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Document types and differences

Pro forma, quote, estimate, purchase order, credit note and delivery note

Updated over a year ago

You can create many document types with Billdu, such as proforma invoices, quotes, estimates, orders, invoices, credit notes, and delivery notes. There are slight differences in the layout in each of them as they display different information and serve various purposes. 

QUOTE VS ESTIMATE

Even if very similar at first sight, there are differences between a quote and an estimate. They are both used to indicate the amount of service or products you'll invoice to a client in the future; however, a quote indicates fixed costs and an estimate as a solid guess. A quote's prices shouldn't be changed when creating a final invoice, even if the finished work ends up being more than stated. If you don't feel to create quotes, you can offer estimates to your clients. Read more about how to switch between quote and estimate.

  • There's no Pay Now button on a quote/estimate and it's also not possible to add a payment

  • After creation, the status is ISSUED and if it passes the date until it's valid, the status changes to OUTDATED

  • Once you create an Invoice, the status changes to INVOICED 

  • Your clients can add a signature with your mobile device 

MORE DOCUMENT TYPES

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PROFORMA INVOICE

A Proforma invoice is not recorded in your bookkeeping. It can serve a similar purpose as a quote, but it's also created after a job is done. It can also be used as a basis for payment. 

  • You can add a payment or a partial payment to a proforma

  • A Pay Now button is visible on the proforma if your card payments or PayPal payment is enabled

  • A proforma is not a tax document, therefore, no tax appears in the total line. You can, however, have a tax displayed for every line item

  • You can create an invoice or delivery note from a proforma

CREDIT NOTE

A Credit note is created for your client in case of a refund. You can created it from an invoice. It's worth bearing in mind that a credit note is a tax and commercial document. 

  • A credit note may be created with a lower amount as your invoice and indicate a partial refund

  • The amount should always be negative 

  • You can add a payment or a partial payment 

  • It has the same numbering as your invoices because a credit note is more or less just an invoice with a negative amount

  • It influences your company balance and statistics and appears on statements 

DELIVERY NOTE

Important when shipping goods - a delivery note. You can create one from nearly all other documents.

  • It displays only item description, quantity, and unit

  • No prices or taxes are displayed - neither for items nor for the total amount

  • You can create a delivery note from other documents; however, it's not possible the other way round because the DN lacks essential figures (like prices and tax). We suggest using purchase orders to create both delivery notes and invoices.

PURCHASE ORDER

NOTE: You can find Purchase orders in our eCommerce app

Regular and online shops that handle orders from their clients can use Purchase orders to track the incoming orders. Once your client places an order, you can create an order and change its status, payment type or delivery type accordingly.

If you use our eCommerce app, all online purchases will turn to Purchase orders. You can later turn Purchase orders to Invoices - and send to your clients.

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