FAQ
What's the difference between a PR and a PO?
PR is the internal pre-spend ask routed through approval; PO is the formal commitment to the supplier once the PR is approved.
1 min readLast updated 26 May 2026
A PR is the internal "I want to buy X" — it runs through approval first and creates no commitment to a supplier. A PO is what comes after PR approval: the formal commitment that creates the buyer-to-supplier obligation at an agreed price and date.
In short: PR captures "I want to buy X". PO captures "we will buy X from supplier Y at price Z, deliverable by date W". The PR is a question; the PO is a contract.
You don't have to start with a PR. If your approval policy allows it, raise a PO directly and skip the PR step — the approval engine still gates the PO before it locks.