Create an estimate and turn it into an invoice

An estimate proposes a sale. It does not record a payment or create an accounts receivable balance. Use an invoice when you are ready to bill the customer.

Create the estimate

1. Open Sales & Receivables → Estimates and create a new estimate.
2. Select Customer. Review Estimate No., Estimate Date, Expiration Date, and any Reference No..
3. Add each Product/Service, quantity, rate, discount, and tax. Check whether amounts are inclusive or exclusive of tax.
4. Add Customer Note and Terms & Conditions for the customer. Memo is internal to your team.
5. Review the total. Choose Save as Draft while preparing the quote; review the saved estimate before sending it to the customer.

Actual product form. The suggested document number is unsaved; the screenshot contains no customer records.

Record the decision and invoice

Stage	Next action
Draft	Review and send the estimate, or use Mark as sent if you already delivered it separately. Marking it sent does not send an email.
Sent	Record Mark as accepted or Mark as rejected based on the customer’s actual decision.
Accepted	Choose Convert to Invoice. Review the new invoice’s dates, lines, tax, and total before saving/posting it.
Expired	Review the expired quote and revise it before continuing. Acceptance/conversion actions are not available in every status.
Converted	Review the resulting invoice rather than creating a second invoice for the same sale.

Conversion opens a prefilled invoice form; opening that form is not the same as saving an invoice. Check the resulting invoice and estimate status after saving.

If money arrives before the invoice

Use customer deposits for an advance. Do not make a second sale just to record the money. Later, apply the existing payment to the invoice.

If an action is missing, check the estimate’s status and your permissions. Accepted and converted estimates have restrictions; an edit to an already sent quote should be agreed with the customer.