Taking payments against institutional purchase orders

Match the purchaser, payer, and delivery contact

For institutional orders, the person who places the order, the accounts-payable contact, the cardholder, and the recipient may be different. Confirm which party can approve changes and where the invoice should be sent. Record the buyer’s order reference on the invoice and on subsequent correspondence.

Agree on what starts fulfillment

• Determine whether the order ships after a validated purchase order, after a payment is captured, or under agreed invoice terms.
• Specify which items, amounts, and delivery dates the purchase order covers.
• Reconcile any tax, delivery, or amount differences with the authorized buyer before charging.
• Document approved partial shipments and show what remains open after each shipment or payment.

Reconcile payments by invoice and order

Connect each payment confirmation to the invoice number and purchase order. For one payment covering several invoices, keep an allocation record. Send receipts to the buyer’s approved contact and avoid carrying card details into email, documents, or order notes.