Create professional order confirmations with our free template. Includes examples, legal requirements, and best practices for freelancers and businesses.

Order Confirmation Template: The Complete Guide

The client said yes to your proposal – congratulations! Now comes the crucial next step: sending an order confirmation. This document protects both parties and prevents misunderstandings down the road.

In this guide, you'll get templates, examples, and learn the legal essentials.

What Is an Order Confirmation?

An order confirmation (also called order acknowledgment or sales confirmation) is a document that:

Confirms you've accepted the order
Documents exactly what was agreed upon
Establishes the terms and conditions of delivery

Important: An order confirmation is legally binding. It supplements or replaces the original proposal and becomes part of the contract.

Proposal vs. Order Confirmation – The Difference

Aspect	Proposal	Order Confirmation
Who creates it?	You (seller)	You (seller)
When?	Before order is placed	After order is placed
Purpose	Client should order	Both have clarity
Legal status	Invitation to contract	Contract confirmation
Content	May include options	Only confirmed items

The typical flow:

1. Proposal → You send a proposal
2. Order → Client accepts (verbally, email, etc.)
3. Order Confirmation → You confirm in writing
4. Delivery → You complete the work
5. Invoice → You send the bill

When Do You Need an Order Confirmation?

Always recommended for:

Projects over $1,000
Multi-week engagements
New clients
Complex services
Verbal orders (especially important!)

Optional for:

Small orders under $500
Long-term clients with established relationships
When the proposal already contains all details and was confirmed in writing

Rule of thumb: When in doubt, always send an order confirmation. It takes 5 minutes and can save you hours of disputes.

Required Elements of an Order Confirmation

Legally necessary:

Your complete business information
- Company/Business name
- Address
- Tax ID / VAT number
- Contact details
Client information
- Company/Name
- Address
- Contact person
Order details
- Date of confirmation
- Reference to proposal/order
- Description of services/products
- Price (net and gross)
- Payment terms
- Delivery date / Project duration
Signature (optional but recommended)

Additionally recommended:

Terms and conditions reference
Cancellation policy
Intellectual property clauses
Liability limitations

Order Confirmation Template

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
                    ORDER CONFIRMATION
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

[Your Logo]

[Your Name / Company]
[Street Address]
[City, State ZIP]
Phone: [Phone Number]
Email: [Email Address]
Tax ID: [Tax ID]

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

To:
[Client Name / Company]
[Street Address]
[City, State ZIP]

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Date:               [Date]
Order No.:          [OC-2025-001]
Your Order:         [Order Date / Reference]
Proposal No.:       [PROP-2025-001]

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ORDER CONFIRMATION
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Dear [Contact Name],

Thank you for your order dated [Date]. We hereby confirm
acceptance and execution according to the following terms:

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
SCOPE OF WORK
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Item│ Description                            │ Amount      │
├─────┼────────────────────────────────────────┼─────────────┤
│  1  │ [Service/Product 1]                    │ $[Amount]   │
├─────┼────────────────────────────────────────┼─────────────┤
│  2  │ [Service/Product 2]                    │ $[Amount]   │
├─────┼────────────────────────────────────────┼─────────────┤
│  3  │ [Service/Product 3]                    │ $[Amount]   │
└─────┴────────────────────────────────────────┴─────────────┘

                                    Subtotal:   $[Amount]
                                    Tax (X%):   $[Amount]
                                    ─────────────────────────
                                    Total:      $[Amount]

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Delivery Date / Project Duration:
[e.g., "4 weeks from project start" or "by March 15, 2025"]

Project Start:
[e.g., "Upon receipt of deposit" or "February 1, 2025"]

Payment Terms:
[e.g., "30% upon order, 70% upon completion"
or "Net 14 from invoice date"]

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

[Insert any project-specific agreements here, such as
revision rounds, acceptance criteria, etc.]

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Our standard Terms and Conditions apply to this order.
These are attached / available at [URL].

If the above details do not match your order, please
notify us immediately.

We look forward to working with you!

Best regards,


_________________________
[Your Name]
[Your Title]

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
[Your Bank Details]
[Additional Contact Information]
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Example: IT Project Order Confirmation

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
                    ORDER CONFIRMATION
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

John Smith Consulting
Web Development & Strategy
123 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: +1 (415) 555-1234
Email: john@smithconsulting.com
EIN: 12-3456789

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

To:
Acme Corporation
Attn: Sarah Johnson
456 Business Ave
New York, NY 10001

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Date:               January 22, 2025
Order No.:          OC-2025-003
Your Order:         Email dated January 20, 2025
Proposal No.:       PROP-2025-012

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ORDER CONFIRMATION
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Dear Sarah,

Thank you for your order dated January 20, 2025. We hereby
confirm acceptance and execution according to the following
terms:

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
SCOPE OF WORK
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Project: Website Redesign with CMS Integration

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Item│ Description                            │ Amount      │
├─────┼────────────────────────────────────────┼─────────────┤
│  1  │ Concept & Design (incl. 2 concepts)    │  $4,200     │
├─────┼────────────────────────────────────────┼─────────────┤
│  2  │ Frontend Development (responsive)      │  $5,400     │
├─────┼────────────────────────────────────────┼─────────────┤
│  3  │ CMS Integration (WordPress)            │  $2,400     │
├─────┼────────────────────────────────────────┼─────────────┤
│  4  │ Content Migration (up to 50 pages)     │  $1,200     │
├─────┼────────────────────────────────────────┼─────────────┤
│  5  │ Training (2 hours, online)             │    $600     │
└─────┴────────────────────────────────────────┴─────────────┘

