Free tool
Order acknowledgement template
Answer a customer’s PO line by line: confirm the quantity, price and ship date, or say what changed, what is backordered and what you cannot supply. The form opens on a four-line example. Change it to your order, then download a PDF, Word or Excel file and copy the email to send with it. Need a blank one? Click Start blank, or use the blank PDF, Word and Excel forms under the download buttons.
Updated November 8, 2026
Morsa makes this free tool.
Four things a customer checks first
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Their PO number, exactly as sent | It is what their system matches your answer to; add no prefix or suffix |
| Payment and freight terms | Terms that differ from the PO are where disputes start, so state them |
| Confirmed quantity per line | A short shipment written down now is not a surprise at the dock |
| Your price per line | A price change is seen before the invoice, not after it |
The four line statuses and their EDI 855 codes
If your customer sends POs by EDI, they may want your answer as an EDI 855 purchase order acknowledgment. Each status has its code, and the template picks it from what you change. A line you mark accepted but change anyway goes out as changed, so the code always matches the figures.
| Status | When to use it | 855 line code |
|---|---|---|
| Accepted | Quantity, price and date as on the PO | IA, accepted as ordered |
| Changed | A new quantity, price or ship date | IQ quantity, IP price, DR date; IC more than one |
| Backordered | Part ships now and the rest later, or all of it later | BP part now, rest later; IB all later |
| Rejected | You cannot supply it; give the reason and any replacement | IR, rejected |
The whole order reads AD when every line is accepted as ordered, RD when every line is rejected, and AC for anything in between. Some customers’ EDI guides want a part shipment as two lines rather than one BP line: IQ for the quantity shipping now and IB for the balance. Codes as listed in the EDI 855 guide.
How to fill it in
Copy the customer’s PO number exactly and add your own order number.
Paste the PO lines from Excel or Google Sheets, with the columns in this order: line, customer part, your part, description, quantity, unit and PO price.
Answer each line. Leave confirmed quantity and price empty when you accept them as ordered; type the new figure when they change.
Set the status. For a backorder, enter what ships first and the date the rest ships.
Read the checks above the preview, such as a missing ship date or a rejected line with no reason.
Download and send the PDF with the email the tool writes, or the Word or Excel file if you edit further.
Checking a supplier’s acknowledgement against your own PO instead? Use the purchase order acknowledgement reader.
Worked example
A bearing and fastener distributor answers the plant’s PO 4500012345. These are the four lines the form opens on.
| Line | The PO said | You answer | Code | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, sealed bearing | 100 at 12.40 | Accepted: 100 ship as asked | IA | 1,240.00 |
| 2, cap screw | 500 at 0.86 | 300 ship as asked, 200 three weeks later | BP | 430.00 |
| 3, pillow block | 40 at 31.00 | Changed: the maker raised the price to 33.50 | IP | 1,340.00 |
| 4, V-belt | 10 at 18.25 | Rejected: discontinued, BX54 offered instead | IR | 0.00 |
The PO came to 3,092.50. You confirm 3,010.00: line 4 (182.50) drops out and line 3 rises by 100.00. The 200 backordered screws still count toward the order total, because they ship on this order. With 45.00 freight the acknowledgement totals 3,055.00, and the order reads accepted with changes (AC).
The email that goes with it
The tool writes this email from the form; copy it with Copy email and attach the PDF. For the example, sent on 9 November 2026, the lines read:
Subject: Order acknowledgement for PO 4500012345 (our order SO-48213): accepted with changes
Line 1, 6204-2RS: accepted, 100 EA ship 17 Nov 2026.
Line 2, HX-1032: backordered. 300 EA ship 17 Nov 2026; 200 EA backordered to 8 Dec 2026. Mill shortage.
Line 3, BRG-77: changed. Price 33.50, your PO said 31.00. Maker’s price rise; quote Q-2291 expired.
Line 4, V-BELT-B54: rejected. Not supplied. Discontinued by the maker. Suggested replacement: BX54 cogged belt at 19.10, ships in 2 days; reply to approve and we add it.
Order total 3,055.00 USD, including 45.00 freight. Please reply if any change does not work for you.
Frequently asked questions
What is an order acknowledgement?
The seller’s written answer to a customer’s purchase order, sent once the order is entered. A purchase order acknowledgement (POA) is the same document named from the buyer’s side.
Is an order acknowledgement the same as an order confirmation?
In B2B trade, yes: the two names mean the same document. In online retail an order confirmation is often only a receipt that the order arrived. A pro forma invoice is different again: a bill in advance, for prepayment or customs.
Is an order acknowledgement legally binding?
It can be, in the U.S. Under UCC 2-207, an acknowledgement that clearly accepts the PO forms a contract even when it adds or changes terms, unless it says the deal depends on the buyer agreeing to them. Other countries have their own rules; ask your lawyer about your terms.
How quickly should I send it?
As fast as your customer’s supplier or EDI guide asks, often within 24 hours of the PO; the EDI 855 guide lists real examples. Send a new one whenever a date moves.
Can I email the acknowledgement instead of sending an EDI 855?
Yes, unless the customer’s EDI guide requires the 855. Attach the PDF to the email the tool writes. Leave “Print the X12 855 code” on if your customer maps acknowledgements into EDI; turn it off for a plain document.
Related tools
Where Morsa fits
Morsa reads each customer PO and drafts the acknowledgement for the rep to approve.
It enters the order in the ERP you already run, and the acknowledgement goes out from the rep’s own mailbox once the rep approves it.
