1. What is Order From Anyone (OFA)?
Order From Anyone (OFA) lets venues place orders with any supplier they use, even if that supplier is not fully set up on Ordermentum.
When a venue sends you an order through OFA, you will receive it as a Purchase Order (PO) via email.
These POs:
Do not appear in your Orders tab on Ordermentum
Are not paid through Ordermentum
Must be treated like any emailed purchase order (confirm, fulfil, invoice, and collect payment directly)
Screenshot placeholder: What an OFA Purchase Order email looks like
2. Ordermentum Order vs OFA Purchase Order
Ordermentum Order (Marketplace Order)
This is your normal Ordermentum workflow.
Appears in your Orders tab on Ordermentum
Uses your units, your pricing, your terms
Paid through the customer’s usual method (card, direct debit, etc)
You receive payment through Ordermentum’s settlement process
Email is titled: “Order Confirmation - <supplier name> - <order number>”
Screenshot placeholder: Standard Ordermentum Order email
Order From Anyone Purchase Order (OFA PO)
This is a customer-generated purchase order.
Sent only by email (not visible in your Orders tab on Ordermentum)
Units and product names/prices may be customer-entered
Not paid through Ordermentum
You must invoice the venue and collect payment
Email is titled: “<venue name> - new order <PO number> ”
Comes from the same sender: notifications@ordermentum.com
Because the sender address is the same as your Ordermentum orders, OFA POs can look similar.
3. Quick comparison
| Ordermentum Order | OFA Purchase Order (PO) |
Where it appears | Email + your Orders tab | Email only |
Pricing & units | Your catalogue | Customer-entered |
Paid through OM? | Yes | No |
Who collects payment? | Ordermentum | Supplier (you) |
Email title | Order Confirmation - <supplier name> - <order number> | <venue name> - new order <PO number> |
Sender email |
4. Why it’s important to look out for OFA Purchase Orders
Suppliers using OM Lite have occasionally fulfilled OFA POs believing they were normal, paid Ordermentum orders.
Common issues include:
Stock sent without payment collected
Difficulty recovering payment from venues
Confusion during busy receiving shifts or late-night order processing
Team members not noticing small differences between the email formats
Setting up an inbox filter (next section) will help ensure these orders don’t slip through unnoticed.
5. How to set up an inbox filter for OFA Purchase Orders
Gmail instructions
In Gmail, click the search bar and paste this:
Subject:"new order" AND from:(notifications@ordermentum.com)Click the filter icon (Show search options).
Choose:
Star it
Mark as important
Never send to spam
Categorise it as Primary
Save your filter.
Why this works
Normal OM orders = “Order confirmation”
OFA POs = “new order”
Filtering by subject line is the most reliable way to differentiate the two.
6. FAQs
Do I need to accept or reject OFA purchase orders?
No. You handle them as you would any emailed PO. Contact the venue directly if anything is unclear.
Are OFA purchase orders paid through Ordermentum?
No. These orders are not paid through OM - you must invoice the venue yourself.
Why do units sometimes look incorrect (e.g. “each” instead of “kg”)?
Because the venue enters the product manually. If you’re unsure, confirm with the venue before fulfilling.
Can I stop receiving OFA purchase orders?
Not at this stage. Venues use OFA to consolidate their ordering, even when ordering from suppliers not on Ordermentum.
How can I avoid mixing up the two types?
Check the subject line
Look for the label “Purchase Order”
Use the inbox filter above
Train any staff who receive or process orders
7. Want all your orders and payments in one place?
Ordermentum Core adds full ordering, catalogues, payment collection, automated settlements, and integration options. Foodbomb Legacy customers will be required to sign commercial agreements moving to Ordermentum Core.
Key differences being that Suppliers on Core (vs OM Lite) will receive daily remittance of the full amount from orders alongside an invoice from Ordermentum once a month with fees. This is great for cashflow.
Other benefits include allowing venues to buy from Suppliers on Ordermentum without incurring marketplace fees (cost per customer per month is $8) and the ability to add and edit pricing tiers for customers.
Suppliers will also receive a sign up link and QR code to allow customers to connect seamlessly - fantastic option to allow venues to choose where to place orders.
Contact your Success Manager Danielle Wilson to discuss further.