Purchase order generator
A clear purchase order for a supplier, as a PDF, in a minute.
Your files stay on your device
This tool runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is stored, and you can even turn off your internet connection before you start.
Example
Example: a café’s weekly order to a wholesaler in pounds, with VAT at 20% and 0%
Example Café (fictitious, 1 Market Street, Leeds) orders from Example Wholesale Ltd. Settings: Document Purchase order, Currency Pound sterling (GBP), Number PO-2026-014, Date 2 November 2026, Due date 5 November 2026, Unit prices Before tax. The wholesaler goes in the Customer box, the café as Your business with its VAT number, and each line gets the rate on the wholesaler’s price list.
- The top reads PURCHASE ORDER, No. PO-2026-014; under the Order total box comes “Deliver by: 5 November 2026”, day first because the currency is pounds.
- Each amount is quantity × unit price: 6 × £18.50 = £111.00. The lines are added up per rate and the tax is worked out on each rate’s total, rounded half up to the penny.
- Under the lines: Subtotal £321.40; Taxable at 20% £187.00, Tax (20%) £37.40; Taxable at 0% £134.40, Tax (0%) £0.00; Total £358.80.
- Bank details print on an invoice, not on an order. Delivery times go in the Notes: “Deliver between 7 and 9 am, back door.”
| Description | Qty | Unit | Unit price | Tax | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee beans, house espresso blend, 1 kg bag | 6 | bags | £18.50 | 0% | £111.00 |
| Whole milk, 4 pints | 12 | bottles | £1.95 | 0% | £23.40 |
| Takeaway cups 12 oz, case of 1,000 | 2 | cases | £64.00 | 20% | £128.00 |
| Cup lids 12 oz, case of 1,000 | 2 | cases | £29.50 | 20% | £59.00 |
| Order total, incl. tax | £358.80 |
Purchase-order-PO-2026-014.pdf, one page with £358.80 in the Order total box, ready to email. When the delivery and the wholesaler’s invoice arrive, tick them off against it: 6 bags, 12 bottles, 2 + 2 cases, £358.80.
How it works
- Put the supplier in the recipient box and your business as the issuer.
- List what you are ordering, with quantities and the agreed prices.
- Set the date the goods are needed by, and any terms in the notes.
- Download the PDF and send it to the supplier.
Frequently asked questions
- Who goes where on a purchase order?
- The supplier you are ordering from is the recipient; your own business is the issuer, as on an invoice you send. The date is when you need the goods.
- Is tax shown?
- Yes, worked out per rate on the order total, as on an invoice. Set the rate to 0 on items without tax.
- What is the difference between a purchase order and an invoice?
- A purchase order comes from the buyer before anything is delivered: what you want, at what price, by when. The invoice comes from the supplier afterwards and asks to be paid. Both are made with this form: Document switches between Purchase order, Invoice, Quote, Receipt and Delivery note, and the order prints Deliver by where an invoice prints Due date.
- Can I make a purchase order in pounds with UK VAT?
- Yes. Set Currency to Pound sterling and give each line its rate: 20, 5 or 0. The tax is shown per rate, and dates are written day first (5 November 2026) for pounds, euros and Australian dollars, month first for US and Canadian dollars.
- Why are my bank details not on the order?
- Payment details print only on an invoice: a purchase order asks for goods, and the supplier is paid against their own invoice. Delivery instructions or the person to call go in the Notes, which do print.
- Is what I type sent anywhere?
- No. The PDF is made in your browser and the form is remembered only on this device.