Wholesale operations
How to handle a revised purchase order without creating a duplicate
Buyers change their minds. A store adds a color, drops a size, or moves a date, and sends the PO again. If the new version is entered as a fresh order, you ship twice and invoice twice. Here is how to spot a revised PO and update the order you already have.
Key takeaways
- A revised PO is a new version of an order the store already sent, usually with the same PO number and changed lines, quantities or dates.
- Before entering any PO, search for its PO number. If it already exists, compare the two versions line by line and update the existing order.
- Confirm the changes with the buyer in writing, and keep both versions so you can show what changed and when.
What is a revised purchase order?
A revised PO (also called an amended or changed PO) replaces an order the store sent earlier. It usually keeps the original PO number, sometimes with a suffix like "Rev 2", "-R1" or "v2", or a note such as "revised" or "supersedes previous". Typical changes:
- Quantities up or down, or a size added or dropped
- A style or color added, removed or swapped
- A new ship window or cancel date
- A different ship-to address, for example a second store location
The danger isn't the change itself. It's a revised PO that gets treated as a new order, so the store receives both versions and a second invoice.
How do you tell a revised PO from a new order?
- Search by PO number first. Make it a habit for every PO, before you enter a single line. Keep the PO number on every order (in the order notes or tags) so the search finds it.
- Check for revision markers: "Rev", "Revised", "Amended", "Change order", a version number, or a newer date on the same document.
- Compare buyer and contents. Same store, mostly the same styles, a few days apart? It's very likely a revision, even if the number changed. Ask.
- When in doubt, ask the buyer. A one-line email ("Does this replace PO 4471 or is it a new order?") costs less than shipping twice.
How to compare a revised PO with the original
Line them up side by side, style by style and size by size, and write down only what changed:
| Line | Original | Revised | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field jacket / Olive / M | 3 | 5 | +2 |
| Field jacket / Olive / XL | 2 | 0 | Removed |
| Rib tee / Navy / S | 0 | 4 | Added |
| Cancel date | Mar 15 | Mar 31 | Moved later |
Then check the totals: units and amount on the revised PO should equal the original plus your list of changes. If they don't, you've missed a line.
How to update the order instead of duplicating it
What you can change depends on how far the order has gone:
- Still a draft or not yet invoiced: edit the existing order to match the revision. In Shopify, a draft order can be edited until it's turned into an order.
- Already an order, not yet shipped: edit the order if your setup allows it, or cancel and re-create it, keeping the same PO number on the new one. Send a corrected invoice.
- Already shipped: the revision can't change what's on the truck. Treat new lines as a follow-on order (with the buyer's agreement) and handle removals as a return or credit.
In every case, keep the original PO and the revision. If there's a question about the invoice later, you can show exactly what the store asked for and when.
Confirm the changes with the buyer
Send a short confirmation listing what changed, the new totals and the dates: "We've updated PO 4471 to revision 2: +2 Field jacket Olive M, removed XL, added 4 Rib tee Navy S, cancel date now March 31. New total 41 units." It takes a minute, and it catches any change you or the buyer misread before it's packed.
Orderseam checks every incoming PO against the ones it has already seen. When a revised PO arrives, it shows exactly what changed and updates the draft order you already have instead of creating a second one. If that draft has already become an order, it stops and tells you.
Common questions
- Does a revised PO keep the same PO number?
- Usually, yes, often with a suffix such as Rev 2 or v2. Some buying systems issue a new number, so also compare the store, the styles and the dates, and ask the buyer if you're not sure.
- What if the order has already shipped when the revised PO arrives?
- The shipment can't be changed. Agree with the buyer to treat added lines as a follow-on order and removed lines as a return or credit, and record that on both orders.
- Should I send a new invoice for a revised PO?
- If the original was already invoiced and the amount changed, yes: send a corrected invoice that replaces the first one, quoting the same PO number, so the store's bookkeeper doesn't pay both.
Revisions update the same draft
Orderseam spots revised POs, shows you exactly what changed, and updates the Shopify draft you already have instead of creating a duplicate. Your first 10 POs are free, up to 30 days, with no card and no contract.
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