Definition
A customer purchase order (customer PO) is the buyer's own document that formally orders goods or services from you, usually in response to your quotation.
Customer purchase order meaning for the seller
For the seller, the customer PO is the authority to supply. It carries the buyer’s PO number, date, items, prices and terms, and that number usually has to appear on your delivery note and invoice, or the customer’s accounts team won’t pay. In the UAE and Saudi Arabia, many buyers issue it as an LPO.
Example: a contractor sends PO 4512 for GBP 7,900 of fittings against your quotation; you check prices and quantities match before confirming.
Don’t confuse it with the purchase orders you send your own suppliers, or with a sales order, which is your internal record of the commitment.