Proforma Invoice Template
A proforma invoice is a preliminary bill sent before goods ship or work starts, stating the exact items, prices and terms the seller intends to invoice, so the buyer can arrange payment, financing or an import licence. The template below is pre-filled with a sample from Lakeside Ceramics Ltd to Bluebird Home Store: 5 lines, $3,140.00. Edit it and download the PDF.
Pre-filled proforma invoice sample ($3,140.00). Example prices: replace them with your own.
From
Lakeside Ceramics Ltd
12 Market Street
Springfield, IL 62704
billing@example.com
Proforma Invoice
Bill to
Bluebird Home Store
40 Station Road
Fairview, OR 97024
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stoneware dinner plate, 27 cmGlazed, sage green | 120 each | $9.50 | $1,140.00 |
| Stoneware bowl, 16 cm | 120 each | $7.25 | $870.00 |
| Oval serving platter | 30 each | $22.00 | $660.00 |
| Export cartons and pallet wrap | 2 pallet | $65.00 | $130.00 |
| Freight to port of loading | 1 shipment | $340.00 | $340.00 |
- Subtotal
- $3,140.00
- Total due
- $3,140.00
Notes
This is not a tax invoice. A commercial invoice will be issued when the goods ship.
Made with Billwise - invoice-pdf-maker-app.web.app
Preview of the PDF. Everything stays in your browser: nothing is uploaded.
What is a proforma invoice?
A proforma invoice is a preliminary bill sent before goods ship or work starts, stating the exact items, prices and terms the seller intends to invoice, so the buyer can arrange payment, financing or an import licence.
The tool prints it with the heading "Proforma Invoice" and behaves as a proforma, with a valid-until date instead of a due date.
Sample proforma invoice: Lakeside Ceramics Ltd to Bluebird Home Store
| Item | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stoneware dinner plate, 27 cm (Glazed, sage green) | 120 each | $9.50 | $1,140.00 |
| Stoneware bowl, 16 cm | 120 each | $7.25 | $870.00 |
| Oval serving platter | 30 each | $22.00 | $660.00 |
| Export cartons and pallet wrap | 2 pallet | $65.00 | $130.00 |
| Freight to port of loading | 1 shipment | $340.00 | $340.00 |
| Total | $3,140.00 |
When to use a proforma invoice
- A buyer abroad needs a priced document to open a letter of credit or apply for an import licence before the goods are shipped.
- You ask for payment in advance and want the customer to see the exact amount, bank details and delivery terms before they pay.
- A customer's purchasing department must approve the spend internally before it can raise a purchase order.
- You send goods as samples or on consignment and the carrier or customs broker asks for a document showing their value.
What a proforma invoice must include
- The heading 'Proforma Invoice', so nobody books it as a tax invoice
- Seller and buyer names and addresses
- A proforma number in its own series and the issue date
- The date until which the quoted prices are valid
- Description, quantity and unit price of each item
- Currency and total amount
- Incoterm and estimated freight for cross-border goods
- Payment terms and bank details for the advance payment
- Expected shipping or delivery date
Proforma Invoice vs similar documents
-
vs commercial invoice
A commercial invoice records a shipment that has actually left and is the document customs uses to assess duty; a proforma invoice comes earlier and only announces what will be shipped and charged.
-
vs quote
A quote offers a price the customer may accept or reject; a proforma invoice is usually sent after the deal is agreed, to request payment or support financing.
-
vs tax invoice
A tax invoice is the accounting record of a completed sale and lets a registered buyer reclaim VAT or GST; a proforma invoice creates no tax entry and is replaced by the real invoice later.
Legal and tax note
In the UK, HMRC guidance says a pro forma invoice is not a VAT invoice and should be clearly marked 'This is not a VAT invoice', so the buyer cannot reclaim input VAT from it. Once the supply or payment happens, issue a proper invoice with its own sequential number.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
How to make a proforma invoice
-
Open the pre-filled sample
The tool above starts as "Proforma Invoice" from Lakeside Ceramics Ltd to Bluebird Home Store.
-
Replace the parties
Enter your business and your customer, plus incoterm and estimated ship date.
-
Edit the lines
Change the 5 sample lines ($3,140.00 in total) to your own items and prices.
-
Check the required fields
Make sure all 9 fields listed above are filled, then download the PDF.
Trades that use a proforma invoice
Frequently asked questions
Is a proforma invoice legally binding?
Not as an invoice: it records no sale and no tax. It shows what the seller has agreed to supply and at what price, so it is often treated as a firm offer, but the sale itself is recorded by the commercial or tax invoice that follows.
Do I number proforma invoices in the same sequence as my invoices?
Keep them in a separate sequence (the tool uses the PF- prefix) so your sales invoice numbers stay consecutive without gaps. Quote the proforma number on the final invoice so both documents can be matched.
Can a customer pay from a proforma invoice?
Yes, that is its most common job: the buyer pays in advance from the amounts and bank details shown. When the money arrives, issue the final invoice and mark it as paid.
What if the price changes after I send a proforma invoice?
Send a revised proforma with a new number and a new validity date rather than editing the old one. The final invoice should match what was actually supplied.