Free tool · P4 multi-outlet
Goods Receipt Note (GRN) India
Record supplier deliveries against a purchase order. Enter quantity ordered, delivered, and rejected — accepted quantity and line value auto-compute. Rejection reason codes, temperature check for cold chain, and auto-generated shortage note. Print-ready GRN with three signature columns (storekeeper, quality check, manager). No signup.
GRN header
| # | Item description | Category | Unit | Ordered | Delivered | Rejected | Accepted | Rate (₹) | Value (₹) | Status | Rejection reason | Temp (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| Totals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ₹0.00 | ||||||||
₹0.00
Total value received
0
Items with shortage
0
Items with rejection
—
Rejection rate
Restaurant
Goods Receipt Note
GRN No.:GRN-2026-001
Date:2026-05-22
PO Reference:—
Vendor:—
Vendor GSTIN:—
Invoice No.:—
Invoice Date:—
Vehicle No.:—
Delivery Person:—
| # | Item | Cat. | Unit | Ordered | Delivered | Rejected | Accepted | Rate (₹) | Value (₹) | Status | Rejection Reason | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vegetables | kg | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | accepted | |||
| TOTAL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ₹0.00 | |||||||
Received by (Storekeeper)
Name: _______________
Signature: ___________
Date: _______________
Quality checked by
Name: _______________
Signature: ___________
Date: _______________
Accepted by (Manager)
Name: _______________
Signature: ___________
Date: _______________
What is a GRN and why every restaurant needs one
A Goods Receipt Note (GRN) is the document that records what was actually received from a supplier, as opposed to what was ordered. The purchase order tells the vendor what to deliver; the GRN tells the restaurant what actually arrived. Without a GRN process, there is no paper trail to:
- Dispute a vendor invoice for items not delivered
- Recover the cost of short-supplied or rejected goods
- Trace food safety incidents back to a specific supplier batch
- Reconcile inventory — the GRN is the “in” half of the stock ledger
- Approve vendor payment — most well-run restaurants only pay invoices backed by a GRN
The PO → GRN → payment workflow
- Purchase order raised. The purchase team sends a PO to the vendor specifying items, quantities, rates, and delivery date. The PO number is the anchor reference for all subsequent documents.
- Vendor delivers goods. The driver arrives with the goods and the vendor's delivery challan or invoice. The storekeeper does not sign the vendor's document until the GRN is complete.
- GRN raised on receipt. The storekeeper counts, weighs, and quality-checks every item. Quantities, temperatures, and quality status are recorded in the GRN. The PO reference links the GRN to the original order.
- Shortages and rejections documented. Items not delivered or not accepted are recorded with reason codes. The shortage note at the bottom of the GRN is the formal debit memo — the vendor must issue a credit note for these items before payment is processed.
- GRN triggers inventory update. The accepted quantities from the GRN are posted to the stock ledger. The inventory count will only balance if every GRN is entered — partial receipts and rejections must be captured accurately.
- GRN approves vendor payment. Accounts payable matches the vendor invoice to the GRN. Only the value of accepted goods (GRN accepted quantity × invoice rate) is approved for payment. Discrepancies go back to the vendor.
GRN best practices for Indian restaurants
- Never sign the vendor's challan before the GRN. Once you sign the vendor's delivery note, you have legally acknowledged full receipt. Raise the GRN first, then sign the challan only for the accepted quantity. Add a note if quantities differ.
- Temperature logging for cold chain. Meat, poultry, seafood, and dairy must arrive below specific temperatures (cooked meats ≤4°C, frozen ≤−18°C, fresh produce ≤8°C). Record the actual temperature at receipt. If the temperature is out of spec, reject the batch — once accepted, you own the food safety liability.
- Weigh, don't count by eye. Vendors — especially vegetable and meat suppliers — frequently short-supply by 5–15% when goods are not weighed at receipt. A kitchen scale at the receiving dock pays for itself in the first week.
- Photograph rejections. Before returning rejected goods, photograph them with the GRN number visible. This is your evidence if the vendor disputes the return. WhatsApp the photo to the vendor's account manager immediately.
- Match GRN value to vendor invoice at receipt. If the vendor's invoice price differs from the PO price for any item, flag it on the GRN and do not approve payment until the vendor issues a corrected invoice or credit note. Price discrepancies compound across hundreds of deliveries.
- Same-day GRN rule. GRNs older than 24 hours cannot be relied on for temperature data and may mix with another day's inventory. Process GRNs the same day as delivery, even for late-evening arrivals.
Where this fits
- Purchase order — the PO precedes the GRN; the GRN reference number should match the PO number for full traceability
- Material requisition — the requisition is raised internally before the PO; the GRN closes the loop when goods arrive
- Inventory count — GRN accepted quantities are the “in” entries in the stock ledger; the inventory count is the “closing stock” check
- Vendor ledger — GRN value is the liability recognised; the vendor ledger tracks what is owed vs paid
- Food cost variance tracker — “purchases” in the food cost formula is the sum of all GRN accepted values for the period, not vendor invoices
- P4 — Multi-outlet pillar — complete guide to procurement, central commissary, and inter-outlet stock management for multi-outlet restaurants