What is a wholesale order form?
A wholesale order form is a document a buyer fills in to place an order: your products listed with item codes and prices, an empty quantity column, a total column, and space for the buyer's details, shipping address and signature. It turns "I'd like some of the blue ones" into a clear, complete order you can invoice from.
Order forms are everywhere in wholesale. Brands hand them out at trade shows, sales reps fill them in during store visits, and buyers send them back by email after browsing a line sheet. A well-made form cuts errors: every line has a code, every price is visible, and the minimums and terms are printed on the page.
Why generate your order form instead of building it by hand
Many sellers build order forms in a spreadsheet and maintain them separately from their line sheet or catalog. Every price change then has to be made twice, and sooner or later the two disagree. CatalogKite's Order Form template uses the same products as your catalog, line sheet or price list. Change a price once and every document, including the order form, is correct.
What a wholesale order form should include
- Your logo, business name and contact details
- Buyer details: store name, contact, email, phone, billing and shipping address
- Order date, requested ship date and PO number
- One line per item: SKU, description, unit or pack size, price
- Empty quantity and line total columns
- Subtotal, shipping and total lines
- Minimum order, payment terms and ship window
- A signature or approval line for the buyer
How to make an order form with CatalogKite
- Open the maker and choose the Order Form template, or switch an existing line sheet or price list to it.
- Add or import products. The form lists each product with code, name and price; quantities and totals stay blank for the buyer.
- Choose the price to print. Usually the wholesale price; you can show MSRP alongside so buyers see their margin.
- Group by category so buyers can work through the form section by section.
- Add your terms. Minimums, payment terms and shipping are printed with the form.
- Print, send or share. Download the PDF to print or email. On Pro and Business, export an Excel order form that buyers can fill in and return; or share an online catalog so buyers build their order on a phone.
Use the sample products to see the layout, then import your own list.
Open the order form templateThree ways buyers can order
| Method | Best for | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Printed form | Trade shows, store visits | Buyer writes quantities; you key the order in later |
| PDF or Excel form by email | Established stockists | Buyer fills in quantities and emails it back |
| Online catalog order list | Phone-first buyers, WhatsApp | Buyer taps quantities and sends a structured order message |
The online route is the fastest and leaves the fewest errors, because there is no handwriting to read and every line arrives with its SKU. Read how to share a catalog on WhatsApp and take orders for a full workflow.
Order form best practices
Print the minimums on the form
If your opening order minimum is $250, say so at the top of the form. Buyers who see it will build an order that qualifies instead of being told afterwards.
Use case packs as the unit
If you only sell in sixes, make the unit "case of 6" and the price per case, or show the case pack next to each item. It removes a whole category of order corrections.
Leave room to write
At trade shows people fill in forms standing up. Generous row height and a clear quantity box matter more than squeezing everything onto one page.
Number your pages and repeat the header
Multi-page forms get separated. A page number and your brand name on every page makes it easy to put them back together.
Keep a digital copy of every completed form
Scan or photograph paper forms as soon as you get them. Better still, ask buyers to use the online order list, which arrives as a message you can search later.
Using order forms at trade shows
Trade shows are where paper order forms still shine. Bring a printed stack with your terms pre-printed, a clipboard and a pen for every table. Fill in the buyer's details first, while you are still chatting, then work through the form with them category by category. Before they leave, total the order together, confirm the ship date and take a photo of the completed form so you have a copy even if the original is lost. Afterwards, follow up within a few days with an order confirmation and a link to your online catalog for reorders.
What happens after an order arrives
- Check it against stock and minimums. If something is unavailable, suggest an alternative before you confirm.
- Send a confirmation with items, quantities, prices, ship date and payment terms.
- Take payment or set up terms, for example a card payment for a first order and net 30 afterwards.
- Pick, pack and ship, then send tracking details.
- Note the reorder date. Many stores reorder bestsellers after 6–10 weeks; a polite check-in at the right time wins repeat orders.
Related documents
An order form works best alongside a line sheet (for product details and photos) or a price list (for large ranges). If you are setting your wholesale prices for the first time, start with the wholesale price calculator, and see wholesale terms explained for typical minimums and payment terms.