Create and send a quote
Write a quote (an estimate of price before the work), set how long it is valid, and email it with an Accept button.
A quote (some people say estimate) tells a client what a job will cost before they agree to it. It is not a bill: nothing is owed and nothing goes into your sales. When the client says yes, you turn the quote into an invoice in one step. Todah numbers quotes separately from invoices, for example QTE-0001.
Before you start
- Add the client (Clients → New Client) with an email address ticked for Quotes, or another person at that client ticked for Quotes, such as their estimator.
- Your sending address must be set (Settings → Email → Sending Address).
Step by step
- In the menu on the left, choose Quotes.
- Choose New Quote. The same document-shaped form as an invoice opens, with the quote number in the corner.
- Under Prepared For, choose the client.
- Check the Issue Date (today unless you change it).
- Set Valid Until: the last day the client can accept this price.
- Type a PO Number if the client gave you one.
- Fill in the lines exactly as on an invoice: Saved Item or Item, Details, Qty, Price, Disc %, and the sales tax under Tax %. Choose Add Line for more.
- In Notes (shown on the quote), write the scope, assumptions and conditions.
- Choose Create Quote. The message "Quote created" appears and the quote is listed as Draft.
- On the quote's row, choose Send. A preview opens with the line "This will be emailed to", naming who receives it and anyone copied.
- Check it and choose Send. The message confirms who it was emailed to, with the PDF attached. The status changes to Sent.
What each box means
| Prepared For | The client the quote is for. Needed before you can send. Archived clients are not in the list. Once the quote is sent, the client's details on it are kept as they were when it was sent. |
|---|---|
| Issue Date | The date of the quote. It prints as Issued. |
| Valid Until | The expiry date. It prints on the quote and shows in the list. After this date the client can no longer accept online, and Todah puts a note on your notification bell three days before. Leave it empty for a quote that does not expire. |
| PO Number | Optional. Prints only when filled in. |
| Lines | The same as on an invoice, including the sales tax list above the Tax % rate. See the invoice article for each box. Item prints in bold with Details beneath. The tax on each line is carried over when the quote is converted to an invoice. |
| Notes (shown on the quote) | Scope, what is included and excluded, assumptions. The same formatting rules as invoice notes. |
| Subtotal, Tax, Total | The quote total is printed as Quote total. |
Good to know: Payment Terms and the Pay button belong to the invoice. You set the terms when the quote is converted.
Good to know: Your GST/HST Registration Number, if you have entered it in Settings → Books & Tax, prints on the quote as GST/HST No.
What your client receives
- An email from your business with your message (Settings → Email → Message Templates → Quote), the quote in the body, and a PDF attached.
- A View and accept this quote button. It opens a page where they can accept or decline. No account or password is needed.
- It goes to the client's own address if ticked for Quotes, and copies everyone at the client ticked for Quotes. If the client's own address is blank or not ticked, the first person ticked for Quotes receives it.
The Quotes list
Columns: Number, Client, Issued, Valid Until, Status and Total. Under an accepted quote you see who accepted and when; under a declined one, any reason given. The same search, client and status filters, date range and page controls as the Invoices list are there. Less-used actions are under the three-dot More actions button.
| Edit | Drafts. |
|---|---|
| View | Opens the quote as the client sees it, with Download PDF. |
| Attachments | Files kept with the quote for your records. |
| Accept Link | Sent quotes. Copies the client's accept page link, for a client who asks you to send the link again. |
| Revoke Link | Sent quotes, owners and admins. Replaces the accept link with a new one, for a link that was forwarded somewhere it should not have gone. The old link, including the button in the email already sent, stops working, and the new link is copied for you to send. |
| Duplicate | Any quote. Makes a new draft with the same client, lines (each with the sales tax it was charged under), PO number and notes, the next quote number and today's date. Set Valid Until again before sending. |
| Send | Drafts. |
| Convert | Sent or Accepted quotes that have not been invoiced. Creates the invoice. |
| Invoiced | Shown in place of Delete once a quote has been converted. |
| Delete | Owners and admins. A deleted draft gives its number back if it was the latest. |
Changing your mind
A sent quote keeps the price your client was given ("Only a draft quote can be edited. Reissue this one if it needs to change."). To change the price, choose Duplicate on it, Edit the new draft, and Send it. You can then delete the old one or leave it as a record.
See also
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Still stuck? Write to us or email support@todah.ca — a person reads every message and replies by email. The FAQ covers plans, prices and the questions people ask before they sign up.