United States Purchase Order Generator

What is a purchase order, and how is it different from a quote or an invoice?

A purchase order is issued by the buyer to authorise a purchase before delivery. It locks in the items, quantities, agreed pricing and terms, and gives the supplier written authority to fulfil the order.

A quote, by contrast, comes from the supplier before any order exists — it is simply a price proposal. Nothing is committed until the buyer accepts it, often by sending a PO.

An invoice comes after delivery: the supplier issues it to request payment for goods or services already provided, typically citing the original PO number so accounts payable can match the two documents before paying.

How to create a US purchase order with this generator

1. Enter your buyer details — company name, address, and any internal buyer/department reference.
2. Add the supplier’s name, address and contact information.
3. Set the ship-to address, or mark it the same as the buyer address for direct delivery.
4. Fill in the PO number, PO date, requested delivery date and payment terms (e.g. Net 30).
5. Add line items with description, quantity and unit price — totals calculate automatically.
6. Apply sales tax to taxable lines if applicable, along with any discount or shipping charge.
7. Add an approver name and title for internal sign-off if your purchasing process requires it.
8. Review the total and download the purchase order as a PDF to send to your supplier.

What should a US purchase order include?

There’s no single federal standard for a PO, but a solid one gives both buyer and supplier what they need to fulfil, invoice and reconcile the order correctly:

• A unique, sequential PO number for tracking and later invoice matching
• Full buyer and supplier names and addresses
• A clear description of each item or service, with quantity and unit price
• Sales tax applied at the correct state (and sometimes local) rate, where the purchase is taxable
• A resale or exemption certificate reference, if the purchase qualifies as tax-exempt
• Delivery address and requested delivery date
• Payment terms, such as Net 30, Net 60, or due on receipt
• Authorization details if your organization requires internal approval before sending the PO

From purchase order to invoice: the procurement workflow

The PO is just step one. Once the supplier ships the goods or completes the work, they issue an invoice referencing your PO number, so your accounts payable team can verify the invoice matches what was originally authorized at the agreed price.

If you’re the supplier fulfilling someone else’s PO, you can use our invoice generator to bill for the completed order — carrying over the same PO number and line items for a clean paper trail.

Sales tax and resale certificates: the nuance most PO tools skip

Unlike VAT countries, the US has no federal sales tax — rates are set at the state level, and often layered with county or city tax on top, so the correct rate depends entirely on where the sale is sourced.

Many purchase orders are also tax-exempt: if you’re buying inventory to resell, or purchasing as a tax-exempt organization, you typically provide the supplier with a resale or exemption certificate instead of paying sales tax on the PO. This generator lets you note that exemption on the PO itself, which most competing tools — including invoice-generator.com’s own PO template — don’t address at all.