What is a Two-way match?
Two-way match compares a supplier invoice with the purchase order only, checking quantities and prices without verifying that the goods or services were received.
In more detail
It is faster and lighter than a three-way match, so it suits low-risk spend: software subscriptions, utilities, services with no physical receipt and small-value items. The control is weaker. A two-way match cannot catch an invoice for goods that never arrived. Companies often apply it by category or threshold: three-way for inventory and capital items, two-way for services, and just an approval under a small amount. Choose the rule per spend category, write it down and let the system apply it. Review the split each year, since volumes and fraud patterns move.
Example
A monthly $4,800 consulting retainer has a PO. The invoice matches the PO amount and the project owner approves it. Nobody needs a receipt document for a service delivered over time.