ANS-1544 · PURCHASE & VENDOR MANAGEMENT

How to Add Expenses or Other Charges to NetSuite Purchase Orders?

NetSuite provides options to include additional expenses or other charge items directly on purchase orders, enhancing financial tracking and procurement processes.

AreaPurchase & Vendor ManagementAudienceFinance/accounting teamDifficultyBeginner

Short answer

NetSuite users can add expenses directly to purchase orders by enabling the 'Allow Expenses On Purchase Orders' preference. Expenses can be linked to categories or specific accounts. Alternatively, an 'Other Charge Item' can fulfill similar requirements for additional charges on a purchase order, offering flexibility in managing procurement costs.

Scenario

Organizations often encounter situations where additional costs, such as shipping fees, service charges, or miscellaneous expenses, need to be included directly on a Purchase Order. This requirement necessitates a method to accurately track these expenditures alongside the primary items being procured, ensuring comprehensive financial record-keeping and proper vendor payment.

Solution

To include additional expenses or other charges on a NetSuite Purchase Order, two primary methods are available:

  1. Using Expenses Directly on a Purchase Order:

    • First, enable the preference to allow expenses on purchase orders. Navigate to: Setup > Accounting > Preferences > Accounting Preferences On the Order Management subtab, locate and check the Allow Expenses On Purchase Orders box.
    • Once enabled, expenses can be entered directly on the Purchase Order. These expenses can be associated with predefined expense categories, which link to specific accounts, or the account can be directly specified on the Purchase Order line.
    • Expense categories can be managed and created by navigating to: Setup > Accounting > Expense Categories

  2. Using an Other Charge Item:

    • Alternatively, an Other Charge Item can be utilized to fulfill the requirement for adding miscellaneous costs to a Purchase Order. This item type functions effectively for various additional charges.
Originally answered August 21, 2017Verified July 5, 2026

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