--- title: How do I place orders with vendors? description: Easily generate and place orders with vendors using the Backbar order builder and shopping cart. --- [![Backbar help center](https://www.getbackbar.com/hubfs/Web%20Design%20Assets%20/Backbar%20Logos/Backbar%20help%20center.svg) ](https://www.getbackbar.com/support) [![Backbar logomark white](https://www.getbackbar.com/hubfs/Web%20Design%20Assets%20/Backbar%20Logos/Backbar%20logomark%20white.svg "Backbar logomark white")](https://www.getbackbar.com) [Submit support ticket](https://www.getbackbar.com/support/ticket) [Sign up](https://backbar.app/signup) # How do I place orders with vendors? Desktop Mobile # This article covers how to place orders with vendors in the desktop version of Backbar. Orders in Backbar generate a purchase order which is then emailed to your vendor sales rep or Vendor contact. Begin by going to **Orders > Build Orders** in the left hand navigation panel. You will then see a list of all of your items.   #### 1. Add items to your shopping cart On the far right of each item row is an input field for a quantity. This is where you enter the quantity you want to order of that item. The amount automatically saves each time you add or change a number. To the right of the quantity input is a dropdown for ordering by the individual unit (ie. can, bottle, keg) or by the case. As you add quantities for items, you will see them populate on the right sidebar underneath **Items in Cart**. ![orderscreen](https://www.getbackbar.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Support/Screenshots/orderscreen.jpg?width=650&height=440&name=orderscreen.jpg)     #### 2. Placing orders from your shopping cart   Once you have items in your cart you can view your shopping cart by clicking on the **Review Cart** button or by selecting **Orders > Shopping Cart** in the left hand navigation panel. You will then see a list of items in your shopping cart organized by vendor. You can modify items in this Cart view as well.  Unplaced orders are saved until placed or removed from the cart.   Within each vendor area, below the items on the order, is some other information for the order. By default, any vendor email contacts you have for the vendor will be checked, however **if you do not want to email the order to one or more contacts, uncheck the box next to their name**. Note if no contact is checked, the vendor will not receive the order. There is also a field for **Order Notes**. Use this field to send any notes to accompany the order.  You will also see a warning if there are not any Email Contacts listed under vendor details.  Add the email to the Vendor details prior to order placement and then return to the Shopping Cart page and resume order placement.   In the right side bar you will see the **Estimated Total** and estimate for each order. Note this is an estimate based on the costs you have entered into Backbar. Items missing costs will lower this estimate, this is likely not the actual invoiced total.   You will also see any warnings about order minimums and missing item information that need adjustments on this Estimated Totals field. Adjust any orders as necessary if there is a Warning icon, to dismiss.     You may click the clock icon to save an item for later in a temporary cart. Click the Shopping cart icon on future order to add it back to the current order. **Deselect a whole order** in the Estimated Total window, if an order is not ready to be sent at that time. ![shoppingcart](https://www.getbackbar.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Support/Screenshots/shoppingcart.jpg?width=600&height=435&name=shoppingcart.jpg) When you are ready to send your orders, click the **Place Orders** button. A purchase order number will be generated for each vendor. Each vendor will receive an email with the order listing the items you want to buy. You will be copied on the email as well so that you know your vendor contact received it. You will also be listed as the *reply-to* address on the email in case your vendor needs to reply to ask a question.   Once you place your orders, you can find them by going to **Orders > Order History** in the left side panel navigation. Remember that once you receive your orders, you must go to the order and click **Confirm Delivery Received** to close the order and add it to your inventory. If the order is left open in Backbar, your reporting will not be accurate and your product usage and excess inventory cannot be calculated.     #### Requirements for placing orders   **You can place orders for any vendor so long as they can receive orders via email.** This is virtually all vendors. If you are in a control state, see [can I place orders in a control state](https://www.getbackbar.com/support/can-i-place-orders-if-im-in-a-control-state). However, your item must have a vendor assigned within Backbar. Otherwise we do not know where to send the order. First, setup your vendors by going to **Orders > Manage Vendors** in the left hand navigation panel.   **To assign a vendor to an unassigned item:** 1. On the **Build Orders** page, check the checkmark next to each item to assign, then click the **Actions** menu and select **Set Vendors**. Choose the vendor and save and all of the items selected will be assigned. 2. On either the **Build Orders** or **Inventory Items** page, click on any of your items. Select your vendor from the drop-down menu and click save. 3. If you add an item to your shopping cart, but it doesn't have a vendor assigned yet, you will need to assign the vendor within your cart before you can place the item in an order. Select the vendor for the item from the dropdown selector in the Shopping Cart screen. Each vendor must have a vendor contact with an email address. This is where the order will be emailed to. If there is no contact and email address, the order will cannot be sent (warning will display).   Lastly, each item must have a size specified. Because items may be available in multiple sizes, this must be specified to the vendor. You can set the size by clicking on any item within **Build Orders** or **Inventory Items** and select the size, units and container type.       #### Best practices for efficiently placing orders   - Use the filters at the top of the **Build Orders** page (funnel icon) to quickly find and segment items. You can filter by specific drink attributes or even by status, such as items *Out of Stock* or *Below Par* value. ![orderfilter](https://www.getbackbar.