A purchase order template is a ready-made form a buyer fills in to order goods or services from a vendor. It sets out what is being bought, the agreed price, delivery terms and approval, and binds both sides once the vendor accepts it.
A PO template is a pre-built layout with a box for every detail a supplier needs to fulfil an order: who is buying, what, how many, at what price, where to deliver and by when. You fill in the blanks, get it approved and send it, instead of building each order from scratch.
Buyers raise a purchase order before the vendor ships or starts work, so the price is agreed in writing up front. Finance then uses the PO number to match the vendor's invoice and the delivery note before anything is paid.
Small businesses often run purchasing from a Word or Excel PO form. Teams using accounting software, such as a QuickBooks purchase order template, still keep a standard layout so every PO carries the same fields and numbering.
Your company name and logo, a unique PO number and the order date.
Billing address, vendor name, address, contact and vendor ID.
Ship-to address, delivery date, shipping method and delivery terms.
Item code, description, quantity, unit of measure, unit price and line total.
Subtotal, discount, tax, shipping and the grand total the vendor will invoice.
Payment terms, conditions, the approver's name and signature.
Ready to use in Word, Excel, Google Sheets and PDF. Fill it in, save it, reuse it.
An employee asks for something through a purchase requisition, with a budget code and a quote attached.
The budget owner, and finance above your threshold, approve the spend before anything is ordered.
Procurement fills in the PO template, assigns the next PO number and sends it to the vendor.
The vendor acknowledges the PO and delivers. Someone checks quantities against the PO and signs the delivery note.
AP matches the invoice to the PO and the delivery note, then pays on the agreed terms.
The simplest usable PO has eight fields: PO number, date, vendor, ship-to address, item, quantity, unit price and total, plus an approver's signature.
Use this table as the template itself: copy the field names into Word, Excel or Google Sheets in this order. The example column shows one illustrative order from Orbit Analytics to Acme Office Supply. Fields marked optional can be dropped on a simple PO.
| Field | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Company name and logo | Your legal trading name, as the vendor should invoice it | Orbit Analytics Ltd |
| PO number | Unique, sequential, never reused. The vendor quotes it on the invoice | PO-2026-0418 |
| PO date | The date the PO is approved and issued | 07 Oct 2026 |
| Requisition or quote ref (optional) | The internal request or vendor quote the PO is based on | PR-1193 / Quote Q-5521 |
| Field | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Bill-to address | Where the vendor sends the invoice, often an AP inbox | Finance, 4 Canal Street, Leeds LS1 4AB |
| Buyer contact | Name, email and phone of the person who raised the PO | Priya Shah, priya@orbit.example |
| Vendor name and ID | Legal name and your internal vendor number | Acme Office Supply, V-0087 |
| Vendor address and contact | Registered address and the sales contact | 12 Mill Lane, York; sales@acme.example |
| Tax ID (optional) | VAT, GST or EIN where your invoices need it | GB 123 4567 89 |
| Field | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ship-to address | Exact delivery location, including floor or dock | Orbit Analytics, 3rd floor, 4 Canal Street |
| Required delivery date | The date the goods or service must arrive | 21 Oct 2026 |
| Shipping method | Courier, freight, collection or on-site service | Vendor van, weekday 9-5 |
| Delivery terms | Who pays shipping and carries risk until delivery | Delivered, shipping charged at cost |
| No. | Item code | Description | Qty | Unit | Unit price | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AOS-CH-220 | Ergonomic office chair, black | 12 | each | 295.00 | 3,540.00 |
| 2 | AOS-MA-140 | Dual monitor arm, desk clamp | 12 | each | 89.00 | 1,068.00 |
| 3 | SVC-ASM | On-site assembly and packaging removal | 1 | lot | 240.00 | 240.00 |
| Subtotal | 4,848.00 | |||||
| Tax at 20% | 969.60 | |||||
| Shipping | 120.00 | |||||
| Total due | 5,937.60 |
Illustrative order. Tax rate is an example; use the rate that applies to you.
