Purchase order software for franchises and procurement software for multi-unit franchisees
Procurer is purchase order software for US multi-unit franchisees and franchise groups running 3 to 100 units. Unit managers request what they need, the district or operations manager approves it against that unit's budget, the PO goes to the brand-approved supplier with the unit's ship-to address, the unit receives what arrived, and the office matches the invoice before it is paid. Each unit LLC keeps its own books. Pricing is per company, not per unit or per seat, from 149 USD a month.
On this page
- 01What is the best purchase order software for a franchise group?
- 02Where money leaks in a multi-unit franchise
- 03How purchase orders work across franchise units
- 04Keeping every unit on brand-approved suppliers
- 05One unit, one LLC, one set of books
- 06Build-out purchasing when you open a new unit
- 07Franchise groups that run purchase orders through Procurer
- 08Where Procurer fits and where it does not
- 09Which plan fits a franchise group
- 10How to roll out purchase orders across your units
- 11FAQ
What is the best purchase order software for a franchise group?
The best purchase order software for a franchise group puts an approval in front of every order that is not on the routine supply truck, charges it to the right unit, keeps buyers on the suppliers the brand requires and holds invoices that do not match what the unit received. Procurer does this from 149 USD a month per company, with unlimited units and 25, 100 or 300 users.
Where money leaks in a multi-unit franchise
A franchisee with two units can run purchasing from a phone. By the fifth or sixth unit, the same habits start costing real money, and the franchisor's reporting requirements make the gaps visible.
- General managers buy repairs, smallwares, uniforms and cleaning supplies on their own cards or store accounts, and the office finds out when the statement arrives.
- One unit pays a plumber 640 USD for the same job another unit got done for 380 USD, and nobody sees both invoices side by side.
- Brand standards say fryer parts, signage or POS hardware must come from approved vendors, but a manager in a hurry orders a lookalike part online.
- Deliveries are signed by whoever is on shift, so a short case of product or a partial equipment shipment is paid in full.
- Each unit is its own LLC, so a bill posted to the wrong entity means reclasses at month end and a messy P&L for the lender or the franchisor.
- Opening a new unit means a build-out budget spread over dozens of vendors, tracked in a spreadsheet that one person understands.
Purchase order software closes these gaps by putting the approval before the purchase and the receipt before the payment, without slowing down the routine orders your food or product distributor already handles.
How purchase orders work across franchise units
1. A general manager or unit lead raises a request from a phone, picks the unit and the supplier, and attaches the quote, the cart or a photo of the broken part.
2. The request routes to the district manager by amount and to the director of operations or owner above your threshold. Approvers see what is left in the unit's budget before they decide.
3. The approved request becomes a PO with the unit's ship-to address and the right legal entity, and goes to the supplier by email as a PDF.
4. The unit records what arrived, line by line. Accounts payable matches the invoice and exports the approved bill to QuickBooks Online or Xero under the correct entity.
Approval rules are set once by the office and apply to every unit, so a new unit follows the same policy from its first order. Read more about purchase order approval software.
Keeping every unit on brand-approved suppliers
Most franchise agreements name the suppliers a unit must use for branded products, equipment and some services. On Business, you load those suppliers as catalogs with the agreed items, units and prices, and requesters pick from the catalog instead of typing a free-text order. Rules by supplier and category can send any off-catalog purchase, such as equipment from an unapproved vendor, to an extra approval step. That gives you a clean record when the franchisor's field consultant asks why a unit bought what it bought.
Routine product orders from your main broadline or product distributor usually stay where they are. Procurer covers everything around them: repairs and maintenance, smallwares, uniforms, cleaning, marketing print, IT and the build-out spend for new units. See how supplier management works for vendor records, W-9s and insurance documents.
