# Supplier returns

Send stock back to the supplier it came from and take it off your outlet's count

Source: https://getolet.com/resources/help/inventory/supplier-returns/
Updated: 2026-10-15

A supplier return sends stock back to the supplier you bought it from and takes it off the outlet's count. It is the opposite direction to a purchase order, and it is not the same as a customer bringing something back to the counter. For that, see [Refunds and returns](/resources/help/selling/refunds-and-returns/).

This feature depends on your plan. Check Settings > Billing to see what your plan includes.

## Create a return

Go to **Inventory > Returns** and select **Create return**.

1. Pick the **Supplier** you are sending the stock back to and the **Outlet** it is leaving from.
2. Add a **Reference** and the **Supplier invoice** it came in on if you have them, plus a **Note**. All optional.
3. Select **Save draft**.

Supplier and outlet lock as soon as there are lines. Remove every line to change either one.

## Add the lines

Search by **Name** or by **SKU** and select **Add**. Each line shows **On hand** at the chosen outlet, so you can see what you have before you commit to sending it back.

For every line, set the **Return quantity** and pick a **Reason**:

- **Defective**
- **Overstock**
- **Wrong item**
- **Expired**
- **Recall**
- **Other**

The reason travels with the line, so the return itself tells you later why each product went back rather than leaving you to work it out from a note.

**Generate PDF** produces a copy of the return to send with the goods or to keep with your paperwork.

## Send it

Select **Send return** and confirm. Stock comes off the outlet immediately and the return can no longer be edited.

Set **Sent on** in the dialog if the goods physically left on an earlier day. Leave it empty for today. The date is read in the outlet's own time zone.

Unlike a purchase order, a return has no receiving step and no partial state. It is either a draft or sent.

## The statuses

| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Draft | Being built. Nothing has left the outlet |
| Sent | Stock has come off the count and gone back to the supplier |
| Cancelled | Called off while still a draft |

## If it goes wrong

**A sent return cannot be undone.** There is no reversal and no cancel once it has gone. If you sent the wrong thing, or the supplier sends it straight back, bring the stock back in with a stock adjustment using a reason that explains it. See [Stock adjustments and reasons](/resources/help/inventory/stock-adjustments-and-reasons/).

Because that correction is a separate record, write the return's reference in the adjustment note. It is the only thing tying the two together.

**Cancel** and **Delete** are offered only while the return is still a draft.

## What next

- Buying stock in: [Purchase orders](/resources/help/inventory/purchase-orders/)
- The supplier records these returns point at: [Brands and suppliers](/resources/help/catalog/brands-and-suppliers/)