| Field | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Payment terms | When the invoice is due after receipt | Net 30 |
| Budget or cost centre | Where the spend is charged internally | CC-410 Facilities |
| Special instructions (optional) | Delivery windows, packaging, invoicing rules | Quote the PO number on every invoice |
| Terms and conditions | Your standard PO terms, attached or linked | Orbit standard PO terms v3 |
| Authorised by | Name, title, signature and date of the approver | Dan Okafor, Finance Manager, 07 Oct 2026 |
Line items in rows 14-23, quantity in column C, unit price in E, line total in F, tax rate in E26.
| Cell | Formula |
|---|---|
| Line total (F14, copy down) | =IF(C14='', |
| Subtotal (F24) | =SUM(F14:F23) |
| Tax (F26) | =(F24-F25)*E26 |
| Total due (F28) | =F24-F25+F26+F27 |
Some teams just need a form, not a spreadsheet. Paste this layout into a document, keep the field order, and lock the headings so people only type in the brackets. For more layout options, see our guide to the blank purchase order.
[YOUR COMPANY NAME] [Logo] PURCHASE ORDER PO number: [PO-YYYY-0000] PO date: [DD Mon YYYY] Requisition / quote ref: [Ref] VENDOR [Vendor legal name] Vendor ID: [V-0000] [Address] [Contact name, email, phone] BILL TO SHIP TO [Company, address] [Delivery address, floor or dock] [AP email] [Site contact, phone] Required delivery date: [Date] Shipping method: [Method] Delivery terms: [Terms] No. | Item code | Description | Qty | Unit | Unit price | Line total 1 | [Code] | [Description] | [0] | [each] | [0.00] | [0.00] 2 | [Code] | [Description] | [0] | [each] | [0.00] | [0.00] Subtotal: [0.00] Discount: [0.00] Tax ([rate]%): [0.00] Shipping: [0.00] TOTAL DUE: [0.00] [Currency] Payment terms: [Net 30] Cost centre: [Code] Special instructions: [Quote this PO number on every invoice and delivery note.] This order is subject to [Company]'s purchase order terms and conditions: [link or attached]. Authorised by: [Name, title] Signature: __________ Date: [Date] Vendor acceptance: [Name] Signature: __________ Date: [Date]
All four formats hold the same fields; what changes is how totals work and how the PO gets sent. Most teams keep the master in one editable format and export each issued PO to PDF, so nobody can change a price after approval.
| Format | Best for | How to start | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excel | Automatic line totals and tax, and a PO log on a second tab | File, New, search "purchase order" for Microsoft's built-in designs, or copy the fields above | Lock formula cells so totals cannot be typed over |
| Word | A branded, editable form for occasional orders | Insert a 7-column table for line items under a header block | Word tables do not recalculate on their own, so check totals by hand |
| Google Sheets | Shared POs that several approvers edit or comment on | Paste the Excel layout; the same formulas work | Restrict edit rights once a PO is approved |
| The version you send the vendor and file for audit | Export from Word, Excel or Sheets after approval | Never edit an issued PDF; raise a change order instead |
Add your logo and company name, then a two-column table for PO number, date, vendor, bill-to and ship-to.
Insert a table with columns for item code, description, qty, unit, unit price and line total, plus rows for subtotal, tax, shipping and total.
Type payment terms, special instructions and an authorised-by line under the table.
Save as a Word template (.dotx) so each new PO opens as a fresh copy with the layout intact.
A simple purchase order template only needs the eight core fields. The worked example below follows one small, illustrative order from request to vendor email, so you can see how the numbers fit together.
Get a written price from the vendor and check it against your budget.
PO number, date, vendor, ship-to, item, quantity, unit price and total.
The budget owner signs, plus finance if the total is over your approval limit.
Email the PDF to the vendor, ask for acknowledgement and log the PO number.
Illustrative figures. More detail in our guide to creating purchase orders.
Pick the type before you fill in the form, because it decides which fields are fixed. A standard PO suits one-off orders, while a blanket PO covers repeat buying from one vendor over a period. Read more on blanket PO vs standard PO.
| Type | Fixed when issued | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard PO | Items, quantities, price, delivery date | One-off purchases | 12 chairs delivered on 21 Oct |
| Planned PO | Items, quantities, price; dates set later | Known needs with flexible delivery | Quarterly stationery, released monthly |
| Blanket PO | Vendor, period and a spend cap | Repeat low-value buying | Cleaning supplies up to 6,000.00 in 2027 |
| Contract PO | Vendor and terms; no items yet | Linking orders to a signed agreement | IT services under a master agreement |
Illustrative examples.
