---
title: Academy 8. Buying
description: "Foundation, lesson 8: purchase orders, receiving, bills, paying, quick payment, vendor returns and credits, and AP aging."
url: "https://theasst.com/docs/academy-8-buying/"
updated: "2026-10-30"
category: Academy
---

# Academy 8. Buying

*TBA Foundation · Lesson 8 of 9 · about 3 hours*

## After this lesson you can

- Take a purchase from order to payment.
- Explain why a purchase order is not yet an expense.
- Record a bill, pay it, and handle a return or an overpayment.
- Use AP Aging to see what you owe.

## Why it matters

The buying side keeps your costs, inventory and cash right. Entering bills when they arrive is what makes your reports tell the truth.

## Read

- [Bills Overview](https://theasst.com/docs/bills-overview/)
- [Vendors](https://theasst.com/docs/vendors/)
- [Vendor Returns](https://theasst.com/docs/vendor-returns/)
- [Vendors articles](https://theasst.com/docs-category/vendors/) (purchase orders, paying bills, quick payment)

## The big picture

You place a **purchase order** (a commitment, not yet an expense), **receive** the goods, enter the vendor's invoice as a **bill**, and **pay** it. Entering the bill on receipt puts the cost and what you owe in the right period; receiving stock adds to your inventory. One bill can cover several purchase orders. Pay several bills at once from the list of bills to pay, or use **Quick Payment** for something small that needs no bill. If goods go back, record a **vendor return** from the bill; it becomes a credit. An overpayment stays as a vendor credit. **AP Aging** shows what you owe and how overdue it is. Vendor tax details support year-end 1099 reporting.

## Try it

1. Create a purchase order, receive it, and enter its bill.
2. Pay the bill.
3. Return an item from a bill and find the credit.

## Check yourself

Can you say why a purchase order is not yet an expense, and what a vendor return turns into? A practice quiz and certification exams are planned for a later release.