Ordering GuruFree purchase order template (printable PDF and Excel-ready CSV)
A purchase order (PO) is the document you send a supplier to say exactly what you want to buy, how much, at what price, and when you need it. Fill in the template below and print it, save it as a PDF, or download a CSV your vendor can load into their system. It runs entirely in your browser: nothing is uploaded, and your business and vendor details are remembered on this device for your next order.
What to put on a purchase order
A supplier should be able to fill your order from the PO alone, without calling you. That means every PO needs:
- A PO number. Use a simple sequence (PO-1001, PO-1002…). It is how you and the vendor match the delivery and the invoice back to the order.
- Order date and requested delivery date. Say whether the delivery date is a deadline or a preference.
- Your business name, delivery address and a contact who can answer questions about the order.
- The vendor’s name and the rep or email the order goes to.
- One line per item: the vendor’s item number or SKU, a description, quantity, unit (case, each, pound), and the unit price you expect to pay.
- Line totals and an order total, so a price difference is obvious when the invoice arrives.
- Payment terms (for example Net 30 or COD) and any notes: delivery window, dock hours, whether substitutions are allowed.
Use the vendor’s own item numbers wherever you can. Descriptions like “olive oil, large” get filled with the wrong size; item numbers do not.
How to send it
Most small suppliers take orders by email. Attach the PDF, and the CSV too if the vendor asks for one, and put the PO number in the subject line so replies stay on one thread. Keep a copy of every PO you send: when the delivery arrives, check it against the PO before you sign, and check the invoice against the PO before you pay.
When a template stops being enough
A template works well for a handful of orders to one or two suppliers. It starts to break down when:
- you order from several vendors every week and retype the same items each time,
- prices change and your template still shows last month’s,
- more than one person on your team places orders, or
- you need to see what you spent with each supplier last quarter.
That is the point where purchasing software earns its keep. Ordering Guru keeps every supplier’s price list in one searchable catalog, builds one order across all of them, and emails each vendor its own purchase order with a CSV attached. For a step-by-step approach to running that weekly cycle, see vendor management for small businesses.
Frequently asked questions
Is this purchase order template really free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. The template runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent to us.
How do I save the purchase order as a PDF?
Click “Print or save as PDF”, then choose “Save as PDF” (or “Microsoft Print to PDF” on Windows) as the printer. Only the purchase order is printed, not the rest of this page.
What is the difference between a purchase order and an invoice?
You send a purchase order to a supplier before delivery to say what you want to buy. The supplier sends an invoice after delivery to say what you owe. Comparing the two catches short shipments and price changes.
Do small businesses need purchase orders?
Not legally, but they save money. A written order with prices on it gives you something to check the delivery and the invoice against, and a record of what you agreed to pay.
Can I use this template for more than one supplier?
Yes, but you need a separate purchase order for each supplier. Click “Start a new PO” to get the next PO number with your business details kept, then change the vendor details.