Create a numbered purchase order to send suppliers — itemised, with delivery details and GST — then print or save as PDF. Free, private, in your browser.
| Item / description | Qty | Unit price | Amount |
|---|
A purchase order turns a verbal "yeah, send us 40 of those" into a documented commitment: what was ordered, at what price, delivered where, by when. When the supplier's invoice arrives, you match it against the PO — quantity and price discrepancies get caught before you pay, not after. That three-way check (PO → delivery → invoice) is the single most effective control against overbilling small businesses have.
The PO number is the thread that ties it together, which is why the generated document asks the supplier to quote it on all invoices. Number sequentially and keep copies; at tax time, POs paired with invoices give your accountant a clean paper trail. Track supplier spending against your budget with our Cash Flow Planner.
A purchase order (PO) is a formal document a buyer sends a supplier requesting specific goods or services at agreed prices and quantities. It's the buyer's side of the transaction — the supplier's matching document is the invoice, issued after (or as) the order is fulfilled, requesting payment. Together, PO and invoice form a simple two-way check: does what was ordered match what's being billed?
Small businesses don't need dedicated purchase order software to get the benefit of this process. A sequentially-numbered PO — buyer and supplier details, itemised description/quantity/price, delivery information, and a required-by date — is enough to create a documented commitment and catch pricing or quantity discrepancies before you pay an invoice, not after.
| Purchase Order | Quote | Invoice | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Issued by | Buyer | Supplier | Supplier |
| Purpose | Request goods/services at agreed terms | Propose a price before commitment | Request payment for goods/services delivered |
| Timing | Before delivery | Before the order | At or after delivery |
| Should reference | The accepted quote, if any | — | The PO number, so amounts can be matched |
Need the other side of the process? Build a quote before the order, or a receipt once you've paid.
| Who | Common Use |
|---|---|
| 🏢 Small business owners | Document supplier orders before paying invoices, to catch pricing errors |
| 🔨 Tradies & contractors | Order materials from suppliers with a clear paper trail per job |
| 📊 Bookkeepers & accountants | Match POs against invoices for a clean audit trail at tax time |
| 🛒 Procurement & office admin | Formalise routine ordering without needing dedicated PO software |
| 🏭 Wholesale & trade buyers | Place bulk stock orders with agreed pricing and delivery dates on record |
Is a purchase order legally binding?
Once the supplier accepts it (by confirming or by shipping the goods), a PO generally forms a binding contract on the stated terms — which is exactly why it protects you on price and quantity.
What's the difference between a PO and an invoice?
The buyer issues the purchase order to request goods; the supplier issues the invoice to request payment. In a clean process, the invoice should reference your PO number and match its prices.
Should prices on a PO include GST?
Enter unit prices ex-GST and leave the GST box ticked — the PO then shows subtotal, GST, and total separately, matching how your supplier's tax invoice will present it and making the match-up trivial.
What if I don't know the exact price?
Use the quoted or catalogue price and note "prices as per quote #X" in the terms. A PO with an estimated price is still far better than no PO — discrepancies surface immediately on invoice.
Is my order information private?
Yes — the document is generated entirely in your browser and never uploaded. Save the PDF before closing the page.
Do I need purchase order software, or is a template enough?
For most small businesses, a simple sequentially-numbered PO like this one is enough — the point of a PO is a documented order to match against the invoice, not workflow automation. Dedicated PO software earns its keep once you have multiple approvers, many suppliers, or need automatic three-way matching at volume.
What should a purchase order format include?
A PO number, the date, your business details, the supplier, a delivery address and required-by date, itemised description/quantity/unit price/amount, GST if applicable, and any terms. This generator includes every one of those fields by default.
How do I create a purchase order in Excel or Word instead?
You can build the same layout manually in Excel or Word, but you'll need to set up the numbering, GST calculation, and formatting yourself each time. This generator produces the same result — a clean, itemised PO ready to print or save as PDF — without the setup.