Two-way Matching

Two-way matching checks that the invoice agrees with the purchase order on items, quantities and prices. If they match within tolerance, the invoice is approved for payment. It is a lighter control than three-way matching and is typically used for services or purchases where there is no physical goods receipt to verify.

The approach speeds up processing where a goods received note is not applicable, but it verifies less — it confirms what was ordered and billed, not what was actually delivered. For physical goods, three-way matching adds the goods received note to close that gap.