What is the Difference Between PunchOut and CheckOut?

Question:

• How is PunchOut different from CheckOut in Procurify's system?
• Is Procurify PunchOut the same thing as Procurify CheckOut?
• What can I do with PunchOut that I can't do with CheckOut?

Where:

• Procurify web app

Answer:

Procurify PunchOut and Procurify CheckOut allow users to perform similar tasks, but they are not the same thing. 

PunchOut provides more control and lets approvers, purchasers, and administrators do more with order information submitted by requesters. However, since they sound and look similar, and since both are accessed from the same Supplier Portal button in the Request For Order page, the differences may not always be clear.

Procurify PunchOut refers to a select group of full integrations built into Procurify's platform.

If your organization's account has a particular PunchOut enabled - for example, Amazon PunchOut is a popular choice - and the integration has been installed and set up by one of your account's Superusers (top-level Procurify administrators), PunchOut will allow you to order items directly from that vendor's website.

As a requester, you don't have to install anything or enter any new login information before ordering and submitting items for approval - Procurify's integration does all of that for you.

Procurify CheckOut is a tool that uses a Google Chrome extension to connect you with the catalog on a vendor's website.

CheckOut will also allow you to order items directly from a vendor's website through the Supplier Portal button, but it is not a full integration built into Procurify's platform.

If your organization's account has CheckOut enabled, each user who wants to access it must first install the Chrome extension and use it to sign into the vendor's website with their login information for that vendor before they can use CheckOut in Procurify.

Comparing Procurify PunchOut with Procurify CheckOut

Similarities

• Both take users directly from Procurify to the vendor's website to create an order
• Both allow users to submit their orders for approval in Procurify
• Both are accessed from the Supplier Portal button in the Request For Order (RFO) page
• Both must be enabled as a "feature flag" for any users from your organization to be able to set up and access these tools
• Both are limited to specific vendors, although the vendors are different for each (for example, there's PunchOut but no CheckOut for Amazon, while there's CheckOut but no PunchOut for CDW)

Differences

• PunchOut is an integration that requires installation and setup in Procurify by an administrator with access permissions
• CheckOut is a tool that must be enabled in Procurify and which requires a separate Google Chrome extension to be installed by the user 
• PunchOut can be accessed using any internet browser (except Internet Explorer 11), while CheckOut can only be accessed using Chrome browser
• Superusers/administrators can limit and control which users can access PunchOut in Procurify, while CheckOut can be accessed by any users in the account if they have login information for the websites of the vendors they want to order from
• Superusers/administrators can control how payments are made through PunchOut but are not able to do so for orders coming from CheckOut
• Only PunchOut orders are specially marked as vendor-specific in Procurify's Request, Approve, and Procure modules - for example, Amazon PunchOut orders are marked with  
• Procurify's system has special search filters built in for PunchOut orders/items but not for CheckOut orders/items

If you still have questions, please get a Superuser or another administrator of your Procurify account to contact your Procurify Customer Success Manager for more information, including:

• whether your organization qualifies for PunchOut or CheckOut
• whether these tools have been activated or installed for your organization
• which vendors or suppliers can be accessed through Procurify PunchOut or CheckOut

You may also reach out to Procurify's Support Team or inquire within the Procurify Community to find out more.