Managing Quotes - Other Actions
Quotes in Zoho Billing let you send detailed price proposals to customers for the goods or services you offer. They help you set clear pricing expectations, track approvals, and convert accepted quotes into invoices or subscriptions without re-entering any details.
Patricia Boyle, Sales Manager at Zylker Tech, needs to send a proposal to a new client for a software implementation project. Using Quotes in Zoho Billing, she can create a detailed quote with line items and pricing, share it with the client via a secure link, and convert it directly into an invoice once the client accepts, all without duplicating any data entry.
Management Actions
Create a Quote
You can create quotes in Zoho Billing to send price proposals to your customers. Here’s how:
- Log in to your Zoho Billing organization.
- Go to Sales on the left sidebar and select Quotes.
- Click + New in the top right corner of the page.
- Select the Quote tab to create a standard quote, or the Subscription Quote tab to create a quote for a subscription plan.
- Fill in the required details:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Customer Name | Select the customer for whom you are creating the quote. |
| Location | Select the business location to set the source of supply. |
| Quote# | A unique quote number is auto-generated. Click the Gear icon to configure the transaction number series. |
| Reference# | Enter an optional reference number for internal tracking. |
| Quote Date | Set the date on which the quote is created. |
| Expiry Date | Set the date after which the quote will no longer be valid. |
| Salesperson | Select or add the salesperson handling this quote. |
| Project Name | Associate a project with this quote, if applicable. |
- Enter a relevant subject to let your customer know what the quote is for.
- Add the items, quantities, and prices in the item table.
- Check Create a retainer invoice for this quote automatically if you want to collect an advance payment for this quote. Learn more about collecting retainers from quotes.
- Click Save as Draft to save the quote for review, or Save and Send to send it to your customer right away.
If you save the quote in Draft status, it will not be reflected in your sales. To make it active, send it to your customer or mark it as sent.
Import Quotes
You can add quotes to Zoho Billing by importing them from your existing records. Supported formats are CSV, TSV, and XLS.
- Go to Sales and select Quotes.
- Click the More icon in the top right corner of the page.
- Select Import Quotes.
- Click Choose File next to Upload File. You can download a sample file for reference by clicking sample csv file or sample xls file.
- Choose the Character Encoding and File Delimiter for your file.
- Check Auto-generate Quote Number if you want quote numbers to be generated automatically from the import.
- Click Next.
- Verify that all fields are mapped correctly on the Map Fields page.
- Check Save these selections for use during future imports if you want to reuse this mapping.
- Click Next, then click Import.
The quotes from your file will be added to Zoho Billing.
Edit a Quote
- Log in to your Zoho Billing organization.
- Go to Sales on the left sidebar and select Quotes.
- Select the quote you want to edit.
- In the Details page, click Edit at the top.
- Make the necessary changes in the Edit Quote page.
- Click Save to save the quote, or Save and Send to send the updated quote to the customer.
Configure Approvals
You can set up approval workflows for your quotes to ensure they are reviewed before being sent to customers. Zoho Billing supports multiple approval types, including simple approvals, multi-level approvals, and condition-based custom approvals, so you can enforce your organization’s pricing and discount policies effectively. Learn how to configure approvals for quotes.
Share Actions
Email the Quote to the Customer
If you want to email a copy of the quote at a later point in time, you can send it directly to your customer. Here’s how:
- Log in to your Zoho Billing organization.
- Go to Sales on the left sidebar and select Quotes.
- Select the quote you want to email.
- In the Details page, click Mails at the top and select Send Email from the dropdown.
- Verify the details in the email and make any changes if needed.
- Scroll down and click Send.
The quote will be sent to the customer, and the status of the quote will be updated to Sent.
Share Quote Link With Customers
You can generate a link for the quote and share it with your customers so they can view and respond to it directly.
Since the quote link can be accessed by anyone, Secure Link Sharing adds a layer of security to ensure only the intended recipient views the full quote. To use this, add your customer’s email address or phone number in the Customers module. When you share the link, the customer can verify their identity by entering the same email address or phone number. If they cannot provide these details, they can only accept or reject the quote.
- Log in to your Zoho Billing organization.
- Go to Sales on the left sidebar and select Quotes.
- Select the quote you want to share.
- In the Details page, click Share at the top.
