Purchase order template
Create a professional purchase order PDF to send to suppliers — free, in your browser.
Runs 100% in your browserHow to create a purchase order
- Add buyer and supplier. Your details (buyer) and the supplier you are ordering from.
- List what you are ordering. Add items with quantities and agreed prices.
- Download and send. Set the delivery date and download the PO PDF.
What a purchase order does
A purchase order is the mirror image of an invoice: the buyer issues it, before any money changes hands, to commit to buying specific goods or services at an agreed price. That commitment protects both sides — the supplier knows exactly what to deliver and at what price, and the buyer has a written record to check the eventual bill against. Once the supplier accepts it, a PO becomes a binding order, which is why finance teams treat it as the authoritative statement of what was actually agreed.
PO vs invoice, and the order flow
The sequence runs: buyer raises a purchase order → supplier delivers the goods or services → supplier sends an invoice that quotes the PO number. The PO authorises the spend; the invoice requests payment for spend already authorised. Because the PO comes first and is buyer-controlled, it's where the negotiation lands — get the quantities, prices, delivery date and terms right here and the invoice has nothing to argue with.
PO numbers and three-way matching
Give every PO a unique number and make the supplier quote it on their invoice, because that number is what ties the paperwork together. Larger buyers run a "three-way match" before paying: the purchase order, the goods-received note, and the invoice must agree on what was ordered, what arrived, and what's being charged. Any mismatch is flagged for review. Sending a PO with clear line items and a number up front is what makes that check pass smoothly and keeps your suppliers paid on time.
Frequently asked questions
- A purchase order (PO) is a document a buyer sends to a supplier to confirm an order — the items, quantities, agreed prices and delivery terms. It becomes a binding contract once the supplier accepts it, and the supplier later invoices against the PO number.
- A buyer issues a purchase order to request goods; a seller issues an invoice to request payment for goods delivered. The PO comes first and the invoice references it.
- A PO number and date, buyer and supplier details, an itemised list with quantities and agreed unit prices, the total, delivery date and shipping terms, and any special instructions in the notes.
- Yes. The PO is generated as a PDF in your browser with no sign-up and nothing uploaded.