Quotation Template
A quotation is a price offered on conditions, and the conditions are what make it usable. A buyer arranging finance needs to know how long the price holds, how long after ordering the goods will be ready, and which costs are included. Those three answers turn a number into something they can act on.
| 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.
Parties, ports, container and line items carry across every document.
Validity and lead time are two different clocks
Validity is how long your price stands. Lead time is how long after a confirmed order the goods will be ready. They are routinely confused, and the confusion is expensive: a buyer opening a letter of credit needs the credit's latest shipment date to accommodate your lead time, and needs the credit opened inside your validity window. State both, in days, rather than leaving either to be inferred.
A price without an Incoterm is not a price
The same goods quoted EXW and quoted CIF differ by freight, insurance, export clearance and inland haulage. Quote the Incoterm and the named place together, in the 2020 form, so the buyer can compare you against another supplier on the same basis. Where you quote more than one basis, list them separately. Do not describe the difference in prose.
What turns a quotation into an order
A quotation is an invitation, not a contract. It becomes an order when the buyer accepts it, usually by issuing a purchase order that quotes your quotation number. Keeping that number visible on the quotation, and expecting it back on the PO, is what lets both sides confirm they are agreeing to the same version. That matters when you have requoted twice on changing quantities.
Prefer to fill it in on screen? Use the quotation generator →
Not sure what goes in a box? How to fill out a quotation, 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.
+How long should a quotation be valid for?
Long enough for the buyer to arrange payment, short enough that you are not exposed to currency and raw material movement. Thirty days is common for stock items. Shorter is normal where you are quoting against a volatile input cost. Whatever you choose, print the expiry date rather than a duration, so there is no argument about when the clock started.
+Is a quotation legally binding?
Generally not until it is accepted, and not after it expires. It is an offer, and it can normally be withdrawn before acceptance. That said, a quotation marked as firm for a stated period is harder to withdraw within that period, so use that wording deliberately.
+What is the difference between a quotation and a proforma invoice?
A quotation offers a price. A proforma invoice is laid out like a real invoice and is what a buyer takes to their bank to open a letter of credit or to their authorities for an import licence. Where money or permits depend on the document, issue a proforma. For a straightforward price enquiry, a quotation is enough.
+Should I include payment terms in a quotation?
Yes. Thirty percent deposit against seventy on copy of bill of lading is a different offer from ninety days net, and a buyer comparing two suppliers on price alone is not comparing the same thing. Payment terms also affect your own financing cost, so quoting them makes the price defensible.
+Can I quote in a currency other than my own?
Yes, and buyers often prefer it. Be explicit about which currency, and remember that the exchange risk moves to whoever is not quoting in their home currency. That is a reason to keep validity short when quoting abroad.
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.
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