How to Receive Inbound Shipments
As a Cahoot Fulfillment Partner, you use the following Inbound Receiving process to receive and put away inventory sent to your warehouse. Receiving is what makes inventory live and available for fulfillment, so the counts, dimensions, and bin locations you enter carry straight through to picking, packing, and shipping.
How to Receive an Inbound
- Go to Assigned to Me Inbounds page and select the applicable Inbound ID.
- When the shipment arrives, take photos showing the condition of the cartons, pallets, or other shipping containers before opening or processing them and use the upload link to attach them to the inbound.
- For LTL, FTL, or container deliveries, inspect the shipment for visible damage before the driver leaves. Document any visible damage on the Bill of Lading, have the driver sign it, retain a copy, and upload the signed BOL to the inbound.
- Mark the inbound as Arrived and enter the requested arrival information.
- Click Receive Inbound.
- Scan the product barcode using your barcode scanner. Cahoot will automatically jump to the matching SKU row on the receiving screen.
- Enter the actual quantity received and the other required receiving information, including bin location, product dimensions/weight, suggested packaging, and master case information if the product arrives in case packs. Follow steps for How to Weigh and Measure Products.
- Review the information entered and submit the receipt for the SKUs that are ready to be received. You can submit as many receipts as needed until all the inventory is entered.
- Once receiving is complete, you have a 7-day window to Submit Invoice and enter the time you spent receiving the inbound using the [Receiving Fee - Per hour] service. See Creating Invoices for complete instructions.
Tip: For large inbounds, save your work periodically or submit inventory in multiple receipts to avoid losing progress if the receiving page times out.
Receiving Damaged Inventory
If units arrive damaged, record the damaged quantity using Enter DMG Qty for the applicable SKU and keep damaged units separate from sellable inventory. Follow Handling Damaged SKUs When Receiving Inbounds for the complete damaged inventory procedure.
If the Quantity Received Does Not Match Qty Sent
Your physical count determines the quantity received. Enter the exact number of units physically received for each SKU, even when it is less than or greater than the Qty Sent shown on the inbound.
- Fewer or More Units Received: Recount the inventory to confirm your physical count, then enter the quantity actually received.
- An Entire SKU Is Missing: Double-check all cartons and packaging to confirm the SKU was not included. Leave the missing SKU unreceived and continue receiving the other inventory normally.
- Inventory Not Listed on the Inbound: If you receive a SKU or other inventory that is not listed on the inbound, set it aside and report it before you finish. Take clear photos and report the unexpected inventory through the Conversations panel on the Inbound. Cahoot will notify the seller and provide further instructions.
Completing an Inbound With Quantity Discrepancies
If the Qty Received does not match the Qty Sent for any expected SKU, the inbound will not move to Received status automatically. After you have received everything that physically arrived and verified your counts, close out the inbound by confirming the remaining quantity discrepancies.
- Go back to the View Inbound page.
- Open the Receive Inbound dropdown and select No More Items to Receive. This option becomes available after at least 50% of the inbound has been received.
- On the Confirm Inbound page, review the remaining quantity discrepancies and make sure they accurately reflect what was physically received and what was missing.
- Click Confirm to close out the inbound and move it to Received status.
Important: Only select No More Items to Receive after you have received everything that physically arrived and verified all quantity discrepancies. Once confirmed, no additional inventory can be received or changes made to the inbound.
If Cahoot Flags a Barcode, Dimension, or Weight Mismatch
When a value does not match Cahoot's records, the field is highlighted in red with a warning explaining the mismatch. Check your entry and correct it if you find an error but never change an accurate value just to clear the warning, since dimensions and weights drive packaging selection and shipping rates for every order on that SKU.
If your entry is accurate and the warning persists, uncheck the Receive box for that SKU, submit the receipt for the SKUs that entered successfully, and report the affected SKU through the Conversations panel on the Inbound.
If the Inbound Requires Additional Work
If the shipment has problems beyond normal receiving differences — such as missing or incorrect barcodes, improperly prepared inventory, mixed or disorganized inventory, or any issue requiring substantial additional work — do not attempt to resolve the problem yourself.
Submit a receipt for any inventory that can be received normally, leave the affected inventory unreceived, and notify Cahoot through the Conversations panel. Follow What to Do When an Inbound Has Receiving Issues for additional instructions.
Normal receiving does not need to stop for every minor discrepancy. If you can document and complete the inbound using the standard receiving workflow without significant additional work or delay, continue receiving normally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I submit more than one receipt for the same inbound?
Yes. An inbound can have multiple receipts, and a problem with one SKU does not need to hold up the rest of the shipment. Submit a receipt for the SKUs that can be received normally and leave the affected rows unchecked until the issue is resolved. You can continue submitting receipts until all inventory that arrived has been entered.
How do I correct a receipt I already submitted?
Open the inbound, click the Receipt Number, then click Edit Inbound Receipt. You can change quantities received, add or update damaged quantities, and remove individual line items using the trash can icon. You can also Delete the entire Inbound Receipt from the Other Actions menu.
Receipts can only be edited while the inbound is in Partially Received status. Once the SKUs are live and the inventory is committed, the receipt is locked and can no longer be edited. If you need a change after that point, report it through the Conversations panel on the Inbound.
What do I enter if a product does not arrive in case packs?
Enter 1 for Master Case Qty. The Master Case L × W × H fields will no longer be required.
Can I print barcode labels while receiving an inbound?
Yes — when the SKU already has a barcode value in Cahoot and you are certain the label matches the product in your hand. If you were able to scan or enter a barcode for that SKU during receiving, the value is configured and you can print from the inbound: select Barcode Labels from the Other Actions menu, choose your label format, and click Submit. See Printing Product Barcodes for label formats and for printing from the Products page.
Never apply a barcode label you are not certain is correct. If you cannot confirm which product a barcode belongs to, do not print or apply labels — report it through the Conversations panel on the Inbound instead.
What if a product has no barcode?
A SKU cannot be received without a barcode. If a product arrives with no barcode or a barcode that does not match anything on the inbound, stop and report it through the Conversations panel.
Cahoot will add the barcode values so you can finish receiving. If the units need physical labels applied, Cahoot will submit a barcoding work order after the inbound is completed.
What happens if the receiving page times out on a large inbound?
The Receive Inbound page can time out if it is left idle too long. If the page times out before your receipt is saved or submitted, any unsaved information will be lost and must be re-entered. For large inbounds, save your work periodically or submit inventory in multiple receipts as you go to avoid losing significant progress.
What if I missed the 7-day window to submit my invoice?
Submit a standalone invoice instead. Go to Work Orders > All Invoices, select Add New Invoice, and enter the Inbound ID under Reference ID so Cahoot knows what the invoice is for. See Creating Invoices for the full process.