Purchase order template: the lines not to forget
A purchase order is how you buy, not how you sell. Issuing one even as a sole trader gives you a reference to quote when the supplier's invoice arrives at a price nobody agreed.
What it must contain
- Order number and date — the reference you will ask to see on the invoice.
- Your details as buyer and the supplier's details.
- Lines with description, supplier code, quantity and the agreed price.
- The requested delivery date.
- The delivery address, if it differs from your registered one.
- The agreed payment terms.
- The order total, which is the ceiling you expect the invoice to respect.
Mistakes we see most often
- Ordering by message with no document, leaving you no price to point at.
- Leaving the delivery date out, then complaining about a delay nobody agreed.
- Omitting your own order number, so it never appears on the invoice.
- Not updating the order after a change agreed verbally.
Typical structure
| Title | PURCHASE ORDER no. PO-2026-032 |
| Buyer | Your details |
| Supplier | Supplier details |
| Lines | Description · Code · Qty · Agreed price |
| Delivery | Requested date and address |
| Terms | Payment, shipping, incoterms |
| Total | Total order value |
Frequently asked questions
Does a sole trader really need one?
As soon as the supplier is not the shop round the corner, yes. A written order fixes price and date and removes the argument about what was agreed.
How do I link it to the supplier's invoice?
Ask for the order number to be quoted on the invoice and keep the two together. Workio lets you find them by counterparty and period.
Is a purchase order binding?
Once the supplier accepts it, yes: it is a supply contract on the quantities, prices and timings stated.
Can I use it as an order confirmation?
They are different documents but mirror images. If you are the seller, an order confirmation carries the same lines with the parties swapped.