Proforma Invoice Generator
A proforma invoice is a firm quotation dressed as an invoice. The buyer needs it to do things that require a document rather than an email: open a letter of credit, apply for an import licence or foreign exchange, or get a purchase approved internally. It commits you to the prices and terms on it for as long as it says it is valid, so the validity date is not decoration.
| 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.
Parties, ports, container and line items carry across every document.
What makes it 'proforma'
It is not a demand for payment and creates no accounting entry. It states what you will supply, at what price, on what terms, if the buyer proceeds. Mark it clearly as proforma. An unmarked document that looks like a commercial invoice can be presented to customs by mistake and create a valuation record you did not intend.
Validity and lead time are the terms buyers rely on
Two dates matter and they are different. Validity is how long your price holds. Lead time is how long after a confirmed order the goods will be ready. A buyer arranging a letter of credit needs both, because the credit's latest shipment date has to accommodate your lead time and the credit has to be opened inside your validity window.
It should match the commercial invoice that follows
When the order proceeds, the commercial invoice should carry the same goods, quantities, unit prices and Incoterm. Banks checking documents against a letter of credit will compare them, and unexplained differences cause discrepancies. Those cost fees and delay payment. That happens even when everyone agrees the goods are fine.
Want a blank one, in Excel or Word? Download the proforma invoice template →
Not sure what goes in a box? How to fill out a proforma invoice, field by field →
Exporters
Make the invoice, packing list and certificate of origin for a shipment in one go, without typing the consignee's address four times.
Freight forwarders
Turn a client's spreadsheet into a clean set of documents that a customs broker will accept.
Customs brokers
Rebuild a missing or unusable document from the details you already have.
One shipment in, every document out
| FreightStow | Typical alternative | |
|---|---|---|
| Enter the details once for every document | Yes | Retype for each document |
| Document types | 33 | Varies |
| Statutory forms (CMR, ISF, USMCA origin) | Included | Often missing |
| Add, rename or remove line-item columns | Yes | Fixed templates |
| Download formats | PDF, Excel, Word | PDF only |
| Try it without an account | Yes | Usually not |
The right-hand column describes the general pattern in this category, not one named vendor. Features and plans change — check any provider’s current terms before deciding.
Commercial documents · 12
- Packing List — DetailedFull itemised packing list with HS codes, marks and numbers, package types and per-item dimensions.
- Packing List — SimpleMinimal packing list: what is in the shipment, how many packages, and what it weighs. No HS codes or dimensions.
- Packing List — ContainerPacking list broken down by container, for FCL shipments where each line must be traced to a container and seal.
- Packing List — ConsolidatedOne packing list covering several orders or invoices consolidated into a single shipment.
- Commercial InvoiceThe primary customs valuation document: what was sold, to whom, on what terms, and for how much.
- Proforma InvoiceA binding quotation in invoice form, issued before shipment so the buyer can open a letter of credit or arrange an import licence.
- Tax InvoiceInvoice showing the tax charged on a supply, in the form required for the buyer to reclaim input tax.
- Credit NoteCancels or reduces a previously issued invoice, for returns, short shipments or agreed price adjustments.
- Purchase OrderThe buyer's formal instruction to supply goods on stated terms, prices and delivery dates.
- QuotationA priced offer to supply, stating validity, lead time and the Incoterms the price is quoted on.
- Request for QuotationInvites a supplier to price a specified list of goods against stated delivery terms and a response deadline.
- Sales ConfirmationThe seller's acceptance of an order, confirming goods, price, terms and shipment schedule back to the buyer.
Declarations & instructions · 10
- Non Asbestos DeclarationCertifies that the goods contain no asbestos in any form — required by Australia, Saudi Arabia and other markets that ban asbestos outright.
- New and Unused DeclarationCertifies that the goods are new and have never been used — required where the destination restricts imports of second-hand goods.
- Packing DeclarationDeclares the timber packaging and container cleanliness of a consignment — required for Australian and New Zealand biosecurity clearance.
- DeclarationA blank declaration on letterhead, for the one-off statements a buyer, bank or customs authority asks for that have no standard form.
- Declaration of OriginA self-certified origin statement made by the exporter, used where a full chamber-stamped certificate of origin is not required.
- Verified Gross Mass DeclarationThe SOLAS VGM certificate. No container may be loaded to a vessel without a signed verified gross mass from the shipper.
- Shipper's Letter of InstructionThe exporter's instructions to their freight forwarder, including the authority to act as agent for customs purposes.
- Shipping InstructionTells the carrier exactly how the bill of lading should read: parties, routing, cargo description and freight terms.
- Forwarding InstructionBooks a consignment with a freight forwarder: collection details, routing, cargo particulars and who pays which charges.
- Sales ContractThe agreement itself: goods, price, delivery terms, payment and the clauses both parties sign against.
Statutory & customs forms · 11
- CMR — Consignment Note (Sender)The sender's copy of the international road consignment note, retained as proof of what was handed to the carrier.
- CMR — Consignment Note (Carrier)The carrier's copy of the road consignment note, evidencing the contract of carriage.
- CMR — Consignment Note (Consignee)The consignee's copy of the road consignment note, travelling with the goods and signed on delivery.
- Bill of LadingThe carrier's receipt for the goods, evidence of the contract of carriage, and a document of title the consignee must surrender to collect the cargo.
- Certificate of OriginCertifies where goods were produced. Usually stamped by a chamber of commerce and required to claim tariff treatment or satisfy a letter of credit.
- Certification of Origin (USMCA/CUSMA/T-MEC)The free-trade certification for US–Mexico–Canada shipments. Has no prescribed form, but must carry all nine required data elements.
- Importer Security FilingThe ten data elements a US importer must file with CBP at least 24 hours before cargo is laden aboard a vessel bound for the United States.
- Phytosanitary CertificateCertifies that a consignment of plants or plant products meets the importing country's phytosanitary requirements.
- Form 6 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document accompanying a transboundary shipment of hazardous waste, tracking it from exporter to disposal facility.
- Form 9 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document for transboundary shipments of hazardous recyclable material, tracking custody through to the recovery facility.
- Bill of ExchangeAn unconditional written order requiring the drawee to pay a fixed sum on demand or at a stated future date — the instrument behind documentary collections.
+What is the difference between a proforma invoice and a quotation?
Functionally little, but the format matters to third parties. A quotation is a commercial offer in any layout you like. A proforma invoice presents the same offer in invoice form, with the fields a bank or licensing authority expects to see. When a buyer says they need a proforma, they usually mean their bank will not accept your quotation.
+Can a proforma invoice be used for customs clearance?
Sometimes, for temporary imports, samples or shipments with no commercial value. For a normal commercial import, customs wants the commercial invoice, because the proforma records an intention rather than a completed transaction.
+Do I charge tax on a proforma invoice?
No. It is not a tax point and generates no liability. Show the tax that will apply so the buyer can see the landed figure, but the actual charge arises on the commercial or tax invoice.
+How long should a proforma invoice be valid?
Long enough for the buyer to act, short enough to protect you from currency and input-cost movement. Thirty days is a common default. If your materials are volatile, say so and shorten it rather than quietly absorbing the risk.
+Does a proforma invoice need an invoice number?
Give it a reference, but keep it in a separate series from your commercial invoices. Reusing the commercial sequence creates gaps in your accounting records for orders that never proceeded, and auditors ask about gaps.
Try it with a real shipment.
The generator on this page is the real product. Fill it in, download the PDF, and see if it is what you need.
Create a proforma invoice