Free Purchase Order Software for Australian Businesses
For AU business owners and ops teams who need to raise a clean, GST-correct purchase order in minutes, then send or print it instantly.
Last updated 31 May 2026
Purchase order software should make raising a PO the fastest part of your day, not the most fiddly. This free generator lets any Australian business create a professional purchase order with your business name, ABN, supplier details, line items and GST calculated automatically at 10%. Fill the form, watch the A4 preview update live, then download a PDF or print it for your records. There is no signup wall, no watermark and no per-document fee. A purchase order is your written commitment to buy, so getting the numbers, dates and terms right protects both you and your supplier. Whether you are a tradie ordering materials, a wholesaler restocking, or an office manager approving spend, you get a clear, auditable document that maps cleanly to your supplier's invoice and your BAS. Below we cover what makes a valid AU purchase order, how GST should appear, and how to get your order acted on faster.
How to use this tool
- 1
Enter your business and supplier details
Add your business name, ABN and email, then the supplier name and contact email. Set a unique PO number plus the issue date and required delivery date so both parties have a clear paper trail.
- 2
Add line items and let GST calculate
List each product or service with quantity and unit price. The tool totals the subtotal, applies GST at 10% and shows the grand total in the live A4 preview, so the figures match what you expect on the invoice.
- 3
Download the PDF or print it
Add any notes or terms, such as payment terms or delivery instructions, then download a clean PDF to email your supplier or print a copy for your files and approvals.
What makes a valid purchase order in Australia
A purchase order is not a tax invoice, so it does not need to meet the ATO's tax invoice rules. It is a commercial document: your formal, written offer to buy goods or services on stated terms. That said, a good AU purchase order carries the same identifying detail your supplier and your accountant expect. Include your registered business or trading name, your ABN, and your contact details so the supplier can match the order to the right account. Add the supplier's name and contact, a unique PO number, the issue date and the required delivery date. Every line item should show a clear description, quantity and unit price, with a subtotal, the GST amount and a grand total. Because a PO records your intent to purchase, it becomes the reference point for three-way matching later: the PO, the goods received, and the supplier's invoice should all agree. A unique, sequential PO number is the thread that ties those three together. Where the order involves specific conditions, spell them out in the notes: payment terms (for example, net 30 from invoice date), delivery location, accepted substitutions, or a requirement that the supplier quote your PO number on their invoice. Clear terms upfront prevent the most common dispute, which is a supplier delivering or invoicing something slightly different from what you agreed. Keep a copy of every PO you issue, since the ATO expects business records to be retained for five years.
Handling GST correctly on your purchase order
GST in Australia is a flat 10% on most goods and services, and your purchase order should make the tax treatment obvious before the invoice ever arrives. The cleanest approach is to enter your line items as GST-exclusive amounts, show a subtotal, then add a single GST line at 10% and a grand total. This generator does that calculation for you and displays it in the live preview, so the figure your supplier invoices should match the figure you committed to on the PO. A few AU specifics matter. First, GST only applies if the supplier is registered for GST, which they must be once their turnover hits the $75,000 threshold. If you are ordering from a supplier who is not registered, they cannot charge GST, so a PO showing 10% would overstate the cost. Second, some supplies are GST-free, such as most basic food, certain medical items and exports, so a 10% line would not apply there either. Third, you can only claim a GST credit on your BAS if you hold a valid tax invoice from a registered supplier, not the PO itself, so treat the PO as the order and the invoice as the claimable document. If your business is not registered for GST, you should not be adding GST to anything, and your POs should reflect GST-inclusive pricing as a single figure. Getting this right on the PO means fewer queries and a faster, cleaner match at invoice time.
Getting your purchase order actioned and paid faster
A purchase order only helps if it moves quickly through your supplier's system and back into yours. The single biggest accelerator is a unique, easy-to-quote PO number: ask suppliers to reference it on their delivery docket and invoice, and your accounts team can match and approve payment without chasing context. Set realistic, explicit dates. A required delivery date with a small buffer is far more useful than a vague 'ASAP', and it gives you grounds to follow up if the supplier slips. State payment terms on the PO itself, for example net 14 or net 30 from the invoice date, so there is no ambiguity later. Send the PO as a PDF rather than pasting details into an email body, because a single, clean attachment is harder to misread and easy to file. For recurring suppliers, keep your PO numbering sequential so gaps are obvious and nothing falls through. If approvals are involved internally, get sign-off before the PO leaves your business; sending an unapproved order and walking it back damages supplier trust. Finally, reconcile against your PO when goods arrive and again when the invoice lands. Three-way matching (PO, goods received, invoice) is the most reliable defence against overcharging, short deliveries and duplicate invoices. Done consistently, this turns purchasing from a source of disputes into a predictable, auditable process, and it keeps your cash flow forecast honest because committed spend is documented the moment you order, not weeks later when the bill shows up.
