Built for exporters, importers and freight forwarders
Proforma invoices that clear customs, open letters of credit and win orders
InvoiceProforma is an online proforma invoice generator for cross-border trade. Add your HS codes, Incoterms 2020 rule, country of origin and payment terms, then send a PDF your buyer’s bank and your buyer’s customs broker will actually accept — in about two minutes.
3 documents per month on the Free plan. No credit card. Unlimited documents on Pro for USD 7 per year.
Why an export proforma invoice is different
A domestic quotation only has to convince your customer. An export proforma invoice has to satisfy four readers at once: your buyer, the buyer’s bank, the customs authority at destination, and — increasingly — the freight forwarder building the manifest. Miss a line and the shipment waits at the port.
HS code on every line
Customs values goods by tariff classification, not by your product name. Each line of your document carries its own Harmonized System code, so the broker at destination can calculate duty without emailing you back. Read the HS code guide.
Incoterms 2020, stated properly
“CIF Jebel Ali, Incoterms 2020” is a contract term. “CIF” on its own is an argument waiting to happen. The generator forces the named place and the rule version onto the document. See the 11 rules.
Bank-ready payment terms
Advance transfer, 30% deposit, documentary collection or an irrevocable letter of credit at sight — the wording your buyer needs to open the credit is on the face of the document. How letters of credit work.
Country of origin and validity
Preferential duty depends on origin, and import licences depend on a validity date. Both fields are mandatory in the template, because both are mandatory in the file the importer submits.
Packing and weights
Gross weight, net weight, number of packages and volume in cubic metres. Your forwarder needs them for the booking; the destination customs system needs them for the declaration. Full document checklist.
Multi-currency, clean PDF
Quote in USD, EUR, GBP, AED or CNY, add your bank details and stamp, and export a PDF small enough to attach to a bank portal upload without being rejected for file size.
From enquiry to shipment in four steps
- Enter the parties. Seller, buyer, and — if they differ — the consignee and notify party. Cross-border shipments frequently have three different addresses, and customs cares about all of them.
- Add the goods. Description, HS code, quantity, unit price, country of origin. Duplicate a previous document when the same buyer reorders.
- Set the trade terms. Incoterms 2020 rule and named place, currency, validity, delivery lead time, payment method, port of loading and port of discharge.
- Send the PDF. Your buyer uses it to open the letter of credit or apply for the import licence. When the goods ship, convert the same document into the commercial invoice so the two match line for line.
New to the document? Start with what a proforma invoice is, then see how it differs from the commercial invoice.
Who uses it
First-time exporters
A manufacturer sending a first container abroad rarely has an export department. The template supplies the fields an experienced shipping clerk would have added from memory.
Trading companies
Buy in one country, sell in another, and issue dozens of quotations a week. Saved buyers, saved product lines and duplication turn a twenty-minute job into a two-minute one.
Importers and buying agents
Some import regimes require the importer to lodge the supplier’s proforma with the bank before funds can be released. A clean, complete document shortens that queue.
Two plans, no surprises
| Plan | Price | Documents | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | USD 0 | 3 per month | Occasional shipments, testing the format |
| Pro | USD 7 per year | Unlimited | Regular exporters, trading companies, agents |
Common questions
Is a proforma invoice legally binding?
On its own it is an offer, not a debt. It does not create an account receivable and it is not a tax document. Once the buyer accepts it — by signing it, by opening a letter of credit against it, or by paying the deposit it states — its terms usually become the terms of the sale contract. That is why the validity date and the description of goods matter.
Can customs clear goods on a proforma invoice?
For a definitive commercial import, almost never — the commercial invoice is the valuation document. Proformas are accepted for licence applications, foreign-exchange approvals, temporary admission, samples and gifts, and as supporting evidence of a declared value. See proforma invoices and customs.
Does the document have to be in English?
English is accepted across most trade corridors, but several countries require a translation or a bilingual document for the import file. Check the destination requirement before you print. More in the FAQ.
Browse the trade documentation guides, download a free proforma invoice template, or create your first document online.