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Support/Screenshots/orderfilter.jpg?width=600&height=162&name=orderfilter.jpg) - If you aren't ready to place an order for item(s) or a specific vendor, but have added items to your cart, use the **Save for Later** feature. This allows you to save a temporary cart to remember what you want to order, without actually placing it. To save an item for later, from the Shopping Cart page, click the **clock** icon in the row of the item you want to save for later. It will then move to the bottom of your cart and won't be sent until you click a shopping cart icon to move it back to your cart.   # This article covers how to place orders with vendors in the mobile version of Backbar. Orders in Backbar generate a purchase order which is then emailed to your vendor sales rep or Vendor contact. Begin by going to **Build Orders** by tapping the shopping cart icon in the bottom navigation bar. You will then see a list of all of your items.   #### 1. Add items to your shopping cart On each item row is an input field for a quantity, and +/- quantity stepper buttons. This is where you enter the quantity you want to order of that item. The amount automatically saves each time you add or change a number. To the right of the quantity input is a toggle for ordering by the individual unit (ie. can, bottle, keg) or by the case. As you add quantities for items, you will see the number of items populate on the bottom info bar underneath the items list with an estimated total-based on current listed item costs.   ![buildordersmbl](https://www.getbackbar.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Support/Screenshots/buildordersmbl.jpg?width=250&height=479&name=buildordersmbl.jpg)   #### 2. Placing orders from your shopping cart   Once you have items in your cart you can view your shopping cart by clicking on the **Review Cart** button. You will then see a list of items in your shopping cart organized by vendor. You can modify items in this Cart view as well. Unplaced orders are saved until placed or manually removed from the cart.   Within each vendor area, are the items on the order, and an estimated total for each vendor. By default, any vendor email contacts you have for the vendor will be checked, however **if you do not want to email the order to one or more contacts, uncheck the box next to their name**. Note if no contact is checked, the vendor will not receive the order. There is also a field for **Order Notes**. Use this field to send any notes to accompany the order. You will also see a warning if there are not any Email Contacts listed under vendor details. Add the email to the Vendor details prior to order placement and then return to the Shopping Cart page and resume order placement.  There will also be other order error alerts like missing package size, or insufficient order total warnings. Make sure to review for the **Caution icons** and address any errors prior to placement.   ![placeordersmbl](https://www.getbackbar.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Support/Screenshots/placeordersmbl.jpg?width=250&height=517&name=placeordersmbl.jpg)   Note, **Estimated Totals** and estimates for each order are based on the costs you have entered into Backbar. Items missing costs will lower this estimate, this is likely not the actual invoiced total.  It is missing taxes, fees, deposits, cost changes and any delivery corrections.   You will also see any warnings about order minimums and missing item information that need adjustments on this Estimated Totals field. Adjust any orders as necessary if there is a Caution icon, to dismiss.   **Deselect a whole order** in the Shopping Cart screen by tapping the blue checkmark next to the vendor name, this will bypass that order during placement and it will remain in the cart.   When you are ready to send your orders, click the **Place Order(s)** button. A purchase order number will be generated for each vendor. Each vendor will receive an email with the order listing the items you want to buy. You will be copied on the email as well so that you know your vendor contact received it. Your user email will also be listed as the *reply-to* address on the email in case your vendor needs to reply to ask a question.   Once you place your orders, you can find them by going to the** Order History** page by tapping the clock/arrow icon in the bottom navigation bar. Remember that once you receive your orders at the business, you must go to the order and click **Confirm Delivery Received** to close the order and add it to your inventory. If the order is left open in Backbar, your reporting will not be accurate and your product usage and excess inventory cannot be calculated.       #### Requirements for placing orders   **You can place orders for any vendor so long as they can receive orders via email.** This is virtually all vendors. If you are in a control state, see [can I place orders in a control state](https://www.getbackbar.com/support/can-i-place-orders-if-im-in-a-control-state). However, your item must have a vendor assigned within Backbar. Otherwise we do not know where to send the order. First, setup your vendors by going to **Home screen > User menu (top right)**** > Manage Vendors**.   **To assign a vendor to an unassigned item**: 1. Add the item to your cart in mobile, and then in the **Review Cart **screen there will be an alert at the top of the screen indicating missing required info. Click **Edit **to add the Vendor name to the item and save. 2. On **Inventory Items** page (clipboard icon in nav bar), tap on any of your items. Select your vendor from the drop-down menu and tap save.   Each vendor must have a vendor contact with an email address. This is where the order will be emailed to. If there is no contact and email address, the order will cannot be sent (warning will display).    Lastly, each item must have a size specified. Because items may be available in multiple sizes, this must be specified to the vendor. You can set the size by clicking on any item within **Review Cart** or **Inventory Items** and select the size, units and container type and save.     #### Best practices for efficiently placing orders   - Use the filters at the top of the **Build Orders** page to quickly find and segment items. 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