Proforma Invoice Generator
Create professional proforma invoices online - free, private, and browser-based. Your document data stays in your browser.
Create your proforma invoice
Prepare a professional proforma invoice for domestic or international business transactions. Nothing is pre-filled with sample companies, customers or bank accounts - you start from a clean document.
Demo data is clearly labelled and contains no real company, customer or banking information. Use Reset to clear it at any time.
A new document stays in Draft until you change it. The status is a label only and never affects any calculation.
Complete only the fields your transaction needs. Empty fields are left off the document entirely, so a domestic proforma stays clean.
Trade fields add HS code, country of origin and per-unit weights to each line. HS code: enter the applicable customs classification provided or verified by your organisation. Verify classification independently before customs use.
The balance is calculated from the grand total automatically and is shown on the document when a deposit is set.
Optional. Verify all payment information before sending. These fields start empty and are never pre-filled - the bank section is left off the document entirely until you enter something.
Enter unit weights using the selected document weight unit. Weights are calculated from the line items when per-unit weights are entered, and a manual value here replaces the calculated one. Changing the weight unit relabels the fields only - your entered numbers are never converted automatically.
The QR code is off by default and nothing is placed in it automatically. Never encode bank credentials or other sensitive data in a QR code on a document you send out.
Drafts are stored only in this browser. Export JSON to keep a portable copy or to move a document to another device. Duplicating keeps the business details and items and issues a new document number.
Free online proforma invoice generator
This tool builds a complete proforma invoice in your browser. It is designed for real trade documentation rather than a generic invoice with a different heading: separate exporter and importer records, a consignee address that does not have to match the buyer, Incoterms® 2020 with a named place, HS code and country of origin per line, net and gross weights, package details, advance deposit splits and bank instructions. Enable only the parts your transaction needs, and everything you leave empty is left off the finished document.
Nothing is uploaded. The document is assembled, previewed, printed and exported by your own browser, and drafts are stored in that browser's local storage. Your browser does fetch program code over the network the first time you ask for a PDF or a QR code, because those libraries are loaded on demand. That is code travelling towards you; no part of your document travels the other way.
Designed for professional business use and international trade documentation. Requirements may vary by country, transaction, carrier, bank and customs authority.
What is a proforma invoice?
A proforma invoice is a preliminary bill of sale issued before goods are shipped or services are delivered. It tells the buyer exactly what will be supplied, in what quantity, at what price, in which currency, and on what delivery and payment terms. Because it is issued in advance, it is a firm offer to supply on stated terms rather than a record of a completed sale, and it is not normally posted to the seller's sales ledger as revenue.
That distinction is the whole point of the document. A buyer can take a proforma invoice to their finance department to release funds, to their bank to open a letter of credit, or to their government to apply for an import licence or foreign exchange allocation, all before either party is committed to a completed transaction.
When should you use a proforma invoice?
- International orders. Overseas buyers frequently need a formal document showing goods, values and terms before they can place a purchase order.
- Advance payment. When you require a deposit before production begins, a proforma sets out the amount, the split and the payment route.
- Customs preparation. Brokers and freight forwarders often ask for a proforma when arranging a booking or pre-clearing a shipment. Acceptance for the final entry varies by country.
- Shipping preparation. Carriers use the declared weights, package counts and shipping marks to quote and book space.
- Purchase approval. Corporate buyers frequently need a formal document to raise an internal purchase requisition.
- Quotations. A proforma is a firmer, better-structured alternative to an informal quote, particularly where Incoterms and lead times matter.
- Banking. Letters of credit and documentary collections are commonly opened against a proforma invoice.
Proforma invoice vs commercial invoice
The two documents look similar and are used at different moments in the same transaction. Treating one as the other is the most common mistake in export documentation.
| Proforma invoice | Commercial invoice | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Sets out an offer to supply so the buyer can approve, budget, arrange finance or apply for permits | Records the transaction that has actually taken place |
| Final sales document? | No. It is preliminary and can be revised or withdrawn before acceptance | Yes. It is the definitive record of the sale |
| Customs use | Sometimes accepted for pre-clearance, samples, temporary imports or bookings. Acceptance varies by country and shipment | Normally the document used for customs valuation and entry |
| Payment use | Used to request an advance or open a letter of credit. Not a demand for payment unless the parties agree it is | The document against which payment is normally claimed and settled |
| When issued | Before shipment, often before the order is confirmed | At or after shipment, once quantities and values are final |
| Accounting treatment | Not usually recorded as a sale | Recorded as a sale in the seller's books |
Country rules differ, and some authorities treat a signed proforma as binding in specific circumstances. Confirm the treatment for your own transaction rather than relying on a general comparison.