- In the Share Quote Link popup, fill in the following fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Visibility | Choose Public if you want anyone with the link to access the complete quote before its expiration date, or Private & Secure if you want your customer to access the quote only through the customer portal. |
| Link Expiration Date | Choose the expiration date for the link you’re sharing with the customer. |
By default, the link is set to expire 90 days from the quote expiry date.
- Click Generate Link.
- Click Copy Link to copy and share the link with your customer.
Print a Quote
- Log in to your Zoho Billing organization.
- Go to Sales on the left sidebar and select Quotes.
- Select the quote you want to print.
- In the Details page, click PDF/Print at the top.
- Select PDF to download the quote as a PDF to your computer, or select Print to print the document directly.
Conversion and Approval Actions
Accept or Decline a Quote
After you send a quote, your customer may approve it or request changes. Once they approve it, you can mark it as accepted in one of two ways:
- Your customer can directly accept or decline the quote from the Customer Portal.
- You can manually update the status.
Here’s how you can manually update the status in Zoho Billing:
To mark a quote as accepted:
- Go to Sales and select Quotes.
- Select the quote that your customer has approved.
- Click More and select Mark as Accepted from the dropdown.
The quote status will be updated to Accepted.
To mark a quote as declined:
If your customer does not approve the quote and you decide not to revise it further, you can mark it as declined.
- Go to Sales and select Quotes.
- Select the quote you want to mark as declined.
- Click More and select Mark as Declined from the dropdown.
The quote status will be updated to Declined.
Accept or Decline a Quote as a Customer via Public Link
You can allow your customers to accept or decline a quote directly through a public link or via WhatsApp, without requiring them to log in to the Customer Portal. To enable this option:
- Go to Settings.
- Select Quotes under Sales in the Module Settings pane.
- In the General tab, check Allow customers to accept or decline the quotes via platforms like WhatsApp, and public link.
- Scroll down and click Save.
Once enabled, when you share the quote link via the Share Quote URL option or via WhatsApp, customers can respond directly from the link.
Ensure that you edit the WhatsApp Template for Quotes to include the CTA with Accept and Reject options for your customers.
When the customer opens the shared link, a page showing the quote number, quote date, and status appears. From here, they can:
- Click Accept or Decline to respond to the quote.
- Click View Quote next to the quote number to review the full details before deciding.
- Enter their email address in the popup to verify their identity, and click Verify to access the quote securely.
Any action taken by your customer through the shared link, such as accepting, declining, or adding comments, will be recorded in the Comments & History section of the quote as performed via the public link.
When a quote is shared via WhatsApp, customers can respond using the quick reply buttons in the message. Once they respond, you will receive an in-app notification.
If you enabled the option to create a retainer invoice when creating the quote, your customer will receive the retainer invoice in their email as soon as they accept the quote.
Automate Quote to Invoice Conversion
Instead of manually converting each accepted quote into an invoice, you can configure Zoho Billing to handle this automatically. Once enabled, any quote that is marked as accepted, either by your customer or by you, is instantly converted into an invoice with no additional steps required.
Convert to Invoice
Once you have created a quote and your customer has accepted it, you can convert it into an invoice. Here’s how:
- Go to Sales and select Quotes.
- Select the quote you want to convert into an invoice.
- Click Convert to Invoice at the top of the page.
- The New Invoice page will be pre-filled with the quote details. Review and save the invoice.
A quote in Draft or Expired status cannot be converted to an invoice.
Create a Project from the Quote for the Customer
To create a project for the customer based on a quote:
- Log in to your Zoho Billing organization.
- Go to Sales on the left sidebar and select Quotes.
- Select the quote you want to use to create a project.
- In the Details page, click the More icon at the top and select Create Project from the dropdown.
- You will be redirected to the New Project page, where the Customer Name and Project Tasks will auto-populate based on the customer’s details and the services included in the quote.
- Fill in the other necessary details and click Save.
A project will be created for the selected customer, with the services listed in the quote added as tasks. Once you mark these tasks as Billable, you can invoice the customer for each task.
Create a Retainer Invoice From a Quote
If your customer makes a retainer payment, you can record this payment by creating a retainer invoice from an accepted quote.
- Log in to your Zoho Billing organization.
- Go to Sales on the left sidebar and select Quotes.
- Select an accepted quote for which you want to create a retainer invoice.
- In the Details page, click the More icon and select Create Retainer Invoice from the dropdown.
