When an order needs sign-off before it goes out, you can turn your cart into a file and send it where it needs to go. Save a PDF to attach to a purchase order or print a paper copy, or export a CSV for a corporate office or procurement team that works in spreadsheets.
Who gets the most out of it
Schools, hospitals, and other institutional operators. Purchase orders often need a copy of the order attached before anything can be approved. Save the draft order as a PDF and attach it to the PO, or print it.
Chain and group locations that order through corporate. Many multi-unit groups require each location to submit its order to corporate in CSV or Excel before it is placed. Build the order in Pepper and send corporate the file they ask for.
Anyone who tracks spend in a spreadsheet. The CSV brings item prices, quantities, line totals, fees, and the estimated total in as numbers you can sort, sum, and compare.
Availability
Your distributor turns on each option separately, so you may see View draft order PDF, Export draft order CSV, both, or neither. Both options appear only once your cart has at least one item. If neither appears in a cart with items, your distributor hasn't turned them on yet. Reach out to your sales rep to ask about it.
Both options work on web, in the Pepper mobile app, and in a mobile browser.
PDF or CSV
The two files contain the same order information in different formats.
| View draft order PDF | Export draft order CSV |
Format | Spreadsheet (CSV) | |
Best for | Attaching to a purchase order or printing a paper copy | Sending to someone who needs to work with the numbers |
Item descriptions | Follow the Show item descriptions toggle | Always included |
Can be edited after | No | Yes, in any spreadsheet app |
Use the PDF when someone needs to sign off on a document that looks like the order. Use the CSV when corporate or procurement asks for a spreadsheet or combines orders from several locations.
Viewing a draft order as a PDF
Add at least one item to your cart.
Open your cart and click the cart menu. [VERIFY: menu name and icon as the operator sees it]
Click View draft order PDF.
Note: The PDF follows the Show item descriptions toggle in the same menu. If descriptions are turned off, they won't appear in the PDF.
Exporting a draft order to CSV
Add at least one item to your cart.
Open your cart and click the cart menu.
Click Export draft order CSV.
On web, the file downloads to your computer. On mobile, the file opens in your browser so you can save it or share it from there.
If you use multiple carts, both options use the cart you currently have open.
What's in the CSV
Each item in your cart gets its own row, with these columns:
Item #
Item Name
Description
Pack Size
Per Unit Price
Original Price
Discounted Price
Qty
Total
After the item rows, the file lists each fee or discount on its own row, with the amount in the Total column, followed by an Est. Total row. The file doesn't include your account name, delivery date, or PO and notes fields.
Original Price and Discounted Price often show the same amount. Your distributor decides whether discounts are shown per item. If they aren't, discounts appear in the rows at the bottom of the file instead.
[SCREENSHOT: Exported CSV opened in Excel showing item rows, fee and discount rows, and the Est. Total row | Excel, file exported from a Springfield cart with a fee and a discount | shows the reader what they will send to corporate]
An exported draft order opened in Excel.
The nine column headers are always in English. Item descriptions, fee and discount labels, the Est. Total label, and the menu options follow your language setting in Pepper. Accented characters open correctly in Excel.
Things to know
Draft orders only. Once an order is placed, it can't be viewed as a draft order PDF or exported to CSV.
Both options need at least one item in the cart. They are hidden on an empty cart.
The active cart only. With multiple carts, the options apply to the cart you have open.
The files reflect the cart at the moment you create them. If you change the cart afterward, create a new file.
Editing the CSV doesn't change your order. The file is a copy. To change what you order, update your cart in Pepper.
Taxes appear only if your distributor charges them as a fee. In that case they show up in the fee rows.
Frequently asked questions
I don't see View draft order PDF or Export draft order CSV. Check that your cart has at least one item. If it does and the options still aren't there, your distributor hasn't turned them on yet. Ask your sales rep.
I see View draft order PDF but not the CSV option. They are turned on separately. Your distributor may have the PDF on and not the CSV. Ask your sales rep.
Can I export an order I already placed? No. Both options are for draft orders, before you place them.
My PDF stopped showing item descriptions. The PDF follows the Show item descriptions toggle in the cart menu. Turn it back on and open the PDF again. The CSV always includes descriptions.
Original Price and Discounted Price are the same on every row. That's expected when your distributor doesn't show discounts per item. Any discounts appear in their own rows at the bottom of the file.
I tapped export on my phone and nothing downloaded. On mobile, the CSV opens in your browser instead of downloading. Use your browser's share or save option to keep it or send it.
The column headers are in English but everything else is in Spanish. That's expected. The column headers are always in English. Item descriptions and fee labels follow your language setting.
I changed the quantities in the spreadsheet. Will my order update? No. The file is a copy of your cart at the moment you exported it. Make changes in your Pepper cart, then export again.
Can I send the file straight to corporate from Pepper? No. Pepper creates the file and you send it however your corporate office or approver asks.
For distributors
View draft order PDF and Export draft order CSV are each off by default and are turned on separately, so you can offer the PDF, the CSV, or both. Each one applies to your whole distributor and can't be limited to specific customer accounts. To turn either on, contact your Pepper customer success manager. [VERIFY: confirm CSM is the right contact]