Purchase order, delivery note and invoice: what is the difference?
Updated October 2, 2026
Four documents follow a sale from the first price to the payment. Mixing them up leads to classic disputes: goods delivered but never ordered, an invoice contested because nothing proves the delivery, or a price that changed in between. Here is the role of each one and the order to follow.
The chain, in order
A complete sale usually goes through these steps:
- Quote: the seller’s offer (price, content, validity). Signed by the client, it becomes a commitment.
- Purchase order: the buyer’s firm order, with references, quantities, agreed prices and delivery address.
- Delivery note: proof that the goods were handed over, signed by the person who receives them, with any reservations.
- Invoice: the payment request and accounting document, based on what was actually delivered.
What each document proves
The quote and the purchase order prove the agreement on price and content. The delivery note proves the delivery date and the quantities received: it usually shows no prices, so that the warehouse or the driver does not see them. The invoice proves the debt and carries the tax mentions.
For a partial delivery, issue one delivery note per shipment and invoice what was delivered; the remaining quantities stay on the order.
Good habits to avoid disputes
Refer to the previous document on each one (order number on the delivery note, delivery note numbers on the invoice), keep a separate numbering sequence per document type, and have the delivery note signed and dated on receipt with the name of the signatory.
With PRAXAO, a saved quote can be turned into a purchase order, a delivery note and an invoice without retyping the lines: the references follow automatically.
General information, checked at the date shown. It does not replace advice from a professional for your situation.