# Fishbowl: "The unit cost must be a positive number"

> You entered a zero or negative unit cost in a Receiving entry.

## What it means
When receiving items into inventory, Fishbowl requires each item's unit cost to be a positive number greater than zero. This validation rule prevents data entry errors. Zero or negative values can create accounting inconsistencies or incorrect inventory valuations in your system, which is why Fishbowl blocks them.

## What to check
- Verify the unit cost field contains a positive number (e.g., 10.50, not 0, -5, or blank)
- Check the entry form to see which field triggered the error — it's usually a unit cost or similar price field
- Confirm you didn't accidentally enter a negative number or leave the field empty
- If this is a credit memo or price adjustment, check whether you need a different transaction type

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*From Israel Lopez Consulting (ILC). Custom Fishbowl Inventory integrations and software, and Fishbowl experts since 2015. Written by Israel Lopez. Questions about this topic, or want to reach the people who wrote it? Visit https://israellopezconsulting.com/contact*