- Fill in the following fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Billing Address | Auto-populates based on the customer’s billing address. Click the Edit icon to modify it. |
| Description and Amount | Enter a description of the services and the corresponding retainer amount in the table. |
| Retainer Invoice Number | Auto-populates. Click the Settings icon to enter the number manually if preferred. |
| Retainer Invoice Date | Select the creation date for the invoice. |
| Customer Notes | Add any notes you want to display in the customer’s transaction. |
| Terms and Conditions | Enter the terms and conditions to be displayed in the transaction. |
- Click Save as Draft to save the invoice without sending it, or Save and Send to save and send it to the customer.
A retainer invoice will be created from the quote.
Other Options
Clone a Quote
If you need a new quote with the same details as an existing one, you can clone it. Here’s how:
- Log in to your Zoho Billing organization.
- Go to Sales on the left sidebar and select Quotes.
- Select the quote you want to clone.
- In the Details page, click the More icon and select Clone from the dropdown.
- You will be redirected to the New Quote page with all the details pre-filled from the selected quote. Review and customize the details as needed.
- Click Save to save the quote, or Save and Send to save and send the cloned quote to the customer.
The existing quote will be cloned into a new one with the same details.
Export Quotes
If you need to back up your data or migrate to another system, you can export quotes from Zoho Billing. Here’s how:
- Log in to your Zoho Billing organization.
- Go to Sales on the left sidebar and select Quotes.
- Click the More icon in the top right corner and select Export Quotes from the dropdown.
- In the Export popup, fill in the following fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Select Module | Defaults to Quotes. |
| Select Status | Select the status of the quotes you want to export. Defaults to All. |
| Export Template | Select a template to export the file with your chosen fields. Click + New Template to create a new one. |
| Decimal Format | Select how currency values should be displayed. |
| Export File Format | Choose the export format: CSV, XLS, or XLSX. |
| Include Sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (PII) | Check this option to include sensitive quote details, such as custom fields, in the export. |
| File Protection Password | Enter a password to lock the exported file. |
- Click Export.
The file will be downloaded to your device with your selected preferences.
Filter Quotes
In the Quotes list page, you can filter quotes based on their status. Available statuses include Draft, Pending Approval, Approved, Sent, Customer Viewed, Accepted, Invoiced, Declined, and Expired. This helps you focus on quotes that need immediate attention.
- Go to Sales on the left sidebar and select Quotes.
- Click the filter dropdown at the top and select the required filter.
- The list will update to show only the quotes matching the selected status.
View Activity Logs and Comments
- Log in to your Zoho Billing organization.
- Go to Sales on the left sidebar and select Quotes.
- Select the quote you want to view.
- In the Details page, click the Activity Logs tab to view a chronological record of all actions taken on the quote, such as when it was created or marked as sent.
- To add a comment, click the Comments icon in the top right corner of the page.
- In the Comments pane on the right, enter your comment and click Add Comment.
Your comment will be added, and you can also view past comments from other users in the same pane.
Attach Files to a Quote
- Log in to your Zoho Billing organization.
- Go to Sales on the left sidebar and select Quotes.
- Select the quote you want to attach files to.
- In the Details page, click the Attachment icon at the top right corner of the page.
- In the Attach Files dropdown, select how you want to upload the file:
- Cloud: Upload files from cloud resources such as Zoho WorkDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive.
- Documents: Upload files from the Documents module in Zoho Billing.
- To display the attachments in the customer portal and emails, enable Display Attachments in Customer Portal and Emails under the attachment on the Quote Details page.
You can upload a maximum of 10 files, each up to 10 MB.
Delete a Quote
You cannot delete a quote if you’ve created an invoice or retainer invoice for it. Delete the associated invoice or retainer invoice first before deleting the quote.
- Log in to your Zoho Billing organization.
- Go to Sales on the left sidebar and select Quotes.
- Select the quote you want to delete.
- In the Details page, click the More icon at the top and select Delete from the dropdown.
- In the confirmation popup, click OK.
The quote will be permanently deleted.
List View Options
Export Current View of Quotes
You can export a maximum of 10,000 rows. If you have more rows, initiate a backup for your Zoho Billing data and download it. Learn more about how to back up your data.
You can export quotes in the same order as they appear on the Quotes List View page. Here’s how:
- Log in to your Zoho Billing organization.
- Go to Sales on the left sidebar and select Quotes.
- In the List View page, click the More icon in the top right corner and select Export Current View from the dropdown.
