Free Proforma Invoice Template
Invoice × Tariff editorial
A proforma invoice is a quotation in invoice format, issued before the sale closes. It shows the goods, quantities, prices, Incoterms and payment terms your buyer needs to open a letter of credit, apply for an import license or wire a deposit. It is not a payment request and not the customs entry invoice — U.S. clearance runs on the commercial invoice. Download the free template below, or generate it online.
Download the blank template
Free, no sign-up. Each format carries the same ten fields — with a separate PI- number series, validity date and payment terms already in place.
The generator opens on the proforma tab and exports a PDF in your browser — nothing is uploaded to a server. Switch the tab when the deal closes and the same data becomes your commercial invoice.
What a proforma invoice includes
Banks, license authorities and buyers expect these ten. All are pre-labeled in the template:
- 1Proforma invoice number. A separate series (e.g. PI-0001) so it never collides with your accounting invoice numbers.
- 2Issue date and validity. Quote validity — prices and terms are only held until the stated date.
- 3Seller and buyer details. Full legal names and addresses of exporter and consignee.
- 4Detailed goods description. What the goods are, of what material and their use — same standard as a commercial invoice.
- 5HS / HTS codes and origin. The classification and country of manufacture your buyer needs for license and cost planning.
- 6Quantities and unit prices. Per-line quantity, unit price and extended amount in the transaction currency.
- 7Estimated freight and insurance. Show them as estimates, separately from the goods value.
- 8Incoterms (2020) rule. The cost/risk split you are quoting — FOB, CIF, DAP, DDP …
- 9Payment and delivery terms. Deposit ratio, balance timing, lead time — the terms the buyer's bank will reference.
- 10Bank details. Needed when the proforma is the basis for a T/T advance payment.
Proforma vs commercial invoice
Same layout, different job. The full comparison of proforma, commercial and customs invoices covers the legal detail; in short:
| Proforma invoice | Commercial invoice | |
|---|---|---|
| When it exists | Before the sale closes — the quote stage | When the goods ship — the actual sale |
| What it does | Supports L/C opening, import licenses, advance payment | Records the transaction; customs values the shipment on it |
| Payment | Not a payment request — deposits may be wired against it | The document the buyer settles and both companies book |
| At U.S. customs | Not accepted as the entry invoice | The entry document (19 CFR 141.86) |
Need the entry document instead? Use the commercial invoice template, which walks through the CBP-required fields.
Five proforma mistakes that cost time
- Sending the proforma where the commercial invoice is required — the top cause of "invoice is incomplete" courier holds.
- Letting the proforma number enter your books. Keep PI- numbers out of accounting; the commercial invoice number is the accounting record.
- Quoting without the duty stack. The buyer's landed cost includes duties and fees — price them with the landed cost calculator before you commit.
- Marking samples "value: $0". The invoice has no commercial value; the goods still need a realistic fair value declared.
- Leaving no validity date — an open-ended quote you may be held to.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a proforma invoice used for?
- It is a quotation in invoice format, issued before the sale closes. Buyers use it to open a letter of credit, arrange an advance payment, apply for an import license or foreign-exchange allocation, and estimate landed cost before ordering. It records the offered terms; it does not record a sale.
- Do you pay a proforma invoice?
- Not the proforma itself — it is not a payment request and never enters either company's books. The real payment flow it enables: buyers often wire a deposit against a proforma before production, and the final amount is invoiced on the commercial invoice at shipment.
- Can U.S. customs clear a shipment on a proforma invoice?
- No — for a formal entry CBP requires a commercial invoice with the data of 19 CFR 141.86, and duty is computed on its declared values. Proformas appear before entry (licenses, L/C, samples with carriers); even then a realistic fair value is expected, not "$0".
- Does a proforma invoice have an invoice number?
- Usually yes, from a separate numbering series (PI-, QUO- or RFQ- prefixes) so it can be referenced in emails, license applications and bank paperwork. That number is not an accounting invoice number — the commercial invoice carries the number that appears on the books and on the customs entry.
- Is a proforma invoice legally binding?
- It carries no accounting or customs weight and is not a demand for payment, but it does record the terms you offered — prices, validity, delivery. Treat it as a quote you may be held to until it expires, and issue the commercial invoice when the goods actually ship.
Templates are provided free, without warranty. Estimates only — not customs, tax or legal advice. Duty is finally determined by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at entry. See the disclaimer.