When manual purchase orders start to cost you
A free generator is perfect for the occasional PO, and it will always beat retyping the same details into a spreadsheet. But as order volume grows, the manual rhythm starts to bite. Someone keys the same supplier and line-item data into a PO, then keys it again when the invoice arrives to match it, then a third time into the accounting system. PO numbers get reused or skipped. Approvals sit in inboxes. Invoices get paid that never matched a real order. None of this is a discipline problem; it is a process that has outgrown manual entry. This is exactly the kind of repetitive, rules-based work that automation handles well. At Clever Ops we build automation that connects your quoting, ordering, inventory and accounting tools so a purchase order can be raised, approved, sent and three-way matched with the supplier invoice automatically, with humans reviewing exceptions rather than every line. If you are issuing dozens of POs a month and feeling the data-entry drag, a free Book Free Assessment is the practical next step: we will map your current flow and show you where the hours are going. Keep using this tool for one-off orders, and let us look at the rest when the volume justifies it.
Who uses this tool
Trade and construction businesses
An electrical contractor orders cable, switchboards and fittings from a wholesaler for a specific job, raising a PO with a unique number so the materials cost ties back to the project and matches the supplier's invoice at month end.
Wholesale and retail operators
A homewares retailer restocking ahead of a sale issues POs to multiple suppliers with agreed delivery dates and net 30 terms, then uses the PO numbers to reconcile deliveries and approve payment without chasing paperwork.
Office managers and operations teams
An ops manager approving spend across departments raises a GST-correct PO for IT equipment, sends the PDF to the supplier, and files a copy so finance can three-way match it against the goods received and the invoice.
Frequently asked questions
Is a purchase order the same as a tax invoice in Australia?
No. A purchase order is your written offer to buy goods or services on stated terms, issued before the transaction. A tax invoice is issued by the supplier after supply and is the document you need to claim a GST credit on your BAS. The PO records your intent and the agreed price; the invoice records the actual charge. Keep both, because they are matched together at payment time.
Do I need to put my ABN on a purchase order?
There is no legal requirement to show an ABN on a PO, since it is not a tax invoice. In practice you should, because it identifies your business clearly, helps the supplier set up or match your account, and keeps your records consistent. If the supplier later issues an invoice without their own ABN and the amount is over $75 excluding GST, they may be required to withhold tax, so encouraging proper ABN use on both documents protects everyone.
How is GST shown on the purchase order?
Enter line items as GST-exclusive amounts and the generator calculates a subtotal, adds GST at 10%, and shows a grand total in the live preview. This only applies if your supplier is registered for GST, which is required once their turnover reaches $75,000. For GST-free supplies such as most basic food or exports, no 10% applies. If your own business is not registered for GST, you should not add GST at all.
Should the PO number appear on the supplier's invoice?
Yes, and it is worth requesting it explicitly in your notes or terms. A PO number on the supplier's delivery docket and invoice lets your accounts team match the order, the goods received and the invoice quickly, which speeds approval and payment. It also makes duplicate invoices and overcharging easy to spot. Use a unique, sequential PO number on every order so gaps and reused numbers are obvious.
How long should I keep purchase orders?
The ATO expects most business records that support your tax position to be kept for five years. While a PO on its own is not a tax invoice, it forms part of the trail behind a transaction and is useful evidence in any dispute over what was ordered. Keeping a PDF copy of every PO alongside the matching invoice and delivery record gives you a clean, auditable history and makes reconciliation and any future review straightforward.
Can I use this purchase order tool for free?
Yes. You can create, preview, download and print as many purchase orders as you need at no cost, with no signup wall, no watermark and no per-document fee. Fill in your business and supplier details, add line items, and the GST and totals calculate automatically. You can download a clean A4 PDF to email your supplier or print a copy for approvals and your records, all from the browser.