Header fields: who, where and when
The header is where most order problems start. A missing PO number delays payment, a missing ship-to address delays the shipment, and an unclear ship window leads to refused deliveries. Put these fields at the top of every form and make the important ones required.
- Buyer: store name, contact name, email and phone.
- Bill-to address: where the invoice goes (often a head office).
- Ship-to address: the store or warehouse, plus receiving hours if relevant.
- PO number: the buyer’s purchase order reference, which their accounts team will look for on your invoice.
- Order date and ship window: the earliest and latest dates the buyer will accept delivery.
- Payment terms: for example prepaid, net 30, or card on file, as agreed with you.
- Sales rep, if the order was taken by a rep, so you know who gets credit.
Line items that are easy to fill and easy to read
Use the columns in the table above, in that order. SKU first, because it is the field you match against your inventory. Keep the product name and color as separate columns rather than one long description, so you can sort and total by style later.
For apparel and footwear, a size run (quantities per size on one line) is far easier for buyers than one line per size. For products sold by the case, show the case pack next to the quantity so the buyer can see that 12 means two cases of six.
Minimums and case packs
Spell out your minimums on the form itself, not only on the line sheet. Most brands set an opening order minimum (in dollars or units), a lower reorder minimum, and sometimes a minimum per style. If you sell in case packs, say that quantities must be multiples of the pack.
On a paper or PDF form you can only state the rule and check it when the order arrives. That is why orders below the minimum are a common back-and-forth: the buyer finds out after sending. An online order form can enforce the rule while the buyer is still building the cart.
Terms and signature
Close the form with a short terms block: payment terms, shipping method and who pays freight, cancellation date (the day after which the buyer can cancel unshipped goods), damages and returns policy, and how substitutions are handled.
Add a line for the buyer’s name, signature and date. A signed form (or an online order with a clear confirmation) is your record that the buyer agreed to the quantities and terms.
Spreadsheet vs PDF vs online order form
Each format works at a different stage. The choice mostly depends on how many buyers you have and how often your prices and stock change.
- Spreadsheet: easy to build and the totals calculate themselves. Buyers can break formulas, and every order comes back in a slightly different file.
- Fillable PDF: looks professional and prints well. It cannot check minimums or stock, and the totals often have to be calculated by hand.
- Online order form or catalog link: the buyer picks products from photos, the cart applies their prices, minimums and case multiples, and the order lands in one place. It takes a little setup, and it is the only option that stays current when prices change.
How to turn the form into an online order link
If you already have a product list in a spreadsheet, you are most of the way there. In LINK you import that spreadsheet, set your price lists (wholesale, distributor or a specific account), add order minimums, per-product minimums and case multiples, and share one catalog link by email, SMS, Instagram DM, WhatsApp or a QR code.
Buyers open the link in any browser with no app or account, add products to the cart and submit. The order arrives with buyer details, quantities and totals. LINK never touches the payment: you agree payment and shipping directly with the buyer, and there is no commission on orders. You can try it free for 30 days with no credit card.
Still building your first line sheet? Use our free line sheet generator to lay out products with SKUs, photos, wholesale prices and MSRP, then export the CSV and use it as the base for your order form or catalog import.