How to fill out a quotation
A quotation prices an enquiry. It is not usually binding on its own, but a buyer will compare it against two others line by line — and a quote that omits the Incoterm or the validity period is either not comparable or open forever while your costs move.
The 18 fields on a quotation
Taken from the document itself, in the order it prints them.
- Document No.
- Date
- Valid Until
The most-skipped field on the document. Without it the offer arguably stands indefinitely while freight rates and material costs move underneath it. Thirty days is the usual default.
- Incoterms
Decides which costs are inside the number you are quoting. An EXW price and a CIF price for identical goods differ by freight, insurance and clearance, so a quote without a term is not a comparable figure.
- Lead Time
From a trigger, not a calendar date. \u201c28 days from order confirmation\u201d holds when the buyer takes three weeks to decide.
- Currency
For a quotation valid thirty days this is also a currency-risk decision. On longer validity, say who bears a movement.
- Seller
- Buyer
- Discount
- Freight
- Insurance
- Other Charges
- Incoterms Place
The named place, and it is half the term. \u201cFOB\u201d says nothing; \u201cFOB Yantian\u201d says where your cost stops.
- Notes
Where the conditions go: minimum order quantity, tooling charges, whether the price assumes a full container, what happens if input costs move.
- 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 what you are offering: material, grade, dimensions, finish. This wording carries onto the proforma, the invoice and any letter of credit written against it.
- HS Code
Lets the buyer look up their own duty rate before deciding. Omitting it is a common reason a quote comes back with questions rather than an order.
- Qty
- Unit
- Unit Price
Per unit, on the stated term. If it steps with quantity, put the breaks on the line rather than in a footnote nobody reads.
- Amount
A working quotation, 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 quotation is valid until and is subject to our standard terms of sale. Prices are quoted . Delivery from receipt of confirmed order.
Your entries are kept as you move between documents: the parties, ports, container and line items all carry across.
Quote a term or you have not quoted a price
This is the single most common failure. A buyer comparing three quotes where one is EXW, one is FOB and one is CIF is comparing three different things, and the cheapest number on the page is frequently the most expensive delivery. Stating the rule and the place makes your quote comparable, which usually helps you.
Where the quotation sits in the sequence
Request for quotation, quotation, purchase order, sales confirmation. The proforma slots in where the buyer needs a formal document to open a credit or apply for a licence. On smaller transactions a proforma replaces the quotation entirely, which is fine provided you know you have skipped the non-binding step.
Say what is excluded
Duty, destination charges, unloading, inspection fees. Buyers assume anything unmentioned is included, and the argument at the far end is expensive relative to the sentence it would have taken.
+Is a quotation binding?
Usually not by itself, but a sufficiently specific quotation accepted unconditionally can form a contract. Marking it as an indication and stating a validity period is how you keep control.
+What is the difference from a proforma invoice?
A proforma is a quotation in invoice form, and is treated as closer to a firm offer. Banks and licensing authorities generally want the proforma; a quotation is for the commercial conversation.
+Should I quote in the buyer's currency?
It helps them and moves the exchange risk to you. On a thirty-day validity that is usually acceptable; on a six-month one, state who carries a movement.
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 quotation generator