July 4, 2026 · 6 min read
Does Shopify have a built-in purchase order system? (2026)
Short answer: no, Shopify has no built-in purchase order system. Shopify tracks how many units you have, but it won’t let you raise a purchase order, send it to a supplier, or receive stock against it. For that you’ve always needed an app.
For years that app was Stocky — Shopify’s own inventory add-on, bundled with POS Pro. That’s ending: Shopify is shutting Stocky down on August 31, 2026. So if you’re searching for how to do purchase orders in Shopify right now, you’re really choosing a replacement.
What Shopify does and doesn’t do natively
| Task | Native Shopify? |
|---|---|
| See stock on hand per variant | ✅ Yes |
| Store supplier / vendor contacts and costs | ❌ No (only a plain “vendor” text field) |
| Create a purchase order | ❌ No — needs an app |
| Email a PO to a supplier | ❌ No — needs an app |
| Receive stock against a PO | ❌ No — needs an app |
| Forecast what’s about to run out | ❌ No — needs an app |
The “vendor” field on a product is the closest native thing, and it’s just a label — no lead times, no costs, no order history.
What a real purchase order flow looks like
A working purchase order system does four things Shopify won’t on its own:
- Create a PO: pick a supplier, add the products and quantities you’re ordering, at their cost.
- Send it: email the PO to the supplier so there’s a clear record of what you asked for. See our purchase order email template.
- Receive it: when the delivery arrives, mark what came in — partially or in full — and have Shopify inventory update automatically. More on receiving purchase orders.
- Reorder before you run out: flag low stock based on how fast each product actually sells.
Migrating off Stocky?
Reorda rebuilds your supplier database automatically from your purchase order history — the one thing Stocky never let you export. $19/month flat, 14-day free trial.
Get early access →How to do purchase orders in Shopify after Stocky
With Stocky gone, you install a dedicated app. Reorda is built to be the direct, affordable replacement: create purchase orders, email them to suppliers in one click, receive stock into Shopify inventory, run stocktakes, and get low stock forecasts — for $19/month flat, on any Shopify plan, with no POS required.
If you’re coming from Stocky, Reorda also imports your Stocky purchase order history and rebuilds your supplier links automatically — see the full Stocky vs Reorda migration map or the Stocky alternative overview.
Frequently asked questions
Does Shopify have a built-in purchase order system?
No. Shopify has no native purchase order feature. It tracks inventory quantities, but creating a purchase order, sending it to a supplier, and receiving stock against it all require an app. Until 2026 most merchants used Stocky for this; Stocky shuts down on August 31, 2026.
How did merchants create purchase orders in Shopify before?
Through Stocky, Shopify's own inventory add-on bundled with POS Pro. It handled purchase orders, suppliers, receiving and stocktakes. Shopify is retiring it on August 31, 2026, so merchants need a replacement app.
What's the cheapest way to manage purchase orders in Shopify?
Reorda covers the core purchase order workflow — create POs, email them to suppliers, receive stock, and forecast low stock — for $19/month flat, versus the $49–199/month that most alternatives charge.
Do I need Shopify POS to manage purchase orders?
No. Stocky required POS Pro, but Reorda works on any Shopify plan whether or not you use Shopify POS.
Add purchase orders to Shopify
Create, email and receive purchase orders in Shopify — plus low stock forecasts and stocktakes. $19/month flat, 14-day free trial, no POS required.
Get early access →