Editing Purchase order (section)

{{Short description|Commercial document}}
{{Distinguish|compulsory purchase order}}
[[File:Purchase Order Request Form.jpg|thumb|An example of a purchase order request from a [[travel agent]].]]
A '''purchase order''', often abbreviated to '''PO''', is a [[trade|commercial]] document issued by a [[buyer]] to a [[vendor (supply chain)|seller]], indicating types, quantities, and agreed prices for products or services required.<ref>Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, [https://www.cips.org/intelligence-hub/glossary-of-terms#P Glossary of Terms: Purchase Order (PO)], accessed 24 May 2023</ref> It is used to control the purchasing of products and services from external suppliers.<ref>{{cite book
 | last = Dobler
 | first = Donald W
 |author2=Burt, David N
  | title = Purchasing and Supply Management, Text and Cases
 | edition = Sixth
 | year = 1996
 | publisher = McGraw-Hill
 | location = Singapore
 | pages = 70}}</ref> Purchase orders can be an essential part of [[enterprise resource planning]] system orders.
 
An '''indent''' is a purchase order often placed through an agent ([[indent agent]]) under specified conditions of sale.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/indent.html|title=Indent|website=businessdictionary.com|access-date=7 August 2019|archive-date=7 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190807074441/http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/indent.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
 
The issue of a purchase order does not itself form a [[contract]]. If no prior contract exists, then it is the [[Offer and acceptance#Acceptance|acceptance]] of the order by the seller that forms a [[contract]] between the buyer and seller.