How to fill out a proforma invoice
A proforma invoice is a quotation written in the shape of an invoice. It is issued before anything ships, and it exists because a buyer usually needs a formal document to act on — to open a letter of credit, to apply for an import licence, to release foreign exchange, or simply to raise a purchase order. It is not a demand for payment and it is not evidence of a sale, but it is very close to an offer, and it should be written as though it will be accepted exactly as it stands.
The 28 fields on a proforma invoice
Taken from the document itself, in the order it prints them.
- Document No.
- Date
- PO Reference
- Incoterms
The rule and the named place, because it decides which costs are inside the price you are quoting. Quoting a figure without an Incoterm quotes an unknown number.
- Payment Terms
What you are asking for and when: deposit percentage, balance trigger, credit period, method. Under a letter of credit this text is transcribed into the credit almost verbatim.
- Currency
The currency being quoted, which for a forward-dated quotation is also a currency-risk decision. Where the validity period is long, say who bears a movement.
- Shipper / Exporter
- Consignee
- Notify Party
- Method of Dispatch
- Vessel / Voyage
- Port of Loading
- Port of Discharge
- Country of Origin
Buyers need it before shipment because it determines their duty rate and whether an import licence is required at all. Stating it on the proforma stops a nasty surprise after the deposit is paid.
- Country of Destination
- Discount
- Freight
- Insurance
- Other Charges
- Valid Until
The date the quotation expires, and the field most often left blank. Without it the offer arguably stands indefinitely while your costs move underneath it. Thirty days is a common default.
- Lead Time
How long from order to readiness, stated as a period rather than a date, since the clock starts when the order or the deposit lands. “35 days from receipt of deposit” survives a delay in ordering; “ready 14 March” does not.
- Delivery Terms
How the goods will move and any conditions attached — partial shipment, transhipment, packing arrangements. A letter of credit will mirror whatever is written here, so vagueness now becomes a discrepancy later.
- Bank Details
Needed for the buyer to arrange payment or open a credit. Under a letter of credit these details must match the credit exactly — banks reject on a single wrong character in an account name.
- Notes
- Name
- Title
- Place
- Date
The line-item columns
One row per product. Columns can be hidden, renamed or added in the generator.
- Item #
- Description
Specific enough to be the thing you are contractually offering: material, dimensions, grade, finish. This wording becomes the commercial invoice's wording, and any letter of credit will be written against it.
- HS Code
Lets the buyer look up their own duty rate before committing. Omitting it is a common reason a proforma comes back with questions instead of an order.
- Qty
- Unit
- Unit Price
The quoted price per unit on the stated Incoterm. If it depends on the order quantity, say so on the line rather than in a footnote.
- Amount
- Net Wt
- Gross Wt
- Origin
A working proforma invoice, prefilled with a sample shipment. Every field above is editable here, and it downloads as a PDF.
| Item # | Description | HS Code | Qty | Unit | Unit Price (USD) | Amount (USD) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
This proforma invoice is valid until . It is a quotation and not a demand for payment. Goods will be despatched within of order confirmation.
Your entries are kept as you move between documents: the parties, ports, container and line items all carry across.
Proforma against commercial invoice
They carry nearly the same fields, which is why the wrong one gets sent. A proforma precedes the sale and quotes what a shipment would cost; a commercial invoice records a sale that has happened and is what customs values the goods on. A proforma presented at the border is not evidence of transaction value, and a commercial invoice sent to open a letter of credit is a document raised before there is anything to invoice.
What a bank looks for
When a buyer opens a letter of credit against your proforma, the bank transcribes it. Anything ambiguous becomes an ambiguous credit, and an ambiguous credit becomes a discrepancy when you present documents. Be explicit about partial shipment and transhipment, name the exact documents you will present, and state the Incoterm with its place. Every vague phrase here costs you at presentation.
It is closer to an offer than people think
In many jurisdictions a signed proforma accepted by the buyer forms a contract. Treat the terms as ones you are prepared to be held to: put a validity date on it, state what happens if input costs move, and do not quote a lead time you have not confirmed with production.
+Can a proforma invoice be used to clear customs?
No. Customs values goods on the commercial invoice. A proforma may sometimes accompany a shipment for information, but it is not the valuation document.
+Is a proforma invoice legally binding?
Not by itself, but it is usually treated as an offer, and once the buyer accepts it — typically by signing it back or paying a deposit — a contract commonly exists on its terms. Write it accordingly.
+Should a proforma invoice have an invoice number?
Yes, and it should be from a separate series to your commercial invoices. Sharing a sequence makes it impossible to tell a quotation from a sale in your own records.
+Do I need to issue a commercial invoice afterwards?
Yes. When the goods ship you issue a commercial invoice reflecting what was actually sent, which may differ from the proforma in quantity or price. Customs needs the actual figures.
Judge it by the document, not the feature list.
Everything above is already on the form. Fill it in and download the PDF — no account needed.
Open the proforma invoice generator