One unit, one LLC, one set of books
Multi-unit franchisees usually hold each unit, or each group of units, in its own LLC. Procurer keeps purchasing per legal entity, so a PO, its receipt and its invoice all carry the entity of the unit that bought, and the approved bill exports to that entity's books. Team includes 1 legal entity, Business 2, Scale 5 and Enterprise unlimited. Units themselves are unlimited on every plan, so a group with 14 units held in 4 LLCs runs on Scale without paying per unit.
Build-out purchasing when you open a new unit
A new unit is a project with a budget: equipment packages, signage, furniture, smallwares, IT and the contractors who install them. On Business, you set the opening up as a project with its own budget, every purchase goes through the same approval flow, and the budget shows committed spend on open POs as well as what has been paid. The owner can see at any point how much of the opening budget is already promised to vendors, which is the number that matters when a lender or the franchisor asks.
Franchise groups that run purchase orders through Procurer
Quick-service and fast casual restaurant franchisees. Unit managers order smallwares, repairs and cleaning on POs, while food stays with the distributor. The district manager approves anything above 500 USD and the owner approves equipment.
Fitness and boutique studio franchisees. Each studio requests equipment repairs, retail stock and marketing print against its own budget, and new studio openings run as projects.
Home services franchisees. Branches buy parts, tools and vehicle upfits on POs, receive them at the shop and match supplier invoices before payment.
Hotel franchisees. Each property orders FF&E replacements, linens and maintenance on POs with the property's ship-to and entity, and the asset manager sees spend by property.
Senior care and childcare franchisees. Locations request supplies and services against monthly budgets, and the owner sees every open order across sites.
Running locations under one brand that you own outright? See purchase order software for multi-location businesses.
Where Procurer fits and where it does not
Procurer is purchasing control for the franchisee or the franchise group: requests, approvals, POs, receiving and invoice matching. It is not a franchisor ordering portal where franchisees buy from the franchisor's own distribution center, and it does not manage inventory, recipes, food cost or par levels. Restaurant groups that need food cost and inventory counts keep their inventory system and use Procurer for the spend that sits outside it.
| Option | Approval before buying | Budget per unit | Brand-approved supplier catalogs | Receiving | Invoice matching | Entities | Typical price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cards and store accounts | No | Statement after the fact | No | No | Manual | Manual reclasses | Card fees and staff time |
| Distributor ordering portal | Basic, order guides | No | That distributor only | Delivery tracking | No | No | Included with the distributor |
| Restaurant inventory system | Some, for food orders | Food cost targets | Food and beverage vendors | Yes, for product | Yes, for product | Yes | Priced per unit |
| Procurer | Yes, by amount, unit and category | Yes, every plan | Business and above | Line by line, every plan | Three-way from Business | 1, 2, 5 or unlimited | 149 to 1 299 USD a month per company |
- Cards and store accounts
- Approval before buyingNoBudget per unitStatement after the factBrand-approved supplier catalogsNoReceivingNoInvoice matchingManualEntitiesManual reclassesTypical priceCard fees and staff time
- Distributor ordering portal
- Approval before buyingBasic, order guidesBudget per unitNoBrand-approved supplier catalogsThat distributor onlyReceivingDelivery trackingInvoice matchingNoEntitiesNoTypical priceIncluded with the distributor
- Restaurant inventory system
- Approval before buyingSome, for food ordersBudget per unitFood cost targetsBrand-approved supplier catalogsFood and beverage vendorsReceivingYes, for productInvoice matchingYes, for productEntitiesYesTypical pricePriced per unit
- Procurer
- Approval before buyingYes, by amount, unit and categoryBudget per unitYes, every planBrand-approved supplier catalogsBusiness and aboveReceivingLine by line, every planInvoice matchingThree-way from BusinessEntities1, 2, 5 or unlimitedTypical price149 to 1 299 USD a month per company
Which plan fits a franchise group
