Google Forms doesn't have a payment field. To accept payments on a purchase order form in Google Forms, you need a third-party add-on called Payable Forms, which charges fees on every transaction over $2.50. It works, but it adds steps, costs, and limitations that most small businesses would rather avoid.
This guide walks you through the full setup process in Google Forms, explains where it falls short, and shows how Paperform handles purchase order forms with native payment fields on every plan, including the free one.
What is a purchase order form?
A purchase order form is an agreement between a buyer and a seller that spells out what's being sold, at what price, and when. It's a record of the transaction that both parties can refer back to for bookkeeping, returns, and disputes.
Any business selling goods or services needs some version of this, whether it's a freelancer sending a single invoice or an online store processing hundreds of orders a month.
You don't technically need to collect payment inside the PO form itself, but combining the two saves time. One form, one step, one fewer thing for the customer to do. For small businesses without a dedicated checkout system, a purchase order form that accepts payments can replace an entire eCommerce setup.
How to make a purchase order form in Google Forms
Here's how to build a purchase order form in Google Forms that accepts payments using the Payable Forms add-on. It takes five steps.
Step 1: Create a form
Go to Google Forms and start with a blank form or the order form template. The template doesn't include payment fields (Google Forms doesn't have any), but it gives you a starting structure.
Customisation options are limited to a header image, background colour, and font choices.
Step 2: Add your purchase order fields
Click the add question icon to insert fields. Google Forms offers short answer, multiple choice, dropdown, multiple choice grid, and date/time field types.
Since there's no dedicated product or payment field, you'll need to use multiple choice or dropdown questions to list your items. Include the price in each answer option (e.g., "Blue T-Shirt, Small, $25").
A few things Google Forms can't do here:
- No quantity selection. You'll need to list each quantity as a separate answer option with the price pre-calculated (e.g., "2x Blue T-Shirt, $50").
- No stock management. You'll have to update item availability manually.
- No automatic price calculation. Every price variation needs its own answer option.
Add fields for delivery method, email, contact information, and any other details you need.
Step 3: Install Payable Forms
Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner of the form builder and select "Get add-ons" (the puzzle piece icon). Search for Payable Forms in the Google Workspace Marketplace and install it. You'll need to grant several permissions, including allowing the add-on to delete cell data in Google Sheets.
Once installed, Payable Forms walks you through four setup steps:
- Connect a Google Sheet to collect responses.
- Add a sample payment section so you can see how to format product listings in a way the add-on understands.
- Sync your checkout theme and preview what customers will see.
- Connect your payment gateway. Choose from PayPal, Square, or Stripe.
Worth noting: Payable Forms detects currency symbols in your answer options to identify prices. Make sure your country and currency settings are correct before going live.
Step 4: Adjust sharing settings
Go to Settings > Responses and configure:
- Toggle on "Collect email addresses" (Payable Forms requires this).
- Toggle off "Restrict to users in your organisation" (so anyone can order).
- Toggle off "Limit to one response" (so customers can place multiple orders).
Step 5: Preview and share
Click the eye icon to preview your form and test the payment flow. Once everything looks right, click the purple Send button to share your form via link, email, or embed code.
3 limitations of processing payments in Google Forms
The setup above works, but it comes with trade-offs worth understanding before you commit.
1. No native payment field
Google Forms was built for surveys and quizzes, not transactions. There's no payment field, no product listing field, and no way to calculate totals automatically. Every "product" is a multiple-choice answer with the price manually typed into the option text.
This means more setup time for you and a clunkier experience for customers. A buyer who wants three different items in different quantities has to navigate multiple dropdown menus with pre-calculated price options instead of adding items to a cart.
2. Transaction fees on every sale
Payable Forms charges a minimum of 0.25% on every purchase over $2.50. For products priced at $75 or more, the fee increases.
That might seem small, but it compounds. Sell 30 units a day at $20 each and you're looking at over $500 in add-on fees per year, on top of whatever your payment processor (Stripe, PayPal, or Square) already charges. Those fees come directly out of your margin.
3. Limited branding and customisation
Google Forms gives you a header image, a background colour, and a font. That's it.
For a quick internal form, that's fine. For a customer-facing purchase order form where someone is handing over their credit card details, it matters more. Research shows that 75% of people judge a company's credibility based on its website design, and 94% cite design as the primary reason they mistrust a website. A payment page that looks like a school quiz doesn't inspire confidence.
How to create a purchase order form for free with Paperform
Paperform is an online form builder for small and growing businesses that includes native payment fields on every plan, including the free one. No add-ons, no workarounds, no transaction fees from Paperform (standard payment processor fees from Stripe, PayPal, etc. still apply).
Here's how to set up a purchase order form:
- Pick a template. Choose from 750+ order form templates, including a dedicated purchase order template, or start from scratch.
