Managing estimates
An estimate is a priced offer to a customer. It is made and sent like an invoice, but it carries an expiry date instead of a due date, and it ends by being accepted or rejected rather than paid. An accepted estimate is turned into an invoice with one click, and the two stay linked. The Estimates page in the main navigation lists every estimate.
The estimate list
The list can be filtered, for example by status, customer or expiry date. See Filtering and customising list views and Exporting documents.
From an estimate's row you can do most of what the estimate page offers: complete, send or download it, duplicate it, convert it to an invoice, and delete it. Selecting several rows shows the bulk actions; see Bulk status changes on invoices, estimates and recurring invoices.
Making an estimate
A new estimate opens with your business details, the numbering and the dates already filled in from your settings, and the expiry date is set from the Estimate expiration in your settings or on the customer. Pick the customer and add the lines the same way as on an invoice; see Managing invoices for the editor, Managing customers and Managing products for what gets filled in.
Estimates have their own number format and their own settings, separate from invoices. See Invoice and estimate numbering and Customising invoices and estimates.
Status
A draft has no number. Marking it completed, or sending it, assigns the number. From then on the status follows what happens: Sent when it goes out and Viewed when the customer opens it. Acceptance is recorded by you: the status badge on the estimate offers Mark as accepted and Mark as rejected, and converting the estimate to an invoice marks it accepted as well. An estimate that is neither accepted nor rejected by its expiry date is shown as expired. See How does estimate status work?.
Sending
Send estimate opens the sending panel. An estimate goes by email, as a PDF attachment or as a link to view it online. See Sending invoices and estimates by email. Every estimate also has a public link the customer can open without an account; see The public view link for invoices and estimates.
Turning an estimate into an invoice
Convert to invoice creates a draft invoice with the same customer and lines, marks the estimate accepted, and links the two documents so each page shows the other. The invoice is then completed and sent like any other. See Duplicating documents and creating credit notes.
Deleting an estimate
Deleting an estimate removes it for good, and the confirmation dialog says so. An invoice that was made from the estimate is a separate document and is not affected.
Common questions
- The customer accepted by phone or email. Click the status badge and choose Mark as accepted, or convert the estimate to an invoice straight away.
- The estimate has expired but the customer still wants it. Edit the expiry date, or duplicate the estimate to send a fresh one.
- The customer wants changes before accepting. Edit the estimate and send it again; the customer sees the new version at the same link.
- Estimates should be valid for longer. Change Estimate expiration in your settings, or on the customer for one customer only; see Setting defaults for individual customers.
- A different language or currency for one estimate. See How do I send an invoice in a different language than my account? and Multi-currency invoicing and exchange rates; both apply to estimates too.