How to Enter Customer PDF Purchase Orders Into QuickBooks Desktop Without Retyping

Before you start

• Sales orders are only in QuickBooks Desktop Premier and Enterprise. Pro doesn't have them.
• Turn them on at Edit > Preferences > Sales & Customers > Company Preferences, then select Enable Sales Order.
• Set up price levels at Lists > Price Level List and assign one on each customer's Payment Settings tab, so prices fill in on the order instead of being typed.
• If customers order by their own part numbers or by manufacturer part numbers, keep those on your items, in the Manufacturer's Part Number field or an item custom field. Intuit doesn't document a built-in table that maps a customer's part number to your item.

What QuickBooks Desktop can and can't import

Step 1: Enter the PDF as a sales order

1. 1Open the PDF next to QuickBooks so you can read it while you type.
2. 2Go to Customers > Create Sales Orders, or select Sales Orders on the Home page.
3. 3Choose the customer in Customer:Job, and check the ship-to address against the PDF.
4. 4Enter the customer's purchase order number on the sales order, so you can find it later and match it to their invoice.
5. 5Add each line: select the Item and enter the quantity. Description and price fill in from the item and the customer's price level; change the rate only if the PDF shows an agreed price.
6. 6Check the ship date and ship method, then select Save & Close.

Step 2: Attach the PDF to the sales order

1. 1Open the saved sales order and select the paperclip (Attach File).
2. 2Choose the PDF from your computer or the Doc Center, and close the window.
3. 3Back up the Attach folder next to your company file. Intuit says QuickBooks backups don't include attached documents.

Step 3: Invoice it when you ship

1. 1Open the sales order and select Create Invoice on the Main tab.
2. 2Choose to invoice all of the sales order or selected items.
3. 3Set the quantities shipped in the To Invoice column, then save.

Our guide on converting a sales order to an invoice covers partial shipments and backorders in detail.

Ways to retype less

• Use price levels so prices fill in, and check only the lines where the PDF shows a different price.
• Keep item names and part numbers close to what customers write, so finding the item takes one search.
• For large accounts, ask whether they can send orders through EDI or your online ordering instead of PDFs.
• Use an order entry service or tool that creates sales orders through the Web Connector, and keep the typing for the orders it can't read.

Where QuickBooks Desktop leaves the work to you

• Someone has to read each PDF and decide which of your items each line means, especially when customers use their own names or numbers.
• There's no built-in way to import sales orders, so every order is typed unless an integration creates it.

How Logistify helps

Logistify reads customer orders from email, including PDF, Word, Excel and CSV attachments, matches each line to your QuickBooks items using that customer's past orders, and creates the sales order in QuickBooks Desktop through the QuickBooks Web Connector. Orders with an unmatched product, a price that doesn't add up, or an unusual quantity wait for your team with the reason. It doesn't set price levels, inventory sites, or lot or serial numbers on the sales order, and it doesn't attach the PDF, so keep step 2 if you want the PDF in QuickBooks.

We explain the steps in how AI reads PDF purchase orders for QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise.