How to Send a Purchase Order to a Supplier

To send a purchase order to a supplier, finalize the PO with a unique PO number and correct line items, save it as a PDF, and send it to the supplier's orders or accounts contact, usually by email with the PDF attached, or through the supplier's vendor portal or EDI if they require one. Then confirm the supplier received and accepted it. Sending a PO as a plain email body or an editable file is the common mistake; a locked PDF or a portal submission is what suppliers expect.

Last updated July 2026.

Sending the PO is the moment your internal approval turns into an offer the supplier can accept. Get it wrong, wrong contact, missing PO number, an editable document, and the order stalls or the supplier bills against no reference. The steps below keep it clean. The tool above works on the receiving side of this exchange: when a supplier sends you a PO, it reads the vendor and line items into structured data in seconds.

Step 1: Finalize the purchase order

Before anything is sent, the PO should be complete and approved. That means a unique PO number, the correct supplier details, every line item with quantity and agreed price, the delivery date and location, and your payment terms. An incomplete PO gets bounced back with questions, which wastes a full cycle. Run the internal approval to completion first; the full sequence is in the purchase order process and workflow.

Step 2: Save it in the right format

Send the PO as a PDF, not as an editable spreadsheet or Word file and not pasted into the email body. A PDF locks the content so neither side can accidentally alter it, it prints and files cleanly, and it is what a supplier's order desk expects to receive and store. If the supplier uses EDI, the PO goes as an EDI 850 transaction instead, generated by your system rather than attached by hand.

Step 3: Send it through the channel the supplier uses

Use the method the supplier prefers, and confirm it if you are unsure. The three common channels:

Email is the default for most businesses. Send the PDF to the supplier's dedicated orders or sales contact, not a general inbox, so it lands with the person who books it.

Step 4: Write a clear covering email

Keep the message short and specific. Put the PO number in the subject line so the supplier can reference it instantly, for example "Purchase Order PO-2026-0412 from [Your Company]." In the body, state that the PO is attached, name the delivery date you need, and ask the supplier to confirm acceptance and the delivery schedule. A vague email with the PDF buried in it is easy to miss.

Step 5: Confirm receipt and acceptance

Sending the PO is an offer; the order is only firm once the supplier accepts it. Ask for a purchase order acknowledgment, a reply confirming they received the PO, accepted the terms, and can meet the date. Keep that confirmation with the PO. It is your proof the supplier agreed, and it flags any price or lead-time changes before they turn into a delivery problem. When suppliers email confirmations, order updates, and invoices back, you can pull the data straight out of those emails instead of retyping it.

Common mistakes when sending a purchase order

A few errors show up again and again: sending an editable file that gets altered, leaving the PO number off the email so the supplier cannot reference it, mailing to a general inbox instead of the orders contact, and treating the send as the end of the job. It is not the end; without a confirmation, you do not actually have an accepted order, just a document in someone's inbox.

Frequently asked questions

How do you send a purchase order to a supplier?

Finalize the PO with a unique PO number and correct line items, save it as a PDF, and send it to the supplier's orders or sales contact through the channel they use, most often email with the PDF attached, or their vendor portal or EDI if required. Put the PO number in the subject line, and ask the supplier to confirm they received and accepted it.

What is the best way to send a purchase order?

For most suppliers, email with the PO attached as a PDF is the best way, because it locks the content, files cleanly, and reaches the order desk directly. Larger suppliers may require their vendor portal, and high-volume integrated partners use EDI. The right channel is whichever the supplier is set up to receive and confirm quickly, so check if you are unsure.

Do you email a purchase order?

Yes, email is the most common way to send a purchase order. Attach the PO as a PDF rather than pasting it into the body or sending an editable file, put the PO number in the subject line, and send it to the supplier's dedicated orders contact. Then ask for a reply confirming acceptance so you have proof the order was received and agreed.

What format should a purchase order be sent in?

Send a purchase order as a PDF. A PDF prevents accidental edits, prints and archives consistently, and is the format a supplier's order desk expects. Avoid editable spreadsheets or Word documents, which can be altered, and avoid pasting the PO into the email body. If the supplier uses EDI, the PO is sent as an EDI 850 transaction generated by your system instead.

What should you include when sending a purchase order?

Include the complete PO as a PDF attachment with its PO number, supplier details, line items and prices, delivery date and location, and payment terms. In the covering email, put the PO number in the subject line, confirm the PDF is attached, state the delivery date you need, and ask the supplier to acknowledge acceptance and the schedule so the order is firmly agreed.

What happens after you send a purchase order?

The supplier reviews the PO and either accepts it, by acknowledging it, confirming, or starting to fill the order, or comes back with changes to price or lead time. Once accepted, the PO is a binding order and the supplier prepares delivery. You keep the acknowledgment on file, and when the goods arrive and the invoice follows, the PO becomes the reference for receiving and the three-way match.

Related reading

For what happens next, see the purchase order acknowledgment and the purchase order to invoice process. If you are on the receiving end of supplier POs, convert them from PDF to Excel instead of retyping them.

PurchaseOrders reads purchase orders you receive and returns structured data. It does not create, send, or transmit POs to suppliers. Those stay in your purchasing system; this tool captures the data from the POs that land in your inbox.