Free Proforma Invoice Template (Excel, Word & PDF)

What goes on a proforma invoice

Record the parties and buyer reference; goods, quantities, unit values and totals; relevant weight and dimensions; discounts and currency; sale and payment terms; estimated shipping date; and quote-validity date. This checklist follows the U.S. International Trade Administration's export guidance, not a guarantee that the generic file satisfies every buyer, carrier or destination.

If a transaction needs a field that is absent from this file, add it or use the required form. Do not delete payment terms merely because the document is preliminary.

Use the reference and issue date to keep revisions in order. When a buyer requests a change, issue a revised proforma with the same recognizable reference plus a revision marker or new date, then describe the changed quantity, value, shipping detail or term. This creates a clear comparison without presenting an earlier proposal as the final version.

The validity date tells the buyer how long the stated proposal is available. It should be visible beside the issue date, not buried in a note. Currency belongs beside the values, while estimated shipment timing, weights and dimensions remain clearly identified as proposal details until the transaction is finalized.

• Proforma reference and date. Give the proposal a reference so revisions can be identified.
• Seller and buyer. Enter the correct identifying names and addresses for both parties, consistent with the transaction records and buyer instructions.
• Description of goods. Specific enough that someone who has never seen the products can tell what they are — "stainless steel water bottles, 750 ml", not "merchandise".
• Quantity and unit value. One line per product, quantity times unit value, extended per line.
• Quoted goods total. Add the line amounts and identify any other quoted charges separately.
• Currency. State it explicitly. "1,220.00" means nothing until the document says USD.
• Validity date. State how long you intend to offer the quoted terms.
• Terms of payment. State the proposed arrangement rather than assuming a proforma must contain no payment terms.
• Shipment details. Add estimated shipping date, weights, dimensions and sale terms where relevant to the negotiation.

Proforma invoice template sample, line by line

Illustrative only: the parties, dates, prices and terms in this small export quotation are fictional.

Proforma #PF-2041 · Issued: July 24 · Valid until: August 23 · Currency: USD Seller: Harbor Goods LLC, Portland, OR · Buyer: Kestrel Retail Ltd, Manchester, UK

The example validity window is a commercial choice, not a standard required period. Forty bottles at $18.50 are $740; fifteen lid packs at $32 are $480; quoted goods total $1,220. In this fictional negotiation a proposed 50/50 payment split is $610 plus $610. Do not copy that arrangement without agreeing it with the buyer.

The buyer can compare each line independently: description, quantity, unit value and extended amount. If the buyer accepts a different quantity or price, update that line and recalculate the total rather than writing the change only in an email. Keep proposed freight or insurance amounts separate from the goods lines so a later commercial invoice can show what was actually charged.

A proforma can also carry a buyer reference, purchase-order reference or project name when one was supplied. That reference helps connect the proposal to the buyer’s own record, while the proforma number still identifies the seller’s document. Neither reference should replace the other.

When the proforma becomes the real invoice

When the transaction is finalized, check actual goods, quantities and agreed values for the commercial invoice template. Carry the proforma reference so the buyer can compare records, and identify agreed changes. The U.S. International Trade Administration advises against changing proposed shipment information without buyer consent in the export process it describes. Do not treat a proforma as a universal customs substitute.

Build the final invoice from the accepted transaction rather than renaming the preliminary file. Replace estimated dates, quantities and shipment details with the final information, give the commercial invoice its own number and date, and retain the proforma reference as a comparison point. If part of the proposal was not accepted, leave it off the final billing record instead of carrying it forward silently.

Keep the accepted proforma, its revisions and the final invoice together. A reviewer can then see which terms were proposed, which changed and which appear on the completed sale. This continuity is especially useful when the buyer, carrier and seller use different reference numbers for the same transaction.