How invoice lines are matched to consignments

Before Forensik can check a charge, it has to know which consignment the charge is for. Every invoice line is matched straight after import. Lines that did not match are tried again whenever you select Run audit on the Freight audit page, in case the consignment has arrived since.

The order Forensik tries

Matching only ever looks at consignments with the same carrier as the invoice. A Toll invoice is never matched to a consignment you sent with another carrier.

1. Connote. The carrier's consignment number on the line is compared with your consignments' connotes, first exactly, then ignoring upper and lower case.
2. Surcharge on a connote with a suffix. Carriers often bill a follow-up charge on the connote plus a few letters, for example 2145S for a surcharge on 2145. A line that carries only surcharges is attached to the consignment whose connote it starts with, when the extra part is one to three letters.
3. Customer reference. If the connote finds nothing, your reference on the line is tried against your consignments' references, then against your order numbers. A reference that fits more than one consignment is not used, because Forensik cannot tell which one is meant.
4. The line it credits. A credit note line with neither connote nor reference takes the consignment of the invoice line it credits, when the credit note names its original invoice.

Store orders with no consignment yet

An order from Shopify, WooCommerce or Magento usually has no connote when it arrives. If no consignment claims the line, Forensik looks for the store order, in this order:

1. Tracking number. A tracking number on the store's fulfilment equals the connote on the line. Shopify sends these with the order. Magento sends its shipment tracks from version 1.0.1 of the extension. WooCommerce sends them from version 1.0.1 of the plugin, when the store uses the WooCommerce Shipment Tracking extension or adds them through the plugin's filter.
2. Sender reference. Your reference on the line equals the order number, with or without the #.
3. Likely match. The receiving postcode is the same, the dispatch date is within 3 days of the order date, and the billed weight is close to the order's weight from your SKU cartons (within 1 kg or 10%, whichever is more). This is only a suggestion: it stays on the review list until a person confirms or rejects it.
4. Order file. You upload a file of order numbers and connotes.

When a line is matched this way, Forensik records the consignment under the line's connote with the order's cartons, then audits it as usual.

Forensik never guesses beyond that. A line that fits two orders always waits for a person, and an order you reject is not proposed for that line again.

The review list

Lines with no match wait on the review list, with a count at the top of the Freight audit page. Select Open review list or Invoice lines to see them. Confirm or reject each proposed order there, or use Download template and Upload file to bring your own list of orders and connotes (columns order_number and connote). Lines billed on those connotes are matched straight away, and any rows that could not be used are listed with the reason.

If none of these works, the line stays unmatched and opens an exception so you can deal with it. See unmatched invoice lines.

The three checks

• Rate check. Runs on every line, matched or not. Forensik prices the carrier's own weight, cubic, postcodes and service against your approved rate card and fuel levy for the ship date, and flags any overcharge. If the line does not say enough to price it, it shows Cannot check with the reason.
• Size check. Compares the billed size with the true size from your SKU cartons. It needs a confirmed match, and a SKU with no cartons shows Cannot check.
• Margin. What the customer was charged for the order less what the carrier billed, ex GST. It needs a confirmed match.

A likely match that has not been confirmed gets the rate check only.

Credit notes

Credit note lines are matched the same way. They are recorded as credits, not compared with the expected cost, and a credit for a claimed connote counts towards that claim once it is imported. See carrier replies and credits.

Charges on the invoice as a whole

Some carriers bill a charge on the invoice total, such as a fuel surcharge on the whole invoice. A line with no connote, no reference and no original invoice is treated this way. It is shared across the invoice's consignments pro rata to their billed freight (or all their charges when the invoice bills no freight), and each share is compared with what the approved rates expect. A fuel charge on the total is checked against your approved fuel levy. The share falling on unmatched lines stays unallocated and is reported as unmatched.

Match a line by hand

If you know which consignment a line belongs to, open its exception on the Freight audit page. Under Match, type the connote in Match to connote and select Match. The connote must belong to exactly one consignment with the same carrier. The old match is kept in the history (struck through), the line is audited again, and any charge shared across the invoice is shared again.

Invoice-level charges cannot be matched by hand, because they belong to the whole invoice.

Confidence and checks

Each match shows how it was made (Connote, Reference, Store tracking number, Likely match, Order file or By hand) and a confidence. Only overcharges on lines matched by the connote itself (Connote, Store tracking number or Order file) can go on a recovery claim; see what can be claimed.

A matched line is only checked if its consignment has an expected cost. If it could not be priced, see cannot price orders.