SalevaWhat this tool does
A quotation (or estimate) tells a customer what you will supply, at what rate and for how long that offer stands, before any sale is made. Schools, offices, contractors and wholesale buyers often ask for one before they place an order. This tool makes a clean one-page quotation with your shop details, a numbered list of items, quantity times rate, an optional discount and tax, the total, a valid-until date and your terms. Print it, or choose Save as PDF in the print window to send it as a file.
Your data stays with you. Everything works in your browser and nothing is uploaded. If the "remember" box is ticked, your shop name, address, phone, heading and terms are kept in this browser's own storage for next time. The customer and the items are never saved.
What a quotation should show
- Who it is from and who it is for: your shop name, address and phone, and the customer's name.
- A quotation number and date, so when the customer calls back you both look at the same offer.
- Each item with its quantity, rate and amount. Name the brand, size or grade ("cement, 50 kg bag, brand X") so nobody can say a cheaper item was meant.
- A valid-until date. Wholesale rates change. Seven to fifteen days is common; a short date protects you when prices are moving.
- Terms: whether delivery is included, how much is paid on order and how much on delivery, and when the goods will be ready.
How to use it
- Fill in your shop details once; they are remembered on this device.
- Give the quotation a number, check the date and the valid-until date, and type the customer's name.
- Add each item with its quantity and rate. A row with a wrong quantity or rate is left out and marked, so the total is never built on a mistake.
- Add a discount or a tax line only if you need one, write your terms, and press Print or save as PDF.
When the customer says yes
A quotation is an offer, not a bill. When the customer accepts, make a proper bill for what is actually supplied, at the quoted rates, and mention the quotation number on it. If the quantities change, make a new quotation or note the change on the bill, so the paper trail matches what was delivered. For goods sent before the bill is paid, a delivery challan records what left the shop and who received it.
Questions
What is the difference between a quotation and an estimate?
In everyday shop use they mean much the same: a price offered before the sale. Some people use "estimate" when the final amount may change, for example a repair whose parts are not yet known, and "quotation" for a fixed offer on listed goods.
How long should a quotation be valid?
Long enough for the customer to decide, short enough that your own buying price will not have changed. Seven to fifteen days suits most shops; use fewer when rates move every week.
Should a quotation include tax?
If you charge tax, say so clearly: either add the tax line here or write "rates exclude tax" in the terms. Leave the tax rate empty if you do not charge it.
Related reading
- Wholesale and retail from the same shop: keeping two sets of prices straight
- Receipts for a small shop: what a good bill should show, printed, on WhatsApp or by hand
- Invoice generator, for the bill once the quotation is accepted
Saleva keeps your quotations in the app, shares them as a message, and turns an accepted one into a bill. Get the free Android app.