User guide › Sell
Estimates
Quote a price before you bill. Estimates use the same lines as invoices but have their own numbers and never change stock.
Create an estimate
- Step 1: Go to Sales > Estimates and choose + New.
- Step 2: Pick the customer and the estimate date. Both are required.
- Step 3: Set an expiry date if the quote should lapse.
- Step 4: Add the lines, as on an invoice.
- Step 5: Choose Save Draft to keep working on it, or one of the status buttons below.
Statuses
| Status | Meaning | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | Still being prepared | Edit, print, delete, mark sent, accepted or declined |
| Sent | Shared with the customer | Edit, print, mark accepted or declined |
| Accepted | The customer said yes | Print, convert to an invoice |
| Declined | The customer said no |
A draft or sent estimate past its expiry date shows Expired. It keeps its status, so you can still accept or convert it if the customer comes back. Filter the estimate list by Expired to follow them up.
Convert to an invoice
- Step 1: Mark the estimate accepted.
- Step 2: Choose Convert to invoice.
- Step 3: Biththi creates a draft invoice with the same customer, salesperson, lines, adjustment, notes and terms, and opens it. Check it and save.
On a draft or sent estimate, Accept and convert does both in one step. The estimate and invoice are linked: the estimate list shows an Invoice shortcut. A converted estimate can't be converted again or deleted.
Print, clone and delete
- Print an estimate or save it as a PDF. It is headed Estimate / Quotation and shows the expiry date.
- Drafts can always be deleted. Sent, accepted and declined estimates can be deleted only when Settings > Estimate allows it.
Growth plan: On Growth, Clone makes a new draft estimate from an existing one.