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Some organizations need a purchase order (PO) or requisition number on every order they pay for by invoice. If yours does, checkout asks for one whenever you choose Invoice Me For This Order, and you can’t place the order without it.
Why am I being asked for a PO number?
CaterCow sets this up for your company, usually to tie each invoiced order to your purchasing or budget-approval process. You can’t turn it on or off from your dashboard. If you’re not sure which number to use, ask whoever handles purchasing or requisitions for your team.
You’ll only see the PO box when you pay by invoice. Card payments don’t ask for one. To learn who can pay by invoice, see How does invoicing work for my organization?
Enter your PO number at checkout
1. Go to the Payment section at checkout. With Invoice Me For This Order selected, a PO / Requisition Number (required) box appears beside it.
2. Click the box and type your PO or requisition number. When you click away from the box, the number is saved to your order.
3. When everything looks right, click Place Order. Your order’s Payment section shows Paid by Invoice and the PO number you entered.
How PO numbers work
- Only invoiced orders ask for one. Card payments don’t ask for a PO number.
- One PO can cover several orders. You can use the same PO number on more than one order, and each order counts toward the PO’s spending limit, if it has one.
- Limits and expiration dates are checked. When you place an order, we check the PO. If it has expired or doesn’t have enough left, the order isn’t placed. See Spending limits and expiration dates.
- It follows the order. Your PO number appears on the order’s PDF receipt and on the invoice we send for it.
Attaching a copy of your PO
Some organizations also need a copy of the PO. If yours does, an Action Required note and an Upload Attachment button appear after you enter the number. Upload a screenshot or PDF of the PO or requisition. If there are instructions under the note, they say what to upload. If you uploaded the wrong file, click Remove Attachment and upload another.
If we already have a copy of that PO on file, you won’t be asked for one.
Spending limits and expiration dates
Some POs on file with us have a spending limit, an expiration date, or both. Checkout checks them when you place the order:
- Spending limit: if the PO doesn’t have enough left to cover this order, you’ll see “This purchase order does not have enough remaining funds.”
- Expiration date: if the PO has expired, you’ll see “This purchase order has expired and is no longer valid.”
Orders that use the same PO all count toward its limit. The limit also applies when you edit an order: if your changes would take the PO over its limit, the edit won’t go through.
What if…
…I try to place the order without a PO number? The order isn’t placed. Checkout takes you back to the PO box and outlines it in red. Enter the number and click Place Order again.
…checkout says my PO number isn’t formatted correctly? Your organization expects PO numbers in a set format. Check the number with your purchasing team and enter it exactly as they gave it to you.
…checkout asks me to upload a copy of the PO? Your organization needs a copy before the order can be placed. Upload a screenshot or PDF of it, then click Place Order again.
…my PO has run out of funds or expired? Enter a different PO number, or ask your purchasing team for a new one.
…I don’t see the PO box? It shows only when you pay by invoice and your organization requires PO numbers. If you don’t see Invoice Me For This Order, see How does invoicing work for my organization?