Questa guida non è ancora tradotta nella tua lingua — viene mostrata la versione inglese.
A pro forma invoice is formatted like a real invoice — same layout, same fields, sometimes even the same amount — but it isn't a request for payment and doesn't create a payment obligation. It's a preview, sent before the real thing.
What it's actually for
A pro forma invoice tells a client, in the exact format their invoice will eventually take, what they can expect to be billed — useful when they need that information before you're ready (or able) to issue the real invoice. Common reasons to send one:
- Before goods ship internationally, so the buyer has the documentation needed for customs, import permits, or arranging payment, before the actual sale is finalized.
- Before a client's internal approval process, so they can get budget sign-off using a document that shows the real expected cost.
- As a payment request before delivery, in industries where full or partial payment is collected before goods or services are provided, since the "real" invoice may only be issued after delivery is confirmed.
What makes it different from a real invoice
The critical difference is legal and accounting status: a pro forma invoice doesn't get recorded as a receivable in your books, and the client doesn't record it as a payable in theirs. Nothing is technically owed yet. It's a statement of "here's what this will cost," not "here's what you owe."
Label it unmistakably
Because it's formatted identically to a real invoice, the words "Pro Forma Invoice" need to be clearly visible — otherwise a client (or their accounting system) may mistake it for an actual bill and attempt to pay against a document that was never meant to be paid, or double-count it when the real invoice follows. Our proforma invoice generator labels this automatically.
Follow it with the real invoice
A pro forma invoice is never the final step — once the transaction is confirmed (goods shipped, service delivered, terms finalized), issue an actual invoice referencing it. The two should match closely in amount and detail; if something changed between the pro forma and the final terms, note the difference so the client isn't caught off guard by a number that shifted.
A pro forma invoice exists to answer "what will this cost me?" before anyone owes anything — it's a courtesy and a planning tool, not a shortcut around sending a real one.