Free Purchase Order Form

Keep Every Order in the Same Clear Format

A purchase order form gives you a defined place for each detail. Instead of deciding where the PO number, vendor, delivery date, or terms should go every time, you complete the fields in a consistent order.

Use the form to:

• Add your business and vendor contact details
• Assign a unique PO number and order date
• List products, services, quantities, units, and prices
• Record the ship-to address, job site, and requested delivery date
• Add discounts, sales tax, shipping charges, payment terms, and notes when they apply
• Email the completed form, print it, or download a PDF

Docelf updates the totals while you fill in the form. One less field to calculate. One less number to correct later.

Purchase Order Form Examples

Choose the example closest to how you place orders. Each one opens Docelf's purchase order maker, ready for your vendor, items, prices, delivery details, and terms.

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  Purchase Order Form Example

  Create Purchase Order Form
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  Standard Purchase Order Form

  Create Purchase Order Form
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  Digital Purchase Order Form

  Create Purchase Order Form

How to Fill Out a Purchase Order Form

Complete the form from top to bottom. Before you send it, the vendor should be able to see who placed the order, what was approved, what it costs, and where it needs to go.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1. Add Your Business: Enter the name, address, and contact details the vendor should use.
2. Add the PO Number and Date: Give the form a unique PO number and add the date you placed the order.
3. Add the Vendor: Enter the vendor's business, address, and contact information.
4. Complete the Delivery Fields: Add the ship-to address or service location, requested date, and delivery instructions.
5. List the Products or Services: Describe each line clearly and add part numbers, units, or scope details when they help.
6. Enter Quantities and Prices: Add the quantity and unit price. Include discounts, sales tax, and shipping when they apply.
7. Add Terms, Check, and Send: Complete the payment terms, notes, and approval details, then email, print, or download the form.

Check the quantities, prices, total, delivery address, and requested date before sending. A consistent form helps you catch missing fields. It cannot reroute a delivery after it reaches the wrong loading dock.

What Fields Should a Purchase Order Form Include?

The form should collect enough information for your team to approve the purchase and for the vendor to fulfill it without another round of questions.

Required Fields or Optional Fields?

Some fields belong on nearly every purchase order form. Others depend on the purchase, vendor, or approval process.

Fields to Complete on Most Orders

• Your business and vendor details
• A unique PO number and order date
• Clear product or service descriptions
• Quantities, units, unit prices, and totals
• A shipping address or service location
• Payment terms and the person placing the order

Fields to Add When They Apply

• Requested delivery dates, delivery windows, or shipping instructions
• Discounts, sales tax, freight, deposits, or spending limits
• Job numbers, cost codes, department names, or customer references
• Approver names, signatures, attachments, or special conditions

Do not leave a field blank when the vendor may mistake it for missing information. Enter “Not applicable” when the distinction matters, or remove the field from the process when your business never uses it.

Who Completes the Purchase Order Form?

The buyer normally completes and approves the purchase order before sending it to the vendor. The vendor uses the completed form to confirm the order, prepare the products or services, and place the PO number on the invoice.

For a small business, one person may request, approve, and send the purchase. In a larger team, the form can move through a simple sequence:

1. Requester: Adds what the business needs, the quantity, and the delivery details.
2. Approver: Checks the price, budget, vendor, and terms before the order is sent.
3. Buyer: Assigns the PO number, completes any missing fields, and sends the approved order.
4. Vendor: Uses the purchase order to fulfill the order and references the PO number on the invoice.

The exact roles may change. The useful part is the handoff: everyone knows which fields they own and when the form is ready to send.

When a Purchase Order Form Works Best

Choose a form when consistency matters more than having a completely open layout.

• Several people place orders and should complete the same fields
• Your purchases need approval before they go to the vendor
• You want fewer missing PO numbers, delivery dates, or payment terms
• You place repeat orders and want each record to follow the same structure
• You need a clean document that is easy for vendors to scan

For a purchase that changes significantly from order to order, a blank template gives you more room. For a short everyday purchase, a simple purchase order may be quicker.

Form, Blank, Simple, or Editable?

These pages solve different parts of the same problem. Start with how much structure and control you need.

• Purchase Order Form
• Blank Purchase Order Template
• Simple Purchase Order Template
• Editable Purchase Order Template

A purchase order form uses defined fields in a repeatable sequence. A blank template gives you a flexible starting point. A simple template keeps only the core fields. An editable template emphasizes changing the content digitally before you send it.

Use the Same Form Without Re-entering Everything

A consistent form should save time, not create a new copying job. Docelf saves your business details, branding, vendors, products, and services so you can reuse them on the next purchase order.

• Keep one numbering pattern for purchase orders
• Reuse saved vendor and line-item details
• Duplicate a previous order when the purchase is similar
• Update the quantities, prices, dates, and notes before sending
• Keep completed purchase orders together instead of scattered across email and folders

The form stays consistent. The purchase details change. No copying the vendor address for the third time.

More Purchase Order Templates

Choose another layout, browse file formats, or start with a purchase order designed for products or services.

• Free Purchase Order Template
• Purchase Order Templates by Format
• Product Purchase Order Template
• Service Purchase Order Template

Purchase Order Form FAQs

• What is a purchase order form?

  A purchase order form is a structured document a buyer completes before ordering products or services from a vendor. It has defined fields for the businesses, PO number, dates, line items, quantities, prices, delivery details, terms, and notes.

• What should a purchase order form include?

  Include your business and vendor details, a unique PO number, the order date, product or service descriptions, quantities, units, prices, taxes and shipping when they apply, the total, delivery details, payment terms, approval information, and notes.

• Who fills out a purchase order form?

  The buyer normally fills out the purchase order form and sends the approved order to the vendor. One person may complete the whole form, or a requester, approver, and buyer may complete different parts before it is sent.

• When should I use a purchase order form?

  Use a purchase order form when you want each order to include the same required details. It is useful for repeat purchases, team approvals, product orders, service work, and any purchase where missing prices, dates, or delivery instructions could cause problems.

• What is the difference between a purchase order form and a blank template?

  A purchase order form emphasizes a fixed set of fields completed in a consistent sequence. A blank purchase order template gives you a more flexible starting point that you can adapt to different purchases.

• Can I use the form for products and services?

  Yes. For products, include item descriptions, quantities, unit prices, shipping details, and the requested delivery date. For services, describe the work, rate or agreed price, dates, location, deliverables, and approval terms.

• Can I print, download, or email the completed form?

  Yes. After you complete the purchase order form, you can print it, download a PDF, or email it to your vendor from Docelf. You can also see when the vendor opens the purchase order.

• Is the purchase order form free?

  You can try every Docelf feature and create unlimited documents free for 14 days. No credit card is required, and the trial does not become a paid subscription automatically. If you do not upgrade, access simply ends when the trial expires.