Quotes customers can accept online
Build a quote in the back office, send the customer a link and a PDF, and let them accept or decline it online. When they say yes, the quote becomes an invoice with every line, price and discount already in place.
Quotations in SeroPOS
Quotes from the invoice screen
Create a quotation on the same screen as an invoice, with customer, lines, discounts, tax and shipping.
PDF download
Download a PDF of any quotation to attach to an email or print for a customer at the counter.
Public quote link
Each quotation has a link the customer opens in a browser on any device, with no login.
Accept or decline online
A separate response page lets the customer accept or decline the quote, and it closes once the quote expires or is revised.
New Quotation message
Send the quote by email or SMS from a template that fills in the quote link for you.
Convert to invoice
Turn an accepted quote into a proforma or final invoice from the list, without retyping a line.
Building a quote
In the back office, go to Sell and choose Add Quotation, or open Create Invoice and set the status to Quotation. Choose the customer, add product lines with quantities and prices, apply discounts, tax and any shipping charges, and add notes about delivery times or what is included. Save, and the quote gets a number from your quotation series.
Invoice layouts have their own quotation heading and quotation number label, so the printed document clearly says quote and not invoice. Pick a layout with your logo and terms in the footer, and every quote you send looks the same. Customers can tell at once what they are looking at, and your quotes match your invoices in style.
Sending it to the customer
Every quotation can be downloaded as a PDF, and it also has a public link. Send the link with the New Quotation notification template by email or SMS; the template's quote URL tag fills in the right link for each customer. The customer opens it on a phone or computer, with no account or app needed.
Because the link always shows the quote as it stands, you do not end up with several PDF versions in the customer's inbox. If you change the quote, the link shows the change. The customer always has one place to look, and you avoid the confusion of an old attachment being treated as the latest price. Download a PDF too when a customer asks for a file.
- Download the quote as a PDF
- Copy the quote link
- Send the New Quotation message by email or SMS
- Print it in your chosen layout
Accepting or declining online
A separate response page lets the customer accept or decline the quotation. It has its own link, separate from the viewing link. After the valid-until date the page says the quote has expired, and if you revise the quotation the page says the figures are no longer current. That means a customer cannot accept an old quote whose prices no longer stand.
Online acceptance saves the back-and-forth of asking a customer to reply by email or sign a printout. You see their answer in the quotation list and can move straight to the next step. It also gives you a clear record of when the customer agreed, which helps if questions come up about the price later. Customers who prefer to reply by phone can still do so, and you update the quote yourself.
From quote to invoice
When the customer accepts, open List Quotations and convert the quote to an invoice, or to a proforma invoice first if you want payment before you deliver. Every line, price, discount and note carries across. Stock only comes off when it becomes a final invoice, so quotes never tie up stock you have not sold.
Quotations stay in the list with their status, so you can see which are waiting, which were accepted and which went nowhere. Filter by customer and date to follow up on quotes you sent last week. A quick call to a customer who has gone quiet often turns a forgotten quote into a sale.
Frequently asked questions
Does a quotation take stock out of inventory?
No. A quotation is a price offer, not a sale, so stock is not touched. Stock comes off when you convert the quote to a final invoice. That keeps your stock report accurate even when you have many quotes out at once.
Can the customer accept the quote online?
Yes. Each quotation has a response page where the customer can accept or decline it. The page has its own link, separate from the viewing link, and it stops taking answers once the valid-until date passes or you revise the quote. Customers do not need an account to respond.
How do I send a quote by email?
Use the New Quotation notification template. It includes a quote URL tag, so the customer's email contains a link to their quote. You can also download the PDF and attach it to an email yourself. Either way, the customer sees the same quote.
Can I change a quote after sending it?
Yes. Edit the quotation in the back office. The quote link shows the current version, so the customer sees the change when they open it again. Let them know it changed so they do not rely on an old PDF. That avoids anyone paying an outdated price.
What is the difference between a quote and a proforma invoice?
A quote is an offer the customer can accept or decline. A proforma invoice is sent once they have agreed, usually to ask for payment before delivery. SeroPOS lets you convert a quote into either a proforma or a final invoice.