Prefix, year and a four-digit sequence, for example PO-2026-0418. Never reuse or skip a number; void it instead, so the sequence stays auditable.
A PO is only as good as the approval behind it. Spendflo runs intake and approvals first.
See how it worksThe vendor's written confirmation that it accepts the order, price and delivery date.
Checking the invoice against the PO and the delivery note before payment.
A numbered amendment to an issued PO, approved like the original.
The invoice is due 30 days after the invoice date.
How quantity is counted: each, box, hour, licence or lot.
Where goods are delivered vs where the invoice is sent.
| Document | Who creates it | Who receives it | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase requisition | Employee who needs the item | Budget owner, procurement | Requests internal approval to buy |
| Purchase order | Procurement or the buyer | Vendor | Places the order at an agreed price |
| Delivery note | Vendor | Receiving team | Confirms what was delivered |
| Invoice | Vendor | Accounts payable | Requests payment against the PO |
A PO raised after delivery cannot control price or quantity.
One prefix and a running number make duplicates and gaps easy to spot.
Attach the quote reference so AP can check the invoice against it.
A reply from the vendor confirming price and date avoids later disputes.
A fixed file stops anyone changing a price after approval.
Use item codes and specs, not just "office chairs", so the delivery can be checked.
Raise a numbered change order so the approval trail stays intact.
Deliveries to the wrong site or floor are a common reason for late goods.
Two POs just under a threshold still need the higher approval.
Excel or Google Sheets if you want totals to calculate, Word if you want a branded form.
Logo, legal name, bill-to address, AP email and your standard terms link.
Start the PO sequence and note who approves orders above each amount.
Save as a template file and keep issued POs as PDFs in one folder by number.
Orbit Analytics needs 12 chairs and monitor arms for a new team. Priya raises PO-2026-0418 for 5,937.60 including tax and shipping, Dan approves it within his limit, and Acme acknowledges the same day. Acme invoices 5,937.60 quoting the PO number, receiving signs the delivery note, and AP pays on Net 30 after a clean three-way match. Figures are illustrative.
Every part on this page, in Word, Excel, Google Sheets and PDF, with the examples filled in.
Eight core fields and one signature. Keep a numbered PDF of each PO and you have an audit trail without any software.
Add cost centre, requisition reference and approval limits, so finance sees spend against budget before the order goes out.
Swap item codes for a scope summary, hours or milestones and a rate. For longer engagements use a PO contract with fuller terms.
Best for most teams.
Best for a polished, branded form.
Best for shared, live POs.
$3.7B in software spend processed through Spendflo, at 30% average savings.
See your savingsA good purchase order template captures the vendor, items, price and approval in one numbered document the invoice can be matched to. When POs are raised after the fact, the fix sits upstream, in how requests are approved.
Quick answers to what people ask most about the purchase order template.
Yes, Excel's template gallery includes basic purchase order designs: open File, then New, and search for "purchase order". Most lack approval fields, cost centres or a PO log, so you can download the free Excel template on this page with those built in.
List the PO number, date, vendor, ship-to address, items, quantities, unit prices and total, then get it signed by the budget owner. Send it to the vendor as a PDF and ask for acknowledgement. You can download the simple PO template above to start.
You can download the purchase order format from this page in Word, Excel, Google Sheets or PDF. Every version has the same fields, from PO number to authorised signature, so you can switch formats without changing your process.
Add a header with your logo and PO number, insert a table for line items, then add terms and an authorised-by line, and save the file as a Word template. To skip the setup, download the free Word purchase order template from this page.
A purchase order should include a unique PO number, date, buyer and vendor details, ship-to address, line items with quantities and prices, totals, payment terms and an approver's signature. The download on this page has all of these fields in order.
Purchase orders
Contracts
Vendor management
Sourcing and RFx
Budgets and business cases
Procurement
Accounts payable
Purchasing
Software buying
Supply chain
Spendflo runs intake, approvals and purchase requests, and issues POs for software renewals, so orders match what was approved. Reporting is coming soon.
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