Drafts and proforma invoices before the sale
Some sales take a while to settle. Save one as a draft while the details are still moving, or send a proforma invoice when the customer has to pay before you deliver. Either converts to a final invoice when you are ready, with nothing retyped.
Draft and proforma invoices in SeroPOS
Drafts while you work
Save a sale as a draft and come back to it later from List Drafts, without affecting stock or balances.
Proforma for prepayment
Send a proforma invoice so the customer can pay a deposit or the full amount before you deliver.
One screen for every status
Final, Draft, Quotation and Proforma are all statuses on the same Create Invoice screen.
Convert in one step
Convert a proforma to a final invoice from All Sales. Lines, prices and discounts carry across.
Draft numbering
Drafts take their reference from the draft prefix in Business Settings, separate from invoice numbers.
Permission controlled
Roles decide who can view and edit drafts, so a draft does not become a sale by accident.
Drafts: a sale you are still working on
A draft is a sale you have started but not finished. Perhaps the customer is still choosing, or you are waiting on a price from a supplier. Go to Sell, then Add Draft, or set the status to Draft on Create Invoice. Add the customer and lines as usual and save. Stock is not touched and nothing is owed until the draft becomes an invoice.
List Drafts shows every open draft with its customer, date and total. Open one, finish it and change the status to Final when the sale is agreed. Drafts number themselves from the draft prefix in Business Settings, so they never use up an invoice number. Staff can see at a glance which sales are still waiting on a decision.
Proforma invoices: payment before delivery
A proforma invoice looks like an invoice but asks for payment before the goods or work are delivered. It is common for custom orders, catering bookings, large wholesale orders and export customers who need a document for their own payment approval. It gives the customer's accounts team a proper document to pay against, while you hold the goods until the money arrives.
Create one by setting the status to Proforma on Create Invoice, or convert a quotation into a proforma once the customer agrees. Print it or share it in your chosen invoice layout. When payment arrives and you deliver, convert the proforma to a final invoice from All Sales and record the payment.
- Custom and made-to-order work
- Catering and event deposits
- Wholesale orders paid in advance
- Customers who need a document to approve payment
Converting to a final invoice
From All Sales, use the convert action on a proforma, or open a draft and change its status to Final. All the lines, prices, discounts, tax, shipping and notes carry over, so the final invoice matches what the customer agreed to. The final invoice takes the next number from your invoice scheme.
Only then does stock come off and the sale count in profit, tax and sales reports. That keeps your figures honest. A pile of unconfirmed orders will not inflate your sales or reduce stock you still have on the shelf. Reports show what you actually sold, when you sold it.
Who can work with drafts
Roles include permissions for drafts and quotations, alongside the other sell permissions. You might let a sales assistant prepare drafts but only allow a manager to finalise them. Staff can also be limited to their own sales, so each person sees the drafts they started. Checks like these stop a half-finished draft being finalised by mistake.
Because drafts and proformas live in the back office with everything else, the whole team works from the same list instead of half-finished orders on paper or in someone's email. Anyone with access can pick up a draft where a colleague left it, see the customer and the lines, and finish the sale without asking around. That matters most on busy days and when someone is off sick.
Frequently asked questions
What is a proforma invoice?
A proforma invoice is a preliminary bill sent before the sale is completed, usually to ask for payment in advance. It shows the goods, prices and total, but it is not yet a final invoice. In SeroPOS you convert it to a final invoice when payment is received and you deliver.
Does a draft or proforma reduce stock?
No. Stock comes off only when the sale becomes a final invoice. Drafts, quotations and proformas leave stock where it is, so your stock report shows what is really on the shelf. Reports therefore stay accurate even with many open orders.
Do drafts use up invoice numbers?
No. Drafts use the draft prefix set in the Prefixes tab of Business Settings. The final invoice takes the next number from your invoice scheme only when you finalise it, so your invoice numbers stay in sequence. Nothing is skipped or wasted.
Can I turn a quote into a proforma invoice?
Yes. From the quotations list, convert the quote to a proforma when the customer accepts and you want payment before delivery. Later, convert the proforma to a final invoice from All Sales. Lines and prices carry across at each step.
Can I see all open drafts in one place?
List Drafts under Sell shows every draft with its customer, date and total. You can filter the list, open a draft to finish it, or delete one that is no longer needed, depending on your role's permissions. Old drafts can be cleared out regularly to keep the list short.