                                    Subtotal:   $13,800
                                    ─────────────────────────
                                    Total:      $13,800

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Project Start:              February 3, 2025
Estimated Completion:       March 28, 2025 (8 weeks)

Milestones:
• Week 2: Concept & wireframes for review
• Week 4: Design concepts for approval
• Week 7: Development complete, testing phase
• Week 8: Go-live and training

Payment Terms:
• 30% upon order confirmation: $4,140 (due Feb 3, 2025)
• 40% upon design approval:    $5,520 (approx. Week 5)
• 30% upon project completion: $4,140 (approx. Week 8)

Payment due within 14 days of invoice date.

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Revision Rounds:
Two rounds of revisions are included per project phase.
Additional changes will be billed at $150/hour.

Acceptance:
Acceptance is due within 5 business days of delivery.
No response within this period constitutes acceptance.

Post-Launch Support:
We provide 14 days of free bug-fix support after go-live.

Hosting:
Hosting is not included in this scope. We recommend
[Host Provider] and can assist with setup if needed.

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Our standard Terms and Conditions apply to this order.
Available at www.smithconsulting.com/terms

If the above details do not match your order, please
notify us immediately.

We look forward to working with you!

Best regards,


John Smith
Principal Consultant

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Bank: First National | Account: 12345678 | Routing: 987654321
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Phrases for Different Situations

Standard Opening

Thank you for your order dated [date]. We hereby confirm acceptance and execution according to the following terms:

For Verbal Orders

Following our phone conversation on [date], we hereby confirm the discussed services:

When Terms Differ from Proposal

Thank you for your order. Please note the following changes compared to our proposal dated [date]:

For Changed Delivery Dates

Due to [reason], the delivery date has been adjusted to [new date]. Please let us know immediately if this is not acceptable.

Requesting Deposit

To confirm this order, please transfer the deposit of $[amount]. Project start will occur upon receipt of payment.

Silent Consent Clause

This order confirmation is deemed accepted if you do not object in writing within 5 business days.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: No Confirmation for Verbal Orders

Problem: Client says "Yes, go ahead" on a call. You start working. Later: "That's not what we discussed."

Solution: Always confirm in writing, even if it's just an email.

Mistake 2: Not Documenting Deviations from Proposal

Problem: The proposal mentioned Option A, the client wanted Option B. You didn't document it.

Solution: Explicitly list any changes in the order confirmation.

Mistake 3: Vague Scope Description

Bad:

"Website development"

Better:

"Development of a responsive website with 10 pages, WordPress CMS, and contact form"

Mistake 4: Missing Dates and Milestones

Problem: No deadlines = no accountability.

Solution: Specific dates for start, milestones, and completion.

Mistake 5: Not Referencing Terms and Conditions

Problem: Without reference to your T&Cs, they may not apply.

Solution: Always attach or link your terms and conditions.

Legal Considerations

Between Businesses (B2B)

In many jurisdictions, if the recipient doesn't object promptly to an order confirmation, it's considered accepted – even if it differs from the original order.

This means: Your order confirmation can actually modify terms if the business client doesn't respond.

Consumer Protection (B2C)

When dealing with consumers (non-business clients), be aware of:

Right of withdrawal/cancellation periods
Consumer protection laws in your jurisdiction
Clear disclosure requirements

Terms and Conditions

Terms only become part of the contract if:

You reference them clearly
The client had the opportunity to review them
The client doesn't object

Tip: Always attach T&Cs or provide a prominent link.

Order Confirmation via Email

Not every order confirmation needs to be a formal PDF. An email often suffices:

Email Template

Subject: Order Confirmation - [Project Name] - [Your Name]

Hi [Name],

Thank you for your order! Here's the confirmation:

PROJECT: [Project Name]

SCOPE:
- [Service 1]
- [Service 2]
- [Service 3]

TOTAL: $[Amount]

TIMELINE: [Start Date] to [End Date]

PAYMENT: [Payment Terms]

Our standard terms apply (attached / [link]).

Please let me know by [date] if anything looks incorrect.
Otherwise, we'll kick off as planned on [start date].

Looking forward to working with you!

Best,
[Your Name]

--
[Your signature with complete business information]

Checklist: Before Sending

Before sending your order confirmation:

Formal elements:

Content:

Detailed scope description
Quantities/volumes clearly defined
Prices (net and gross where applicable)
Delivery date / project duration
Payment terms

Legal:

Terms and conditions attached or linked
Cancellation policy (for consumers)
Any relevant disclaimers

Optional:

Milestones defined
Acceptance process described
Special agreements documented

Conclusion

A good order confirmation:

Creates clarity for both parties
Prevents misunderstandings
Protects you legally
Demonstrates professionalism

The key takeaway: Better to send one too many than one too few. Five minutes for an order confirmation can save you hours of disputes.

From Proposal to Order Confirmation

Your proposal convinces, the client says yes, and the order confirmation seals the deal.

With SimpleProposals, you create not only compelling proposals but also manage the entire process – from first inquiry to order confirmation.

Create professional documents now

Order Confirmation Template: Examples, Guide & Best Practices