How to make a purchase order in one minute
- Fill in Buyer with your business and Vendor with the supplier. If goods go somewhere other than your address, complete the Ship to block as well.
- Check the PO number (PO- prefix, incremented for you), the Order date and the Delivery date you are requesting.
- Replace the sample lines (A4 copier paper, 80 gsm, box of 5 reams, 10 at 24.50; Toner cartridge, black, TN-2420 compatible, 4 at 38) with the items from the vendor's quote, matching its quantities and unit prices.
- Edit Terms and conditions (prefilled Net 30 from receipt of goods and a correct invoice) and Notes (delivery window; quote the PO number on the invoice).
- Turn on the Signature line for the person approving the spend, then press Download PDF or Email.
What to put on a purchase order
A purchase order is the buyer’s side of a deal: a written instruction to a vendor saying what to supply, at what price, where to send it and by when. The vendor accepts it and later invoices against it, quoting the PO number, so the invoice can be checked against what was ordered.
The two parties and the third address. Buyer is your business; Vendor is the supplier. Ship to is a separate block because goods often go to a site, a branch or a warehouse rather than the billing address, and both print.
The number and the dates. The PO number, prefixed PO- and incremented per order, is the reference the vendor puts on the invoice and delivery note. Order date is the day you raise the order; Delivery date is the date you are requesting, not yet a promise from the vendor.
The items, matching the quote. One line per item with quantity, unit, rate and amount. The sample orders 10 boxes of A4 copier paper, 80 gsm, 5 reams a box, at 24.50 and 4 black toner cartridges, TN-2420 compatible, at 38. Copy descriptions, quantities and unit prices from the vendor’s quote so the invoice can be matched line by line.
Terms and delivery instructions. Terms and conditions are prefilled with Net 30 from receipt of goods and a correct invoice: payment is due 30 days after both have arrived. The Notes carry the practical part: deliver between 9 am and 4 pm on weekdays, and quote the PO number on the invoice.
Who approved it. The Signature line at the foot is the authorized-by line: it records who approved the spend, which a vendor checks before accepting the order and an auditor asks about afterwards.
What the purchase order template prefills and what to change
The paper and toner lines are placeholders. Replace them with your order, set the real delivery date and ship-to address, and adjust the terms to what you agreed with this vendor. Buyer details and each Vendor are saved on this device, so the next PO template PDF starts with them filled in and the next number ready. On the vendor side, Convert to invoice turns a received order into the invoice that answers it.
Your data stays on your device
Vendor details, your buyer profile and every purchase order you raise stay in this browser on your own device; nothing is sent to a server. The PDF is generated in your browser by a small worker; nothing is uploaded, and there is no account to create. Drafts, clients and your business profile live in your browser's local storage (IndexedDB), and one button under "Your data" deletes all of it. To verify, open your browser's developer tools, watch the Network tab while you fill in and download a document, and note that no request carries your details. Read the privacy policy and how it works for the details.
Templates, currencies and PDF output
| Templates | Classic, Modern, Minimal, Compact, Ledger, Receipt (6 layouts; accent colour and logo are yours). Prefilled invoice and receipt templates by trade open in the same editor. |
|---|---|
| Currencies | 68 ISO currencies with the right symbol and decimals, for example USD, CAD, GBP, EUR, AUD, INR and JPY. Country presets also set the tax lines and ID labels. |
| Paper sizes | A4 and US Letter; page numbers on multi-page documents |
| Numbering | Sequential per type, default prefix PO-0001, editable |
| Output | PDF download (text stays selectable), print, or a prefilled email with the PDF attached by you; file name Purchase-Order-number-client.pdf |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a purchase order and an invoice?
A purchase order is issued by the buyer before anything is supplied: what is wanted, at what price and where to deliver. An invoice is issued by the vendor afterwards to ask for payment. The invoice should quote the PO number so the two can be matched before it is paid.
What if the delivery address is different from my business address?
Use the Ship to block. Buyer carries your billing address; Ship to carries the site, branch, warehouse or customer address where the goods should go. Both print on the order, and the prefilled notes tell the vendor to deliver to the ship-to address. Leave Ship to empty if it matches Buyer.
How should I number purchase orders?
One unbroken sequence, PO-0001, PO-0002 and so on, separate from invoice and receipt numbers. The editor keeps its own counter for purchase orders and warns about duplicates. Ask vendors to quote the number on every invoice, delivery note and query about the order; the prefilled notes already do.
What if the vendor's invoice does not match the purchase order?
Compare it line by line: quantities, unit prices and any charges not on the order. Query the differences with the vendor before paying and, if the change was agreed, raise a revised order or note the agreement in your records. Copying the vendor's quote exactly is what makes a mismatch meaningful.
Is a purchase order binding?
In everyday practice, an order the vendor accepts is treated as an agreement to supply and to pay on the stated terms, including the conditions of purchase on the order. Whether and how that is enforceable depends on your jurisdiction and contract, a legal question this page does not answer.
Related
- Free purchase order generator with vendor and ship-to blocks
- Quote template with a valid-until date and an Accepted by line
- Commercial invoice template with HS codes, origin and incoterm
- Trucking invoice template with fuel surcharge and detention lines
- Blank invoice template to print and fill in by hand
- Invoice generator USA: invoices with sales tax, in US dollars
Last updated 2026-09-27. Presets are starting points — confirm current rates and requirements with your tax authority. PDF engine: pdfmake (MIT); fonts: Inter and Noto Sans (SIL Open Font License).