returned to a supplier, the return reverses the receipt quantity, but the related credit note must also be entered and matched. If the credit note is posted without being matched, or never arrives, the RNI account and accounts payable will not agree.
Invoices entered without matching to a receipt
If an invoice for received goods is posted directly, without being matched to the receipt, the accrual from the receipt stays open and the expense or stock value is recorded a second time.
Manual journals to the RNI account
Adjusting journals posted directly to the RNI account bypass the receipt and invoice detail. Once that happens, the receipt-level report and the ledger can never fully agree until the journal is understood and reversed or documented.
Timing and cutoff
Receipts posted after the period end with an earlier date, or invoices dated in a different period from the receipt, create differences that reverse in the following month. These look alarming during close but are not true errors if they are identified and explained.
Currency differences
For foreign-currency purchases, the receipt and the invoice may be valued at different exchange rates. Depending on configuration, the difference may post to an exchange variance account or remain in the RNI balance.
Stock accounting not posted
If the stock accounting interface has not run, or some movements failed to post, the operational receipt exists but the accounting entry does not. The report shows the receipt as open, while the ledger does not include it.
Landed costs and additional invoices
Freight, duty, and other charges invoiced separately from the goods can affect how the receipt is valued and cleared. If these are handled inconsistently, they can leave residual amounts on the receipt.
A month-end reconciliation sequence
- 1. Confirm cutoff
Make sure receipts and invoices for the period have been posted, and that stock accounting has run for all movements in the period.
- 2. Run the open receipts report as of period end
Use the same date as the general ledger balance you are reconciling.
- 3. Compare the report total to the RNI account balance
Record the difference. If the difference is the same as last month, look for an old journal or a historic cleanup entry. If it is new, focus on this month's activity.
- 4. Check for manual journals
List all journal entries posted directly to the RNI account in the period and confirm each one is understood and supported.
- 5. Check for unposted stock accounting
Look for receipts that exist operationally but have no accounting entry.
- 6. Age the open items
Group the open receipts into current, 31 to 60 days, 61 to 90 days, and over 90 days.
- 7. Categorize the older items
For each item over 60 days, identify the likely cause: invoice not yet received, price or quantity dispute, return awaiting credit, invoice posted without matching, or no invoice expected.
- 8. Assign an owner and an action
Accounts payable follows up with suppliers on missing invoices and credits. Purchasing confirms whether anything is still expected. Finance decides how to clear items that will never be invoiced.
- 9. Repeat for invoices not received and returns not credited
Run the same comparison and aging for the INR and RNC balances. Items that appear in more than one list, such as a return that was invoiced before it was received back, should be resolved once and checked in each list.
- 10. Document the reconciliation
Keep the reports, the ledger balances, the explained differences, and the open item lists with owners and next review dates. This becomes the support for auditors and the starting point for next month.
Clearing old items
Some open receipts will never be invoiced. Leaving them in the balance makes the account harder to reconcile every month.
How the items are cleared matters. Wherever possible, clear them through the receipt and invoice process so that the receipt-level detail stays consistent with the ledger. A single journal to write off the balance may fix the ledger total but leaves the report showing open items, which recreates the problem the following month.
Before writing anything off, confirm why the invoice will not arrive. Several common situations are not write-offs at all:
- Goods returned to the supplier: post the return and match the supplier credit note.
- Invoice posted without matching to the receipt: match it to the receipt, or reverse and re-post it matched, so the cost is not recorded twice.
- Goods never received: reverse the receipt, which also corrects stock.
A true write-off applies when the goods were received and kept, but the supplier will not invoice: for example, free goods, an agreed credit, a supplier that has closed, or items old enough that no invoice is expected. In that case, the RNI accrual is cleared and the offsetting entry depends on where the goods are now:
- Still in stock and valued at standard cost: the credit normally goes to purchase price variance, because the stock is already carried at standard.
- Still in stock and valued at average or FIFO cost: the credit normally adjusts inventory value, so the item cost reflects what was actually paid.
- Already consumed or sold: the credit normally goes to cost of goods sold or a purchase variance account.
- Non-stock purchases: the credit normally goes back to the original expense account.
Some organizations use a single RNI write-off account for small amounts. Whichever approach you choose, agree it with your auditors and apply it consistently.
The write-off should also remove the item from the open receipts report, not only from the ledger. In practice, that means closing the receipt line for invoicing or flagging it so the report excludes it, and posting the journal with the receipt reference so every write-off can be traced. A written policy keeps the process consistent: for example, items older than a set number of days and below a set value can be cleared with controller approval, while larger items require supplier confirmation. In some U.S. states, amounts owed to suppliers can fall under unclaimed property rules, so include that check in the policy where it applies.
Preventing the balance from building up again
- Require invoices to be matched to receipts rather than posted directly.
- Review matching tolerances so that small, acceptable differences clear automatically and larger ones are reviewed.
- Restrict direct journal posting to the RNI account to a small number of people, and require a reason.
- Make sure every return triggers a credit note request, and match credit notes to the return rather than posting them directly.
- Post receipts promptly when goods arrive, so invoices do not sit in invoices not received waiting for a receipt.
- Include the RNI reconciliation and aged open item review in the monthly close calendar, with a named owner.
- Review the aged list monthly rather than at year-end, when the history is harder to reconstruct.
When to bring in help
It is usually time for outside help when the difference between the report and the ledger cannot be explained, when the balance contains years of historic items, when a data migration or upgrade carried open receipts forward incorrectly, or when auditors have raised the RNI balance as a finding. In those situations, the work involves reviewing configuration, posting history, and data together rather than clearing items one at a time.
Receipts not invoiced questions
Is RNI the same as GRNI?
Yes. Receipts not invoiced (RNI) and goods received not invoiced (GRNI) describe the same accrual: the value of goods received for which the supplier invoice has not yet been recorded.
Why does the RNI report not match the general ledger?
The most common reasons are manual journals posted to the RNI account, stock accounting that has not been posted, invoices posted without matching to receipts, and timing differences around the period end. Checking these in order usually explains most of the difference.
Should we post a journal to clear the difference?
Only after the cause is understood. A journal can correct the ledger balance, but if the open receipts remain in the report, the same difference will appear again next month. Fixing the cause keeps the report and the ledger in agreement.
What is the difference between RNI, INR, and RNC?
Receipts not invoiced (RNI) are goods received without a supplier invoice. Invoices not received (INR) are supplier invoices posted before the goods arrive. Returns not credited (RNC) are goods sent back to the supplier without a matching credit note. Each represents a timing difference between purchasing and accounts payable, and each should be reconciled monthly.
How often should RNI be reconciled?
Monthly, as part of the close. Reviewing the aged open items monthly keeps the list short and makes supplier follow-up practical.
How does standard costing affect RNI?
Under standard costing, receipts are valued at standard and differences between the purchase price and standard are recorded as purchase price variances. The RNI accrual is based on the receipt value, so the configuration of purchase price variances affects what remains in RNI when the invoice is matched. Reviewing purchase price variances and RNI together at month-end helps explain both.
Related reading
Need help with your RNI balance?
If your receipts not invoiced balance cannot be explained, or it keeps growing despite monthly cleanup, a short review of your configuration and posting history usually shows where the differences are coming from. Schedule a discovery call to talk it through with a senior Sage X3 consultant.