| Franchise group | Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 to 6 units in one LLC, up to 25 people who request, approve or receive | Team | 149 USD a month, or 888 USD a year billed yearly | Unlimited units, requests, POs, approvals by amount and department with 2 steps, receiving, unit budgets, QuickBooks Online or Xero export, up to 250 POs a month |
| Growing group in up to 2 LLCs, up to 100 users | Business | 299 USD a month, or 1 788 USD a year billed yearly | Supplier catalogs, rules by category and supplier, three-way matching, invoice inbox, spend analytics, Slack and Teams approvals, up to 1 500 POs |
| Larger group with up to 5 LLCs, up to 300 users | Scale | 699 USD a month, or 4 188 USD a year billed yearly | Up to 5 legal entities, supplier portal, contracts, RFQs, SSO, API, NetSuite or Sage Intacct export, unlimited POs |
- 3 to 6 units in one LLC, up to 25 people who request, approve or receive
- PlanTeamPrice149 USD a month, or 888 USD a year billed yearlyWhat you getUnlimited units, requests, POs, approvals by amount and department with 2 steps, receiving, unit budgets, QuickBooks Online or Xero export, up to 250 POs a month
- Growing group in up to 2 LLCs, up to 100 users
- PlanBusinessPrice299 USD a month, or 1 788 USD a year billed yearlyWhat you getSupplier catalogs, rules by category and supplier, three-way matching, invoice inbox, spend analytics, Slack and Teams approvals, up to 1 500 POs
- Larger group with up to 5 LLCs, up to 300 users
- PlanScalePrice699 USD a month, or 4 188 USD a year billed yearlyWhat you getUp to 5 legal entities, supplier portal, contracts, RFQs, SSO, API, NetSuite or Sage Intacct export, unlimited POs
Groups that hold every unit in a separate LLC and run more than five entities need Enterprise, which has unlimited entities. Compare every plan on the pricing page.
How to roll out purchase orders across your units
1. Add each unit with its delivery address, its legal entity, its approver and a monthly budget for non-product spend.
2. Import your suppliers and GL accounts from a CSV, and on Business load your brand-approved suppliers as catalogs.
3. Write your policy into rules: GM under 250 USD, district manager up to 2 500 USD, owner above that and for any off-catalog equipment.
4. Start with two units for a week, then invite the rest. Approved bills go into your QuickBooks purchase order export or the Xero purchase order approval flow from the first day.
What is the best procurement software for multi-location franchise businesses?
The best procurement software for multi-location franchise businesses approves orders before they are placed, gives each unit its own budget, keeps buyers on brand-approved suppliers and matches invoices to what each unit received. Procurer Business does this for 299 USD a month with unlimited units and up to 100 users, and Scale adds up to five legal entities.
Can each franchise unit be its own legal entity?
Yes. Purchases, receipts and invoices carry the legal entity of the unit that bought, and approved bills export to that entity's books. Team includes 1 entity, Business 2, Scale 5 and Enterprise unlimited. Units are unlimited on every plan, so you only move up a plan when you add entities or users.
Does Procurer charge per franchise location?
No. Procurer is priced per company, with 25, 100, 300 or unlimited user accounts depending on the plan. Opening another unit does not change the price unless it pushes you past the plan's user or legal entity limit.
Can a franchisor use Procurer to take orders from franchisees?
No. Procurer runs purchasing inside one company or group: requests, approvals, POs, receiving and invoice matching. It is not a franchisor ordering portal or a distribution center order system. Franchisors use it for their own corporate units and head office spend, and franchisees use it for their own units.
Does it replace our restaurant inventory system?
No. Procurer does not count inventory, track recipes or calculate food cost. Most restaurant franchisees keep their inventory system for food and beverage and use Procurer for the spend outside it: repairs, smallwares, uniforms, cleaning, IT, marketing and new unit build-outs.
Can unit managers approve from a phone?
Yes. Requests and approvals work in the mobile browser and from email on every plan, and from Slack or Microsoft Teams on Business. A district manager can approve a repair from the car between visits, with the quote and the unit's remaining budget on screen.
Every unit buying on approved POs
Create your account, add your units and their LLCs, and put next week's repairs and supply orders on purchase orders your managers and your office both see.