Is an electronic signature legally binding?

Yes. Electronic signatures are generally enforceable under the federal ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. §7001) and state UETA laws when intent, consent, attribution, and retention are satisfied.

Who should sign a purchase request?

The requester and any required approvers per your internal approval matrix should sign. Approver authority typically depends on delegated spending limits defined by policy.

Can I change a request after submission?

You can amend a request if your workflow allows edits before final approval; otherwise submit a revision or cancellation and a replacement request to preserve auditability.

What if an approver is unavailable?

Use configured escalation or alternate approver rules in your workflow. Documented delegation or backup approvers prevents stalled requests and maintains compliance.

How long is the audit trail retained?

Retention varies by policy and regulation; maintain audit logs for the same period as the underlying documents and at least as long as federal or industry retention requirements.

Do I need notarization for purchase requests?

Ordinary purchase requests do not require notarization. If a related legal instrument requires notarization, follow state notary and RON rules and retain supporting records.

Purchase Request Form

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

PURCHASE REQUEST FORM

Recitals

WHEREAS, Requesting Party Name: seeks to procure goods and/or services described in this Purchase Request for business operations; and

WHEREAS, Vendor Name: has represented that it is able to supply such goods and/or perform such services under the terms set forth herein; and

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties intend that this Purchase Request Form set forth the requested scope, pricing, payment terms and other material provisions governing the transaction.

Request Information

Request Date Purchase Request Number Requesting Department Requestor Name & Contact

Vendor Information

Vendor Legal Name Vendor Contact Vendor Address

Items / Services Requested

Enter each line item with quantity and unit pricing

Item No. Description Qty Unit Price $ Total $

Subtotal Taxes Shipping / Handling Total Purchase Amount

Scope of Work / Description

Payment Terms

The Vendor shall invoice the Requesting Party in accordance with the payment schedule below. Invoices must reference the Purchase Request Number and be submitted to the Requesting Party for payment.

Agreed Payment Amount Payment Schedule / Milestones Late Payment Fee

Term and Termination

This Purchase Request shall become effective on Start Date: and shall remain in effect until End Date: , unless earlier terminated in accordance with the provisions below.

Either party may terminate for convenience upon written notice delivered at least Notice Period (days): days prior to the intended termination date. Termination for cause may be immediate where a material breach is not cured within a reasonable cure period.

Confidentiality

Each party shall maintain as confidential all non-public information disclosed by the other party in connection with this Purchase Request, shall not use such information other than to fulfill its obligations under this transaction, and shall not disclose such information to any third party except to those employees, agents or contractors who have a need to know and who are bound by confidentiality obligations no less protective than those contained herein. Confidentiality obligations survive termination for a period of three (3) years.

Warranties and Acceptance

The Vendor warrants that all goods and services supplied shall conform to the specifications in the Scope of Work, shall be free from material defects in workmanship and materials, and shall be fit for the intended purpose. Acceptance shall be in writing upon inspection and testing as agreed in the Scope of Work. Remedies for breach include repair, replacement, credit or refund at the Requesting Party's election.

Governing Law and Entire Agreement

Governing Law: . The parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the selected jurisdiction for disputes arising under this Purchase Request.

Entire Agreement: This Purchase Request, together with any attachments, exhibits and referenced documents, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior proposals, negotiations and understandings, whether written or oral. Any modification must be in writing and signed by authorized representatives of both parties.

Certifications and Approvals

By signing below, the Requesting Party certifies that funds are available and that procurement of the listed goods or services is authorized under applicable corporate policies. The Vendor certifies that it is authorized to enter into the transaction and will comply with the terms of this Purchase Request.

Requesting Party:

By:

Date:

Supplier / Vendor:

By:

Date:

What a Purchase Request Form Is and when it’s used

A Purchase Request Form is a standardized internal document used to request procurement of goods or services. It captures requester details, item descriptions, quantities, estimated costs, budget or GL codes, and required approvals. Organizations use it to create an auditable trail from request through purchase order issuance, improve budget controls, and ensure procurement policy compliance across departments and locations.

Why maintaining a clear Purchase Request Form matters

Consistent purchase requests reduce procurement delays, prevent duplicate orders, and provide a documented approval trail for audits and budget reconciliation. A well-designed form supports accurate approvals, vendor selection, and faster invoice matching during accounts payable processing.

Who typically completes and approves purchase requests

Clear role separation and defined approval thresholds speed processing and reduce rework across the workflow.

Requesters and department leads who identify the need and enter item details and budget coding.
Procurement staff who review specifications, compare vendors, and validate compliance with sourcing policies.
Finance and authorized approvers who confirm budget availability and sign off on spend authorization.

Essential parts of a professional Purchase Request Form

A complete form groups requester details, item and vendor specifications, cost and budget data, approval routing, delivery instructions, and audit metadata so every request can be reviewed, approved, and tracked consistently.

Requester

Name, department, contact info, and employee or cost-center identifier to locate origin and accountability for the request.

Vendor

Preferred vendor name, contact, tax ID if available, and whether a new vendor setup or existing supplier will be used.

Item Details

Clear description, quantity, unit of measure, part numbers or SKU, and any required specifications or attachments.

Cost & Budget

Estimated total, unit price, currency, GL account or cost center, and whether the spend is capital or expense.

