A toy purchase order should convert the final commercial decision into one controlled instruction. For squishy toys, this is especially important because the same visual design can have different materials, fillings, sizes, color ratios, packaging and labeling.
If the supplier has to search old WhatsApp messages to understand what to make, the purchase order is not complete enough. The goal is to create a record that connects the approved product, quantity, price, packaging, sample reference, quality requirements, documents and delivery terms.
Start from the final quotation, not an early price list
The purchase order should be based on the final accepted quotation or proforma invoice version. Do not copy a unit price from the first message if packaging, quantity or specification changed later.
Before issuing the PO, reconcile:
- Supplier legal/company name used for the transaction
- Buyer company and billing details
- Product SKU or item number
- Product description
- Quantity
- Unit price and currency
- Trade term
- Packaging
- Lead time or production completion target
- Payment terms
The proforma invoice checklist is useful for verifying the commercial document before payment.
Identify the exact SKU and approved variant
Product names alone are not enough. A name such as “rabbit squishy” may refer to more than one size, color or package. Use the supplier SKU, buyer SKU if you have one, product photo reference and variant description together.
For each line, record:
- Supplier SKU
- Buyer SKU or internal code
- Product name
- Size or version
- Material/filling if confirmed
- Color/character assortment
- Units per style/color
- Unit packaging
If the product is selected from Ruiwo’s catalog, the wholesale product pages provide the starting SKU identity. Final order facts should still follow the current quotation.
Attach the approved sample reference
The physical sample should have a clear relationship to the purchase order. Add the sample approval date, photo reference or sample code so production is not based on a vague statement such as “same as sample.”
If there were multiple rounds, identify the final approved one. A pre-production sample can differ from the first sales sample after color, printing or packaging changes.
The sample approval workflow explains how to create that reference before production release.
Write assortment ratios explicitly
Mixed colors and characters are a common source of order errors. “Assorted” is not precise enough when retail demand depends on the ratio.
A PO line can state, for example:
- 240 units total
- Four colors
- 60 units per color
or reference an attached assortment table when the mix is more complicated.
If one master carton contains several SKUs, define whether the supplier will pack by SKU, by display or as a mixed carton. The mixed-SKU order guide can help organize the assortment before it reaches the PO.
Make packaging a specification, not a note
Packaging can change MOQ, price, dimensions, freight and compliance information. The PO should identify the approved package version and artwork file.
Include as applicable:
- OPP bag, retail box, hang tag, display box or other format
- Printed or unprinted version
- Artwork filename/version
- Barcode file
- Warning/label file
- Units per display or inner pack
- Displays/inners per master carton
- Carton mark requirement
If the packaging is custom, attach the approved dieline or artwork PDF and avoid sending a new file with the same filename after approval. Version control reduces accidental printing of an older design.
See the custom packaging guide for packaging inputs that should be locked before the PO is released.
Record quality and inspection expectations
A purchase order is not a full inspection manual, but it should point to the accepted quality reference and any agreed inspection requirement.
The buyer can reference:
- Approved sample
- Written product specification
- Inspection checklist
- AQL or sampling plan if separately agreed
- Critical defect definitions
- Packaging inspection points
- Pre-shipment inspection requirement if used
For squishy toys, common practical checks include appearance, squeeze feel, seams or plugs, leakage, surface condition, printed details, assortment ratio and package integrity.
Use the quality inspection checklist as a supporting document rather than trying to fit every inspection step into the PO body.
List required documents by order and market
Do not write only “certificates required.” State which documents need to be provided for the exact destination market and product as agreed with the supplier and your compliance adviser.
Possible order documents can include commercial invoice, packing list, test reports, certificates, declarations, carton information or other market-specific records. Requirements differ by product configuration and destination, so the buyer should confirm the exact list before shipment.
The toy compliance document checklist explains how to separate product evidence from shipping documents.
Define the shipping handoff and destination
The PO should identify the agreed Incoterm and named place where relevant. EXW, FOB, CIF and DDP do not include the same responsibilities or charges.
Also record:
- Destination country
- Port, airport, warehouse or delivery address as applicable
- Forwarder instructions if buyer-controlled
- Required shipping marks
- Latest acceptable ship date or receiving objective
- Whether partial shipment is allowed
Do not use “ASAP” as the only delivery instruction. A date-based expectation is easier to manage and audit.
For Incoterm differences, review the EXW vs FOB vs CIF vs DDP guide.
Define payment milestones clearly
The purchase order should match the payment terms on the final PI. If there is a deposit and balance structure, record the percentages and the event that triggers the balance.
Examples of trigger language might reference production completion, inspection approval, shipment release or another agreed milestone. The exact structure depends on the transaction, so ensure the PO and PI do not contradict each other.
Never send payment to a changed bank account or payment destination based only on an unexpected message. Verify any payment-detail change through an independent known contact method.
Add a change-control rule
After production release, a product change can affect cost, lead time, testing, packaging and inspection. The PO should state that specification changes require written confirmation from both buyer and supplier.
A simple process is:
- Buyer issues change request.
- Supplier confirms effect on price, timing, MOQ and documents.
- Buyer approves revised terms.
- Updated PO/specification receives a new version number.
- Old version is archived rather than overwritten.
This prevents a late artwork or color change from becoming an undocumented production instruction.
Final PO checklist
Before sending the production release, confirm that the PO contains or references:
- Buyer and supplier identity
- PO number and date
- Exact SKU/variant
- Quantity and assortment ratio
- Unit price, currency and total
- Approved sample reference
- Packaging and artwork version
- Quality/inspection reference
- Required document list
- Incoterm and named place
- Production/shipping timeline
- Payment terms
- Change-control rule
A complete PO does not eliminate supplier risk, but it gives both sides a single version of the order to work from.
Ruiwo Toys buyers can start by building a product list in the wholesale catalog or Buyer Workspace, then contact the team for the current quotation and order-specific packing information before issuing the final PO.
Procurement journey
Step 4 of 8: Lock the purchase order
Use the full buyer roadmap to move from quantity planning to a controlled reorder without losing the approved specification between steps.