--- title: "Get a PO Number When a Customer Accepts a Quote in Xero" description: "Xero records an accepted quote but has no field for the customer's purchase order number. Ask for the PO at the moment of acceptance, store it with the quote, and copy it into the invoice Reference when you bill." url: https://www.paidnice.com/blog/get-po-number-when-customer-accepts-quote-xero --- # How to get a PO number when a customer accepts a quote in Xero Written by Ashley Schroder Personally tested Co-founder of Paidnice Ashley tested accepting Xero quotes in the Paidnice customer portal with a PO number and a PO document required, and compared it with Xero's own quote statuses and its Reference field. Reviewed by Jack Daffron Co-founder of Paidnice Published Nov 9, 2026 · 4 min ## Summary The easiest time to get a PO number is when the customer accepts your quote. Xero has no purchase order field on quotes or sales invoices, so ask for the PO as part of acceptance, keep it with the quote, and put it in the invoice Reference field when you bill. - **In Xero alone:** Mark the quote accepted, ask the customer for their PO by email, and type it into the Reference when you raise the invoice. - **Why at acceptance:** Many public and large buyers will not pay an invoice without a current PO, and the person who accepted knows the number. - **With Paidnice:** The quote portal can require a PO number or a PO document before the customer can accept, and both show on the Quotes list. Your customer accepted the quote, the work is done, and the invoice goes out. A few days later their purchase ledger team replies to your "due today" reminder: not with a payment, but asking for a purchase order number. We have seen exactly this from a UK local authority, and an automatic "no PO, no pay" reply from another public body. Here is how to get the PO number at the point the customer accepts the quote in Xero, where to keep it until you invoice, and how to stop the invoice coming back. Free: Payment reminder email templatesCopy the reminder emails for before, on and after the due date. ## Why ask for the PO when the quote is accepted? Ask for the PO when the quote is accepted because that is the one moment you are talking to the person who raised the order. Once the job is done, the invoice goes to accounts payable, and they need a PO that already exists in their system. Asking later costs days. A customer told us they cannot get the PO or schedule until after invoicing, so invoices end up split. Another, with many large buyers, sends invoices with the wrong PO and then has to look the right one up. ## What does Xero do with an accepted quote? Xero tracks a quote's status but does not ask for a PO. You can [mark a quote as accepted or declined](https://central.xero.com/0/article/Mark-a-quote-as-accepted-or-declined) from the Sent tab, and once the goods or services are supplied you create the invoice from it. Xero has no dedicated field for the customer's purchase order number on sales invoices. The [product idea for one](https://productideas.xero.com/forums/967115-invoices-quotes/suggestions/44960785-sales-invoices-field-for-customer-s-purchase-ord) has 220 votes and the status "Accepted". Xero's latest reply, on 15 July 2026, says it cannot make any commitments yet. Most businesses use the invoice Reference field for the PO instead. ## How to collect the PO in Xero without an app Without an app, you collect the PO by email and copy it across manually. It works if someone owns each step. 1. Add a line to your quote template: "Please include your purchase order number when you accept." 2. When the customer accepts, mark the quote as accepted in Xero. 3. If no PO came with the acceptance, email the person who accepted and ask for it, with the quote number in the subject. 4. Save the PO on the quote, in a note or the quote's reference, so whoever invoices can find it. 5. Create the invoice from the quote and copy the PO into the Reference field exactly as the customer wrote it. The weak point is step 3. If the reply is slow, the work starts anyway, and the invoice goes out without a PO. ## What should you capture with the PO? Capture the PO number and, where the buyer issues one, the PO document itself. The document shows the approved amount and the buyer's terms, which matters when the invoice total differs from the order. | Capture | Why | | --- | --- | | PO number, exactly as written | Accounts payable match it character for character | | PO document | Shows the approved amount, so you can spot a short PO before you invoice | | Who accepted | The person to ask if the PO is closed or rejected later | | Date accepted | Some POs expire or are tied to a financial year | Our guide to [PO numbers on invoices](https://www.paidnice.com/blog/po-number-on-invoice) covers which field holds the number in Xero and QuickBooks Online and what happens when it is missing. ## How Paidnice captures the PO when the quote is accepted Paidnice syncs your Xero quotes and lets the customer accept or decline them in its customer portal. Under the portal settings you can switch on **Enable PO number** and **Enable PO Document Upload**, so the customer gives a PO number or uploads the PO document when they accept. The acceptance is written back to Xero, and users with quote response notifications turned on get an email. The Quotes list in Paidnice shows the PO number and PO document against each quote, in the **P.O. No.** and **P.O. Document** columns. Customers also miss quotes, so [quote reminders](https://www.paidnice.com/quote-reminders) can follow up before the expiry date, with a link to the portal where they accept. Once the invoice is out, Paidnice's AI can still spot when a customer needs a PO and ask the right person for it. Quote reminders count from the expiry or issue date, and accepted quotes stop getting them. For timing ideas, see [sending quote reminders before they expire](https://www.paidnice.com/blog/send-quote-reminders-before-they-expire). 💡 Paidnice insight The person who accepts your quote knows the PO number. Ask them then, as part of accepting, and the invoice reaches accounts payable with the reference they need. ## Frequently asked questions ### Where do I put a PO number on a Xero invoice? In the Reference field. Xero has no separate purchase order field on sales invoices, so copy the number into Reference exactly as the customer wrote it. ### Can a customer add a PO number when accepting a quote in Xero? Not in a dedicated field. Ask for it in your quote email, or use a portal that requires it at acceptance, such as Paidnice's quote portal with Enable PO number switched on. ### What if the customer's PO is for less than the invoice? Raise it before you invoice. Accounts payable teams often hold an invoice that is over the PO value until the buyer approves the difference. ### Do accepted quotes still get reminders? No. In Paidnice, quotes that are accepted, declined, invoiced or deleted stop getting quote reminders. ### Does Paidnice upload invoices to my customer's AP portal? No. Paidnice does not log in to a buyer's portal or upload invoices there. It gets the PO onto your invoice so the portal or AP team can match it. ## Paidnice features in this article - [**Xero quote reminders** Reminds prospects about a Xero quote before it expires.](https://www.paidnice.com/quote-reminders) - [**Customer payment portal** Shows customers every open invoice in one place, where they can pay.](https://www.paidnice.com/customer-payment-portal) - [**Email and SMS reminders** Sends reminders by email and SMS on your schedule, each with a link to pay.](https://www.paidnice.com/email-sms-reminders) ## About the editorial team Written by Ashley Schroder Co-founder of Paidnice Ashley is a co-founder and lead developer of Paidnice and has built accounting software for more than 10 years. He builds the ledger connections that put reminders, late fees and payments into Xero, QuickBooks and ERPs such as NetSuite and Business Central. Before Paidnice he co-founded A2X, ecommerce accounting software for Xero and QuickBooks. Reviewed by Jack Daffron Co-founder of Paidnice Jack is a co-founder of Paidnice and has built accounting software for more than 10 years. He builds the product that sends reminders, adds late fees and takes payments for businesses on Xero, QuickBooks and ERPs such as NetSuite and Business Central. ### Try Our Free Accounts Receivable Calculators Optimize your cash flow with our suite of financial tools designed for AR professionals. Calculate DSO, aging analysis, late fees, and more. Explore Calculators ## Start getting paid on time with Paidnice Connect Xero or QuickBooks and Paidnice prepares draft policies for you. Nothing runs until you approve them. Try it FreeBook a Demo [Rated 5 stars, 160+ reviews](https://www.paidnice.com/reviews) · [App of the Year](https://www.paidnice.com/blog/winner-xero-global-app-awards-2026)