PunchOut glossary: procurement and commerce terms explained.

Key terms

Approval

The buyer-side review that decides whether a requisition or returned cart can proceed to an approved purchase order.

Catalog access

The store, collections or product scope assigned to a specific buyer connection.

cXML

Commerce XML, a structured protocol used for procurement and commerce messages, including PunchOut workflows.

Connection

A configured buyer or store relationship. Under the published pricing model, a new buyer or additional store counts as a connection.

Cart return

The step where products selected in the supplier catalog are sent back to the buyer procurement system for review.

Hosted catalog

Catalog content maintained inside or for the buyer procurement environment rather than shopped through the supplier site.

Invoice

A downstream commercial document associated with the order and buyer payment process; exact format and delivery are buyer-specific.

OCI

Open Catalog Interface, an interface used to connect an external catalog with a procurement or ERP environment.

PO

Purchase order: the approved buyer document sent to the supplier after the buyer approval process.

PunchOut

A B2B purchasing method where the buyer opens a supplier ecommerce catalog from procurement, shops there and returns the cart for approval.

PunchOut session

The active buyer interaction from catalog launch through cart return.

Shopify order

The supplier store order created after the approved PO reaches the PunchOut connection.

Store-level PunchOut

A broad entry point that opens the supplier store or catalog. It is often called Level 1 in buyer documentation.

Item-level PunchOut

A more specific entry point to a category or product context. It is often called Level 2 in buyer documentation, but labels vary.

Transaction journey

The tracked sequence from PunchOut Started through Cart Returned, Buyer Approved, PO Received, Store Order Created and Invoice Generated.