Approval Routing

List of required approvers, approval thresholds, sequential or parallel routing, and SLA for each approver.

Delivery Terms

Requested delivery date, shipping address, receiving instructions, and requested delivery acceptance criteria.

Required data elements at a glance

Requester ID: Employee or cost-center code

Item Description: Short product/service summary

Estimated Cost: Numeric amount and currency

Budget Code: GL account or cost center

Approver List: Named approvers or role titles

Required Dates: Delivery and needed-by dates

Step-by-step: filling out a Purchase Request Form

Follow these core steps to complete a standard Purchase Request Form accurately and reduce review cycles.

01

Identify need: Describe the goods or services and justify the purchase.
02

Provide details: Enter vendor, SKU, quantities, and estimated cost.
03

Assign budget: Select GL code or cost center and confirm available funds.
04

Submit for approval: Route to required approvers and attach supporting documents.

Common workflow settings for online forms

Configure routing and validation to match your organization's approval thresholds and integration needs.

Field	Configuration
Approval Threshold	Set dollar limits for automatic routing
Routing Mode	Sequential or parallel approver flow
Notifications	Email alerts with reminder cadence
File Types	Allow PDF, DOCX, XLSX attachments

Where the form goes after submission

A typical submission follows a predictable path from requester to procurement to payment once approvals are complete.

Procurement Review: Procurement verifies specs and vendor suitability
Finance Approval: Finance confirms budget availability and coding
Purchase Order: Procurement issues PO to chosen vendor
Receiving & Invoice: Goods received and invoice matched for payment

Digital submission and platform considerations

Ensure the platform can capture audit trails and store signed requests with role-based access controls to meet compliance needs.

Document formats: PDF, DOCX, XLSX supported
Authentication: Email, SMS, or stronger methods
Integrations: ERP and cloud storage connectors

Timelines and internal processing expectations

Set clear SLAs so requesters and approvers understand timing. Typical timing shown here can be adjusted by internal policy.

Initial review:

Procurement reviews within 2 business days of submission

Manager approval:

Manager approval within 48 hours for routine requests

Finance check:

Finance verifies budget within 3 business days

PO issuance:

PO sent to vendor within 1–5 business days of final approval

Expedited requests:

Expedite paths should include documented business justification

Key milestones from request to purchase

Track these numbered stages to visualize the lifecycle and handoffs for each purchase request.

01

Request Logged

Form entered, attachments uploaded, and request ID assigned.

02

Manager Sign-off

Department manager reviews justification and approves or returns for revision.

03

Procurement Evaluation

Procurement verifies vendor, pricing, and compliance with sourcing rules.

04

PO Issued

Formal purchase order issued and vendor notified to fulfill order.

Common mistakes that slow down procurement

Incomplete item descriptions that require back-and-forth clarifications and delay approvals.
Missing or incorrect budget codes that cause finance rework and chargebacks later.
Attaching unreadable quotes or wrong file types that procurement cannot evaluate.
Skipping required approvers or using informal approval channels that void automated routing.

Risks and consequences of incorrect requests

Payment Delays: Late invoices and vendor dissatisfaction

Audit Findings: Noncompliant requests can trigger audit exceptions

Budget Overruns: Uncoded expenses misstate budgets

Duplicate Orders: Redundant purchases increase costs

Contract Risk: Unauthorized commitments breach policy

Tax Issues: Missing vendor TINs can trigger backup withholding

Supporting documents and export options

Attach vendor quotes, technical specs, approvals, and contracts; export signed requests in common formats for ERP ingestion and archiving.

Supporting Documents

Quotes, specs, and vendor certificates attached as PDF or DOCX for procurement validation and audit trails.

Export Formats

Signed forms exported to PDF/A for archiving, or mapped to CSV/Excel for ERP import and reconciliation.

Template Library

Maintain approved templates for routine categories to reduce errors and speed request creation.

Audit Trail

Include timestamps, approver IDs, and IP or authentication method for traceability during audits.

Sample eSignature vendor comparison for Purchase Request workflows

Compare common plan features and pricing considerations relevant to signing and routing Purchase Request Forms; signNow is listed first per platform comparison standards.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7-day free trial	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Envelope Cap	No cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan

Frequently asked questions about Purchase Request Forms

Common questions and practical answers to help requesters, approvers, and procurement keep requests moving and compliant.

Need help? Contact support

Is an electronic signature legally binding?
Yes. Electronic signatures are generally enforceable under the federal ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. §7001) and state UETA laws when intent, consent, attribution, and retention are satisfied.
Who should sign a purchase request?
The requester and any required approvers per your internal approval matrix should sign. Approver authority typically depends on delegated spending limits defined by policy.
Can I change a request after submission?
You can amend a request if your workflow allows edits before final approval; otherwise submit a revision or cancellation and a replacement request to preserve auditability.
What if an approver is unavailable?
Use configured escalation or alternate approver rules in your workflow. Documented delegation or backup approvers prevents stalled requests and maintains compliance.
How long is the audit trail retained?
Retention varies by policy and regulation; maintain audit logs for the same period as the underlying documents and at least as long as federal or industry retention requirements.
Do I need notarization for purchase requests?
Ordinary purchase requests do not require notarization. If a related legal instrument requires notarization, follow state notary and RON rules and retain supporting records.

be ready to get more

Join over 28 million airSlate SignNow users

Sign Now