Reply to a purchase order within a few hours with a short email that confirms you received it, repeats the PO number, and says whether it matches your quote. If it matches, give the ship or start date. If anything differs, such as a price, a quantity, an address or the payment terms, list the difference and ask for a corrected PO before you start. Below is the check to run on every PO, four sample replies you can paste, and what to put on the invoice afterward.
What your reply actually does
A purchase order is the buyer saying "we will buy these things at these prices on these terms." Your reply is the moment you say yes to those terms, or say which ones you do not accept. That is why a fast, clear answer matters: a PO that sits unanswered for three days leaves the buyer wondering whether you got it, and a reply that says only "thanks, got it" can read as agreeing to everything on the page, including terms you never saw.
For goods sold in the US, the Uniform Commercial Code has rules for what happens when a PO and a quote disagree, and the outcome is not always the one you would pick. You do not need to learn them. You need the habit of stating in writing which terms apply. This is general information, not legal advice, so ask a lawyer about your contract terms.
The six-point check
Open your quote next to the PO and compare these, in this order.
| Check | What to compare | If it differs |
|---|---|---|
| PO number | Is there one, and is it unique? | Ask for it before you do anything |
| Items and quantities | Part numbers, sizes, counts against your quote | List each line that differs |
| Price | Unit price and total against your quote | Ask for a corrected PO |
| Ship-to and bill-to | Two different addresses, often by mistake | Confirm both in your reply |
| Date | Delivery or start date against your lead time | Offer the date you can meet |
| Payment terms | Net 30 against whatever the PO says | Accept it or state yours |
Add a seventh check if the PO says the buyer is tax exempt: you will need a copy of their exemption certificate on file before you leave sales tax off the invoice. Ask for it in the same reply.
Reply 1: everything matches
Subject: PO 48213 received, shipping Thursday
Hi Rosa,
Thanks, we received PO 48213 dated October 20. It matches our quote Q-1176: 40 units at $18.50, $740.00 total, shipped to the Elm Street dock, billed to accounts payable at the address on the PO. Payment terms are net 30 as quoted.
We will ship Thursday and send tracking that day. I will put 48213 on the packing slip and the invoice.
Thanks,
Bill, Tidewater Supply
When to use it: any time the PO matches. Why it works: it repeats the number, the quantity, the price, the address and the terms, so the buyer sees in one glance that you read every line. It gives a date, which is the thing a purchasing person is waiting for. The PO number in the subject line also makes the thread easy to find later. Tidewater Supply, Rosa, Bill and the numbers in these samples are made up.
Reply 2: the price or quantity is different
Subject: PO 48213: one difference to fix before we ship
Hi Rosa,
Thank you for PO 48213. Before we ship, one line needs a correction. The PO shows 40 units at $16.50, and our quote Q-1176 was $18.50 per unit ($740.00 total, not $660.00).
Could you send a corrected PO at $18.50, or tell me if you were quoted a different price somewhere else? Once I have the revised PO, we will ship within two business days.
Thanks,
Bill
When to use it: price, quantity or part number does not match. Why it works: it names the exact line, shows both numbers and says what happens next. Do not ship on a mismatch and sort it out afterward. A corrected PO is a paper trail, and "we agreed on the phone" is not.
Reply 3: payment terms differ from yours
Subject: PO 48213: payment terms
Hi Rosa,
PO 48213 lists net 60. Our standard terms are net 30, as on the quote. For a first order, we would like to stay with net 30. If net 60 is a firm requirement for your company, let me know and I will check what we can do on a repeat order.
Everything else on the PO matches, and we can ship Thursday once the terms are settled.
Bill
Longer terms cost you cash, so decide in advance whether you will ever accept them and from whom. If you do, price the extra month into the quote. The terms you offer and what each means for your cash are laid out in payment terms: net 30 and the others.
Reply 4: there is no PO number, or the buyer is new
Subject: your order: PO number needed
Hi Rosa,
Thanks for the order. Our system needs a purchase order number to process it. Could you send the PO, or tell me the number your accounts payable team uses? Since this is our first order together, I have also attached our short credit application. We can ship as soon as both are back.
Bill
Some buyers send an email that says "please ship the following" with no number. Ask politely, because their accounts payable department may refuse to pay an invoice that has no PO on it. For a customer you have never invoiced, a credit application or a deposit protects you. The difference between the documents involved is explained in quote vs invoice.
After the reply: three small habits
- Save the PO and your reply in one place, named with the PO number.
- Put the PO number on the packing slip and the invoice. Buyers often match invoices to POs automatically, and an invoice without one can wait weeks in a queue. The steps are in how to send an invoice.
- If the buyer sends changes after you reply, ask for a revised PO, not a phone call, even for small ones.
If the PO arrives through a buyer's portal, not email, the same check applies. Confirm in the portal and also send the email, so there is a copy in your own inbox. For quotes that go out before the PO, how to write a quote for a service covers what to include.
The quote is the document that makes the PO easy to check, and Rocketship sends quotes as a link: the customer signs, can pay a deposit through Stripe into your own account, and you can see where each quote stands on their record. A 7-day free trial lets you try it on your next quote; a card is required.