Create a pro forma invoice

A pro forma invoice prices a sale that has not happened yet. Your customer asks for one to obtain bank financing, open a documentary credit, prepare customs clearance or build a tender file. By the end of this guide, you will know how to issue one, send it, then turn it into a real invoice on the day of the sale.

How a pro forma differs from an invoice

Point	Pro forma invoice	Invoice
Accounting effect	None: no entry	Entry in the sales journal
Stock	No movement	Stock issue on validation
Number	Separate series, PF- prefix (e.g. PF-26-AA00001)	Invoice series, FC- prefix
Date	Validity date, no due date	Due date
PDF title	PRO FORMA INVOICE	INVOICE

The prefix is set in the invoicing settings, like those of quotes and invoices.

Create the pro forma

1. Open Sales → Pro formas and click New pro forma.

2. Fill in the form as for a quote: customer, subject, date, validity date, lines, discounts and terms.

3. Check the document with PDF preview: it carries the PRO FORMA INVOICE title.

4. Click Save draft, or Send to customer to send it straight away with the PDF attached.

A screen shared with quotes

The pro forma creation page currently shows the title “New quote”. It is indeed a pro forma that is saved: it appears under Sales → Pro formas with a PF- number.

Send several pro formas

In the list, tick the pro formas then start the bulk send. You choose between one email per pro forma, or a single email per customer grouping all their pro formas. A pro forma already sent shows its sending date.

The list’s Export button produces an Excel file or a PDF archive; the file lands in the export centre.

Turn the pro forma into an invoice

On the day the sale happens (the bank granted the loan, the goods ship), open the pro forma, click Accept, then Convert to invoice. The invoice takes the lines; you complete the due date and validate it. The detailed procedure is the one for converting a quote.

The invoice created states which pro forma it comes from.

Identical amounts

A bank or a freight forwarder often compares the pro forma with the final invoice. If the price changes, edit the pro forma before converting it, or issue a new one: the invoice takes its lines exactly.

Pro forma statuses

Status	Meaning
Pending	Saved, awaiting the customer’s decision
Accepted	The sale is confirmed, conversion is possible
Refused	The customer gave up
Expired	The validity date has passed
Invoiced	An invoice was created from this pro forma

See also

• Create a quote →
• Convert a quote to an invoice →
• Create a customer invoice →