How to Send a Pro-forma Invoice in Odoo

Odoo has become the most popular ERP application due to its simplicity of use and variety of accessible features. Since Odoo is an open-source application, as is well known, it has many advantages and predominates in a variety of fields, including an easy-to-use interface for group users, enabling a wide range of customization and fulfilling the unique needs of clients.

It includes all the key modules, including development, accounting, inventory, distribution, and many more. In this particular tutorial, we will tackle the process of How to Send a pro-forma invoice in Odoo.

Table of Contents

• Why do you need pro-forma invoices?
• How to Send a pro-forma invoice in Odoo
  • Step 1. Activate pro-forma invoice feature
  • Step 2. Send a pro-forma invoice
• Conclusion

Why do you need pro-forma invoices?

Prior to the issuance of the final bill, a pro-forma invoice serves as a forecasting document. On the basis of the cost specified in a sales order, a pro-forma is created. This is the definition of a vendor’s commitment to provide the requested goods or services at the quoted price. Pro forma invoices are frequently used, especially when there is no prior business history between sellers and purchasers, for sales and purchases. It isn’t regarded as a legitimate invoice for any reason.

These invoices are also employed for import customs purposes, which will provide a thorough picture of what to anticipate from a market. The consumer is shown the price, the quantity of the item, and other details, as well as the terms of the product order.

When the conditions of the purchase contract state that full payment is not necessary until the consumer receives those products, a corporation may also utilize a pro forma invoice. This serves as a motivation to pinpoint the elements that make up the final invoice’s significance, such as any unforeseen issues that might arise during order fulfillment.

How to Send a pro-forma invoice in Odoo

Now that we have taken a look at what a pro-forma invoice is, and why you should utilize it for your business, let’s get right into the process of How to Send a pro-forma invoice in Odoo.

Step 1. Activate pro-forma invoice feature

Firstly, before we get into actually sending the invoice, we need to activate the feature first. In order to do so, please go to your Accounting dashboard and locate the Configurations drop-down menu. From here, move your pointer to the menu, and find the Settings button. Once you click on it, you will be redirected to the General Settings page.

Now that you are on the page, you can scroll down a bit, and you will be met with the Quotation & Orders section. There, you can see that the Pro-forma Invoices checkbox is empty. In order to activate the feature, simply click the checkbox, and you are good to go. However, you can also choose to save some time by searching on the search bar instead of scrolling down the page!

Step 2. Send a pro-forma invoice

Once you have activated the feature in the Settings, it is time to put it into use! Now that the feature is on, you will have the option to send a pro-forma invoice directly from any quotation or sales order. In order to do so, go to any quotation or sales order, and click the Send Pro-forma Invoice button.

When you do, a new pop-up window will appear, which will allow you to enter the customer’s name and mailing information.

From here, please fill in the fields below with information:

• Customer name: Enter the name of the customer you are sending the pro-forma invoice.
• Company: You can complete this field if the customer is working for a partnering company.
• Job position: This field is optional, so it can be left blank or filled in.
• Email: Enter your customer’s email in this field.
• Phone: This field is optional and can be used as a secondary way to contact your client.
• Mobile: This field is optional and can be used as a secondary way to contact your client.

When you are done with the fields, simply click the Save button, and now you have a new customer’s profile to use. After clicking the button, an option that enables you to send a pro-forma invoice will appear.

In this window, you would operate it just like any other email template. We have the fields below that need to be completed:

• Recipients: For this field, simply type in the email addresses that you intend to send the invoice to.
• Subject: For this field, we advise you to name the subject according to the invoice memo.
• Content: For this field, you can add some greetings or a brief summary of the invoice.

If you are satisfied with everything you have entered, it is time to send the invoice. Simply click the Send button, and your clients will receive the email in no time! And when your customers have received and confirmed the invoice as correct, then you can proceed with the order. As reversing the mistakes is going to be quite bothersome, we advise that you always remember to double-check all the information for possible errors.

Conclusion

Odoo has always prioritized helping new business owners expand their work to an online platform more easily, despite having close to zero experience in working with accounting software. As long as you find working your way through Odoo relatively easy, you will have more time to focus on other aspects of your business.

A pro-forma invoice is a type of invoice that can provide customers with a sense of security, as they can be aware of the estimated prices, or certain terms and conditions that may come with a specific product. This is why Odoo is well-equipped to simplify this process for you.

This paragraph marks the end of our How to Send a pro-forma invoice on Odoo guide together in just two straightforward steps. We sincerely wish that you will be able to refer to this guide in times of need, and that you can always reach out to Odoo’s customer support systems whenever you are running into problems with the software!