Free Purchase Order Generator
Create a purchase order online and download it as a PDF — free, no signup
What is a purchase order?
A purchase order is a document a buyer sends a supplier to formally order goods or services at agreed prices. It is issued before delivery, and once the supplier accepts it, it becomes the contract the supplier's invoice will be checked against.
A purchase order is written from the other side of the transaction from an invoice: you are the buyer, committing to spend. Its value is that it fixes what was ordered, at what price, for delivery when — so that when the supplier's invoice arrives, approving it is a matching exercise rather than a memory test. The tool below produces a numbered PO with line items and totals that you can send to a supplier as a PDF.
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How to create a purchase order in 4 steps
- Enter your details as the buyer. Your business goes in the From block and the supplier in the Bill To block — the reverse of an invoice. The document title is already set to Purchase Order.
- Add a PO number and delivery details. Give the order a unique number the supplier will quote back on their invoice, and add the delivery address and required date.
- List exactly what you are ordering. One line per item with quantity, the supplier's description or product code, and the agreed unit price. Totals and tax calculate automatically.
- Download the PDF and send it to the supplier. Download a print-ready PDF and send it before the work starts, so the supplier can quote the PO number on their invoice.
What to include on a purchase order
- A unique PO number
- The PO number is the reference the supplier must quote on their invoice. It is what makes automated matching possible, so it needs to be unique and easy to read.
- Your details as the buyer, and the supplier's as the seller
- The roles are reversed compared with an invoice: your business is the one placing the order, so your details go in the From block and the supplier's in the Bill To block.
- Delivery address and date required
- Use the Ship To field where goods go somewhere other than your billing address, and state the date you need delivery by — a PO without a date is an order with no deadline.
- Exact quantities, descriptions and agreed unit prices
- These are the figures the supplier's invoice will be matched against. Use the supplier's own product codes so the match is unambiguous.
- Tax treatment
- State whether the agreed prices include or exclude tax so the invoice total is not a surprise.
- Payment terms
- The terms you state on the PO are the terms you are proposing to pay on. Agreeing them at order time is much easier than negotiating them after an invoice arrives.
Purchase order vs invoice: what's the difference?
A purchase order is created by the buyer before goods or services are supplied, and it authorises a purchase. An invoice is created by the seller after supply, and it requests payment. The two are designed to be matched: the supplier quotes the PO number on their invoice, and the buyer's accounts payable team checks the invoice against the PO — and often against a delivery note as well — before releasing payment. A purchase order is not an accounting entry for revenue or expense; it is a commitment, and the invoice is what actually gets recorded.
Why suppliers ask for a PO number
Most businesses above a certain size will not pay an invoice that lacks a PO number, because their systems match invoices to authorised commitments automatically. From the supplier's side, asking for a PO before starting work is a credit-control measure: it confirms that someone with spending authority approved the purchase, rather than the enthusiastic contact who briefed the job. If you are the buyer, issuing a PO up front spares everyone a payment dispute later.
Three-way matching, and why your PO details matter
Accounts payable teams commonly perform a three-way match: the purchase order, the goods received note, and the supplier's invoice must agree on quantity and price before payment is released. If your PO says twelve units at 40 and the invoice says twelve units at 44, the invoice stops until someone explains the difference. That is the mechanism working. It also means a vague PO — bundled line items, missing quantities, no unit prices — removes the protection entirely, because there is nothing precise to match against.
Changing a purchase order after it is issued
If the order changes, amend the PO or issue a new one rather than letting the supplier invoice something different from what was authorised. An invoice that does not match its PO will be held whatever the informal agreement was, and resolving it after the fact takes far longer than reissuing the order. Where a supplier proposes a change, ask for it in writing and reflect it on the PO before the work happens.
Frequently asked questions
What is a purchase order?
A purchase order is a document a buyer issues to a supplier to order specific goods or services at agreed quantities and prices. It is sent before delivery and, once accepted by the supplier, forms the agreement their invoice will be checked against.
What is the difference between a purchase order and an invoice?
A purchase order is written by the buyer before supply and authorises a purchase; an invoice is written by the seller after supply and requests payment. The supplier quotes the PO number on the invoice so the buyer's accounts payable team can match the two before paying.
Who creates the purchase order, the buyer or the seller?
The buyer creates it. If you are the supplier and a customer asks for a PO, you are asking them to issue one to you — you would then quote its number on your invoice.
Is a purchase order legally binding?
A purchase order is an offer to buy, and it generally becomes a binding contract once the supplier accepts it. The precise effect depends on your terms and on the law where you trade, so treat the quantities, prices and delivery dates on the document as the things that define the commitment.
Is this purchase order generator free?
Yes. You can create and download unlimited PDF purchase orders without paying or creating an account.
Need an invoice instead?
The same tool creates invoices, and every field label can be renamed. Fill it in and download a PDF — free, no account required.
Other documents you can create
- Free Quote GeneratorA quote is a document that offers to do specific work or supply specific goods at a stated price, valid for a stated period.
- Free Credit Note GeneratorA credit note is a document issued by a seller that reduces or cancels an amount previously invoiced.
Guides that go deeper
Billing a client abroad? See the invoice generator by country for currency and tax notes for the US, UK, Canada, Australia, India and Europe.