- Add your fields. The doc-style editor lets you drag in over 25 form fields. For purchase orders, use the Price field or Donation field to collect payments directly.
- Connect a payment gateway. Link your Stripe, PayPal, Square, Braintree, or Google Pay account. All five gateways are available on the free plan.
- Customise. Add your logo, brand colours, images, and custom fonts. Embed the form on your website or share via link.
- Publish. Your form is live and accepting payments.
That's it. No third-party add-ons, no permission grants, no reformatting your answer options to include dollar signs.
How Paperform compares to Google Forms for purchase orders
| Feature | Google Forms + Payable Forms | Paperform (Free) | Paperform (Essentials, $24/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native payment field | No (requires add-on) | Yes (Price and Donation fields) | Yes (Price, Donation, and Product fields) |
| Payment gateways | PayPal, Square, Stripe (via add-on) | Stripe, PayPal, Square, Braintree, Google Pay | Stripe, PayPal, Square, Braintree, Google Pay |
| Add-on transaction fees | 0.25%+ on sales over $2.50 | None from Paperform | None from Paperform |
| Product catalogues | No | No | Yes |
| Automatic price calculations | No | No | Yes (Calculations field) |
| Quantity selection | Manual (list each qty as option) | No | Yes (Product field with qty selector) |
| Stock management | Manual | No | Automatic (updates with each sale) |
| Subscriptions | No | No | Yes |
| Discount codes | No | No | Yes |
| Custom branding | Header + background colour | Full design control | Full design control + custom CSS |
| Tax calculations | Manual | Automatic | Automatic |
| Payment submissions | Unlimited (with fees) | 5/month | 1,200/year |
What you get on free vs paid plans
Paperform's free plan is designed for individuals and small teams getting started. It's enough to create a purchase order form that collects payments, but it has limits.
What the free plan includes for payments:
- Price and Donation fields (accept one-time payments)
- All five payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal, Square, Braintree, Google Pay)
- Automatic tax calculations
- Quotes and invoices
- Refund processing
- 5 payment submissions per month
- 30 total form submissions per month
- Unlimited forms
What requires a paid plan (Essentials at $24/mo or higher):
- Product Sales fields with catalogues, images, and quantity selectors
- Subscriptions and recurring billing
- Discount and coupon codes
- Custom pricing rules
- Calculations field for complex pricing logic
- Scoring and auto-close features
For a freelancer, consultant, or small business collecting straightforward payments on a purchase order form, the free plan covers the basics. For businesses that need a full eCommerce setup with product catalogues, stock tracking, and discount codes, the Essentials plan at $24/month unlocks those features. You can start with the free plan and upgrade when your needs grow.
Need to automate what happens after an order comes in? Connect Paperform to Stepper to trigger workflows like sending confirmation emails, updating your inventory spreadsheet, or creating tasks in your project management tool.
Frequently asked questions
Can Google Forms accept payments?
Not natively. Google Forms has no built-in payment field. To accept payments, you need a third-party add-on like Payable Forms, which connects your form to Stripe, PayPal, or Square. The add-on charges a minimum of 0.25% on every transaction over $2.50, on top of your payment processor's standard fees.
Is Payable Forms free to use with Google Forms?
Payable Forms is free to install, but it charges transaction fees on every purchase over $2.50. The fee starts at 0.25% of the unit price and increases for higher-priced items. These fees are in addition to whatever your payment processor (Stripe, PayPal, or Square) charges.
Can I create a purchase order form with payments for free?
Yes. Paperform's free plan includes Price and Donation fields with support for five payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal, Square, Braintree, and Google Pay). You can accept up to 5 payment submissions per month at no cost from Paperform. Standard payment processor fees still apply.
What's the difference between Paperform's free and paid plans for payments?
The free plan lets you accept one-time payments using Price and Donation fields. Paid plans (starting at $24/month) add Product Sales fields with catalogues, quantity selectors, stock management, subscriptions, discount codes, and custom pricing rules. Both tiers include all five payment gateways with no Paperform transaction fees.
Can I manage product inventory through Google Forms?
No. Google Forms has no stock management feature. If an item sells out, you need to manually update your form to remove or mark that option as unavailable. Paperform's Product field (available on the Essentials plan and above) tracks stock automatically and updates availability with each sale.
Do I need a Stripe or PayPal account to use Paperform's payment features?
Yes. Paperform connects to your existing Stripe, PayPal, Square, Braintree, or Google Pay account to process payments. Paperform doesn't process payments directly or hold your funds. Your customers pay through your payment processor, and the money goes straight to your account.
Can I migrate my existing Google Forms to Paperform?
Yes. Paperform has a Google Forms import tool that lets you bring over your existing forms. Once imported, you can add payment fields and customisation that Google Forms doesn't support.
Ready to build a purchase order form that accepts payments without add-ons or extra fees? See how Paperform compares to Google Forms and decide for yourself.