What should a proforma invoice include?
There is no single global template, but buyers, banks and brokers expect a recognisable set of information. The generator provides all of it and hides whatever you leave blank.
- Seller and buyer. Full legal names, addresses and, where the transaction requires them, tax or VAT registration numbers and company registration numbers.
- Consignee. Where the goods are actually going, which is often not the buyer's billing address.
- Document identity. A unique number, the issue date and a validity date, since prices and lead times expire.
- Goods. A clear description, quantity, unit, unit price and line total for each item.
- Classification and origin. HS code and country of origin per line for cross-border shipments.
- Currency. Stated explicitly, including the currency code, so there is no ambiguity between dollar or pound variants.
- Incoterms. The agreed rule and the named place, which together determine who bears cost and risk at each stage.
- Weights and packaging. Net and gross weight, package count and type, and any shipping marks.
- Payment terms. The split between advance and balance, the method and, where relevant, the bank details.
- Validity and notice. Wording that makes clear the document is preliminary.
A note on Incoterms® 2020
Incoterms are published by the International Chamber of Commerce and define the division of cost, risk and responsibility between seller and buyer. This tool lists the eleven rules so you can record the one the parties agreed; it does not select or validate the correct rule for your shipment, and the named place matters as much as the three-letter code. Confirm the applicable delivery responsibilities with your counterparty and freight forwarder.
A note on HS codes
The Harmonised System is administered by the World Customs Organization, and the first six digits are internationally common while later digits are national. This tool records the code you enter and warns if it does not look like a plausible 4 to 12 digit classification. It does not determine classification. Verify the code with your customs broker or the relevant authority before submission, because misclassification carries real duty and penalty consequences.
Frequently asked questions
What is a proforma invoice?
A proforma invoice is a preliminary bill of sale sent before the goods are delivered. It sets out what will be supplied, on what terms, and at what price, so the buyer can approve the purchase, arrange payment, open a letter of credit or apply for an import permit. It is a commitment to supply on stated terms rather than a record of a completed sale, so it is not normally entered in the seller's accounts as revenue.
Is a proforma invoice a commercial invoice?
No. A proforma invoice is issued before the transaction is completed and is not a demand for payment unless the parties agree otherwise. A commercial invoice is issued once the goods are shipped or supplied, records the actual transaction, and is the document used for accounting and, in most countries, for customs valuation. Many businesses issue a proforma first and then a matching commercial invoice with the same numbers.
Can a proforma invoice be used for customs?
It depends on the country and the shipment. Some customs authorities accept a proforma invoice for temporary imports, samples, gifts or pre-clearance, and many require a commercial invoice for the final entry. Carriers and freight forwarders often ask for a proforma when arranging a booking. Confirm the requirement with the relevant customs authority, carrier and broker for your specific shipment rather than assuming.
Does a proforma invoice require a signature?
There is no universal requirement. Many buyers, banks and customs brokers ask for a signed and stamped document, and a buyer countersignature is often used to record acceptance of the quotation. This generator provides optional signature blocks for both the seller and the buyer, and you can draw a signature or upload an image.
Can I create a proforma invoice for international shipping?
Yes. The generator includes the fields international shipments usually need: country of origin and destination, port of loading and discharge, mode of transport, Incoterms 2020 with a named place, HS code and origin per line item, net and gross weights, package counts and shipping marks. Enable only the sections you need and the rest stay off the document.
Can I convert a proforma invoice into an invoice?
The document is stored in a normalised structure and can be exported as JSON, so the same seller, buyer, line items and trade terms can be carried into a commercial invoice without retyping. Duplicating the document also keeps everything except the number and dates, which is the usual way to issue a revision after a buyer asks for a change.
Is my document data uploaded anywhere?
No. The document is built, previewed, printed and exported by your own browser, and drafts are saved in that browser's local storage. Nothing about the document is sent to a server. Your browser does fetch program code over the network when you first ask for a PDF or a QR code, because those libraries are loaded on demand; that is code coming to you, never your document going out.
More AIPDFX business tools
This generator is designed to support common proforma invoice workflows. It does not provide legal, tax, customs or trade advice, and it makes no claim that a document it produces satisfies any particular jurisdiction's requirements. Verify transaction-specific requirements with the relevant customs authority, carrier, bank, buyer, seller and applicable regulations.