Purchase Orders (POs) in ShipStation help you stay on top of inventory by providing a streamlined way to reorder stock directly from your suppliers. Create and track POs with important details like supplier information, item quantities, pricing, and expected delivery dates—helping you keep your purchasing process organized and efficient.
Centralizing your purchasing and inventory workflows in ShipStation helps save your team time, reduce errors, and improve operational efficiency. Here’s how:
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Centralized Workflow: Manage orders, inventory, and supplier relationships all in one platform—no need to switch between systems.
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Inventory Accuracy: Automatically update stock levels when items are received to help prevent stockouts or overstocking.
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Streamlined Receiving: Easily track which items have been received and which are still pending to improve visibility and processing efficiency.
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Intelligent Forecasting: Use ShipStation’s Reorder Assist to forecast restocking needs based on sales history and inventory thresholds.
You can create Purchase Orders in three ways: manually, from the Products page, or using Reorder Assist.
To manually create Purchase Orders:
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Go to the Products tab.
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Click Inventory > Purchase Orders.
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Click Create Purchase Orders.
The Create Purchase Order window will open.
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Select the Supplier and Destination using the available dropdowns in the Supplier Information section.
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Enter the shipping details, if applicable.
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Scan or enter the SKU or UPC for each product you want to include in the Add Products section.
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Click Save and Order.
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Click Submit to confirm Purchase Order Submission.
To create a Purchase Order using selected products:
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Go to the Products tab.
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Click Inventory, then select your warehouse.
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Select the product(s) you want to include in the Purchase Order.
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Click Create Purchase Order.
The Create Purchase Order window will open.
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Select the Supplier and Destination using the available dropdowns in the Supplier Information section.
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Scan or enter the SKU or UPC for each product you want to include in the Add Products section.
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Click Save and Order.
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Click Submit to confirm Purchase Order Submission.
To create a Purchase Order from Reorder Assist:
Once you create a Purchase Order (PO) in ShipStation, you can track order statuses and manage inventory from one place. As items are received, mark them as received in ShipStation to update your stock levels in real time automatically. Maintain inventory accuracy, streamline supplier communication, and keep the right products on hand to fulfill customer orders.
To receive a purchase order:
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Go to the Products tab.
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Click Purchase Orders.
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Select the Order ID for the order you'd like to receive.
The Purchase Order details window will open.
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Click Receive Stock from the Receive Stock column.
The Receive Stock window will open.
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Select the warehouse location.
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Enter the quantity received or rejected for each item
Click All next to either field to accept or reject all products in the order at once.
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Click Save.
If your supplier is delivering products in multiple shipments, you can choose to partially receive the Purchase Order as each shipment arrives.
To partially receive an order:
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Go to the Products tab.
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Click Purchase Orders.
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Select the Order ID for the order you'd like to receive.
The Purchase Order details window will open.
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Click Receive Stock from the Receive Stock column.
The Receive Stock window will open.
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Select the warehouse location.
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Enter the quantity received or rejected for each item
Click All next to either field to accept or reject all products in the order at once.
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Click Save.
To receive Purchase Orders with lots:
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Go to the Products tab.
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Click Purchase Orders.
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Select the Order ID for the order you'd like to receive.
The Purchase Order details window will open.
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Click Receive Stock from the Receive Stock column.
The Receive Stock window will open.
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Select the Show Advanced Inventory Fields checkbox to enter Lot IDs and expiration dates.
To learn more about lot tracking, visit Inventory Lot tracking.