Documents · Freelance Invoice Tool
Quotation, Pro Forma, Invoice and Credit Note: What Each Document Does
· Background
invoice contracts pdf
Clients ask for quotes, pro formas, invoices, receipts and credit notes, and each has a distinct job. This post defines the family, explains the order they appear in a transaction, and shows which two the Freelance Invoice Tool produces.
'Can you send a pro forma first?' — the request that sends many freelancers to a search engine
A request for a pro forma is a request to identify the commercial document needed before sending another file. The safest response is to ask what the recipient will use it for and which fields they require. A familiar label should not substitute for the client’s or jurisdiction’s definition.
Quotation — the supported pre-work document, without a dedicated estimate mode
The tool supports a quotation title for a proposed set of items and prices. The outline also mentions estimates and validity periods, but there is no separate estimate mode or validity field. Put assumptions and any expiry in notes, and record acceptance outside the app.
Pro forma invoice — a separate concept this tool does not generate
A pro forma is discussed here only as a document a recipient may request before the final invoice. The repository does not define its legal effect, customs role or tax status, and the app does not generate one. Use the exact channel and wording specified by the relevant recipient.
Invoice — the request for payment that enters both parties' books and carries the unique number
The supported invoice type presents the document as a payment request with number, dates, parties, line items, totals and payment information. The model and PDF writer implement that layout, while leaving legal completeness and delivery acceptance to the user.
Receipt and credit note — separate concepts this tool does not generate
Receipts and credit notes serve different record-keeping purposes, but neither is a document type in this app. It cannot acknowledge payment, reverse an issued invoice or preserve a linked correction history. Use a system that supports those records rather than relabelling an invoice export.
The sequence in a real engagement — how the documents follow one another from first contact to closed file
A real engagement may move through offer, approval, invoice, payment evidence and later correction, but this tool does not connect those stages. It builds one document at a time. Keep an external record showing which proposal, invoice and subsequent document belong together.
What this does not cover — country-specific rules about which documents are legally required and how they must be worded
Country-specific rules can change names, required wording and legal effects. This article does not define them from unsourced general knowledge. Confirm the document type and mandatory fields from current official guidance and the client’s process before relying on a title.
Takeaway — name each document for what it is, and use the Freelance Invoice Tool for the quotation and the invoice
Name each record according to its real purpose and do not force unsupported documents through a two-type builder. The Freelance Invoice Tool is for quotations and invoices; pro formas, receipts and credit notes need a workflow that models them explicitly.