- In the Export Current View popup, fill in the following fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Decimal Format | Select how the currency in the quotes should be displayed. |
| Export File Format | Choose the export format: CSV, XLS, or XLSX. |
| File Protection Password | Enter a password to lock the file. |
- Click Export.
The file will be downloaded to your device with the quotes in the same order as they appear on the List View page.
Resize Columns in the Quotes List View Page
- Log in to your Zoho Billing organization.
- Go to Sales on the left sidebar and select Quotes.
- In the List View page, hover over a column border, then drag it to make the column wider or narrower.
- Click Save in the top left corner to apply the changes.
Your customized column width will be saved.
To reset the column width, go to Sales > Quotes, click the More icon in the top right corner, and select Reset Column Width from the dropdown.
Customize List View Page Columns
- Log in to your Zoho Billing organization.
- Go to Sales on the left sidebar and select Quotes.
- In the List View page, click the Customize dropdown in the top left corner and select Customize Columns.
- In the Customize Columns popup, select the columns you want to display.
- Click Save.
The selected columns will be shown in the List View page.
Columns with the Permanent Lock icon are mandatory and cannot be unchecked.
Bulk Actions in Quotes
Bulk Update Quotes
If you need to update a specific field across multiple quotes at once, you can use the bulk update option. Here’s how:
- Log in to your Zoho Billing organization.
- Go to Sales on the left sidebar and select Quotes.
- Select the quotes you want to update.
- Click Bulk Update in the top left corner of the page.
- In the Bulk Update Quotes popup, choose the field you want to update from the dropdown and enter the new value.
- Click Update.
The selected quotes will be updated with the new information.
Download Multiple Quote PDFs
You can select and download multiple quotes as a single PDF, with each quote on a separate page.
- Log in to your Zoho Billing organization.
- Go to Sales on the left sidebar and select Quotes.
- Select the quotes you want to download.
- Click the PDF icon in the top left corner.
The selected quotes will download as a single PDF file.
Print Quotes in Bulk
- Log in to your Zoho Billing organization.
- Go to Sales on the left sidebar and select Quotes.
- Select the quotes you want to print.
- Click the Print icon in the top left corner.
- In the Preview popup, review the selected quotes and click Print.
The selected quotes will be printed.
Delete Quotes in Bulk
You cannot delete a quote once an invoice or retainer invoice has been created for it. Delete the associated invoice or retainer invoice first before attempting to delete the quote.
- Log in to your Zoho Billing organization.
- Go to Sales on the left sidebar and select Quotes.
- Select the quotes you want to delete.
- Click the More icon at the top and select Delete from the dropdown.
- In the confirmation popup, click OK.
The selected quotes will be permanently deleted.
Customize Quote PDF
The quote template determines how your quotes appear to customers when sent via email or accessed through the customer portal. You can customize the layout, add your logo, and control which fields and sections are displayed.
Rename Estimates to Quotes
This applies to organizations created before March 31, 2023. Organizations created after this date already use Quotes as the module name.
In Zoho Billing, organizations created before March 31, 2023, have Estimates as the module name, while organizations created after this date have Quotes as the module name. If the module name was Estimates in your organization and you’ve renamed it to Quotes through the displayed popups, complete the following steps to apply the change fully.
Update the Document’s Title in Templates
The document title in PDF templates will still show as Estimate after renaming. You need to update the name manually in each PDF template. Here’s how:
- Log in to your Zoho Billing organization.
- Go to Settings.
- Select PDF Templates under Customization.
- In the Templates pane on the right, select Quotes.
- Hover over a template and click Edit.
- Click Transaction Details on the left sidebar and expand the Document Details section at the bottom.
- Edit the text box below Show Document Title to change the document title from Estimate to Quote.
- Preview your change and click Save.
Update the Transaction Prefix
If you have enabled Transaction Number Series:
- Log in to your Zoho Billing organization.
- Go to Settings.
- Select Transaction Number Series under Customization.
- Choose the required series.
- Scroll down to Quotes and enter the preferred prefix in the Prefix column.
- Click Save.
If you have not enabled Transaction Number Series:
- Log in to your Zoho Billing organization.
- Go to Sales on the left sidebar and select Quotes.
- Click + New in the top right corner.
- In the New Quote page, click the Settings icon in the text box next to Quote#.
- In the popup, enter the preferred prefix in the Prefix text box.
The new quotes you create will use the prefix you entered.
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