## Zoho Billing - Product, solutions, integrations, support, and resources Index Access the complete documentation index at: https://www.zoho.com/ke/billing/llms.txt Use this file to discover all available documentation pages before proceeding. # Understanding Quotes The Quotes module in Zoho Billing lets businesses create and send formal proposals to prospective customers before a sale is confirmed. There are two types of quotes that you can create: a standard **Quote** for one-time transactions, or a [**Subscription Quote**](/ke/billing/help/sales/quote/subscription-quotes.html) for subscription-based transactions. Each quote can be tracked separately with a detailed list view that displays key information such as the quote number, customer name, status, and more, making it easier to monitor outstanding proposals and follow up at the right time. Businesses can configure exactly what a quote includes; whether it covers individual line items with custom rates, or a product’s plan and addons with a defined subscription cycle. The Quotes module helps you formalize pre-sale discussions, support structured pricing for new customers, and propose subscription arrangements. This ensures your customers receive a clear, professional offer that captures exactly what they are signing up for. **Scenario:** Charles, the sales manager at Zylker Tech, is preparing a proposal for a long-term customer. Currently, the customer is on an older plan that no longer fits their usage. Rather than calling to pitch an upgrade, Charles sends a subscription quote showing the new plan, the addon, and the revised pricing, all neatly laid out with End-of-Term configured, so the customer knows nothing changes until their next cycle. The customer accepts on their own time, with no pressure. Charles closed an upsell without a sales call. In Zoho Billing, you can create quotes based on your business’s requirement. * **Quote** - For one-time transactions involving individual items. * [**Subscription Quote**](/ke/billing/help/sales/quote/subscription-quotes.html) - For subscirption-based billing, where the subscription can be created using a product’s plan and addons, or individual items. Both quote types share a common set of fields, with a few differences depending on the type you choose. ## Lifecycle of a Quote A quote in Zoho Billing moves through different stages from the time it is created until it is accepted and converted into an invoice or subscription. Each stage reflects the status of the quote and helps you track where it stands in your sales process. A quote moves through the following stages: ![Lifecycle of a Quote](/billing/quotes/quotes-lifecycle.png) * **Draft** – The quote is created but not yet sent to the customer. * **Pending Approval** – The quote has been submitted for internal review and is awaiting approval before it can be sent to the customer. * **Approved** – The quote has been reviewed and approved internally, and is ready to be sent to the customer. * **Sent** – The quote has been shared with the customer and is awaiting their response. * **Customer Viewed** – The customer has opened and viewed the quote but has not yet responded. * **Accepted** – The customer has agreed to the quoted terms. * **Invoiced** – The quote has been fully converted into an invoice. * **Partially Invoiced** – The quote has been partially converted into an invoice, with some line items or amounts still pending invoicing in a [progress invoice](/ke/billing/help/sales/quote/progress-invoice.html). * **Declined** – The customer has rejected the quote. * **Expired** – The quote’s expiry date has passed without a response. This lifecycle helps you track pending approvals, follow up on open quotes, and maintain an accurate record of your sales pipeline. **Scenario:** Zylker is a software services company that provides implementation support to its customers. Zylker starts by creating a quote for a new customer and saves it as a **Draft** to review the pricing before sharing. Once the quote is finalized, it is submitted for approval; an approver reviews the pricing and terms internally before the quote goes out. Once approved, the quote is sent to the customer and the status changes to Sent. The customer reviews the quote and agrees to the terms. Zylker marks the quote as Accepted in Zoho Billing. From here, Zylker converts the quote to an invoice and the status changes to Invoiced. For another customer, Zylker creates a quote for a long-term project and uses progress invoices to bill in phases. After the first progress invoice is raised, the quote status changes to **Partially Invoiced**. As additional invoices are created, the quote eventually moves to Invoiced once the full amount is billed. If a customer does not respond before the expiry date, the quote status automatically changes to **Expired**. If the customer rejects the proposal, Zylker marks the quote as **Declined** to keep records accurate. **Note:** Approvals let you set up an internal review process before a quote is sent to the customer. You can define who approves the quote and how many levels of approvals are required. This ensures that pricing, discounts, and terms are validated internally, giving your team full control over what goes out. [Learn more about how approvals work for quotes](/ke/billing/help/sales/quote/other-actions.html#configure-approvals). ## Quote Fields ### Customer Name and Location The Customer Name and Location fields identify who the quote is for and from which of your business locations it is being issued. Field Description Customer Name Select an existing customer or add a new one. The quote will be linked to this customer’s record in Zoho Billing. Location If you have configured multiple business locations, you can select the location from the dropdown. The Source of Supply will auto-populate based on the location you choose and is used for tax calculations. ### Quote Number and Reference The Quote# and Reference# fields help you track and identify the quote both internally and in communication with your customer. Field Description Quote# A unique identifier for the quote, auto-generated based on your configured numbering sequence. Click the settings icon next to the field to change the format or set a custom number. Reference# An optional field for any internal or external reference number, such as a purchase order number provided by your customer. ### Quote Date and Expiry Date Field Description Quote Date The date the quote is issued. Defaults to today’s date. Expiry Date The date after which the quote is no longer valid. Once this date passes, the customer cannot accept the quote. You can leave it blank to not set an expiry for the quote. ### Salesperson and Project Name Field Description Salesperson The team member responsible for this quote. Select an existing salesperson or add a new one. Project Name The project this quote is associated with. You must select a customer first before a project can be linked. ### Subject Enter a short description of what this quote covers. The subject appears on the quote document and helps your customer understand the purpose of the quote at a glance. ### Item Table The item table is where you list the products or services you are quoting. You can add items one at a time using **Add New Row**, or add several at once using **Add Items in Bulk**. Field Description Item Details The product or service being quoted. Type or click to select an item from your item list. Quantity The number of units being quoted. Defaults to 1.00. Rate The unit price of the item. Auto-populated if a rate is configured for the item; you can edit it directly on the quote. Tax The applicable tax for the item. Auto-populated based on your tax settings and the item’s tax configuration. Amount Calculated automatically as Quantity × Rate. ### Total Field Description Sub Total The sum of all line item amounts before any discount, shipping charges, or adjustment. Discount An overall discount applied to the quote total. Enter a percentage or switch to a fixed amount using the toggle next to the field. Shipping Charges Any delivery or shipping costs to be added to the quote total. Adjustment A manual positive or negative value to fine-tune the total, useful for rounding or applying a one-off deduction. Total The final amount your customer will be quoted, after all discounts, charges, and adjustments are applied. ### Customer Notes and Terms & Conditions Field Description Customer Notes A message visible to your customer on the quote document. Use this for personalised communication or context about the quote. Defaults to _Looking forward to your business_. Terms & Conditions Your standard business terms to be printed on the quote. You can enter these directly or configure a default under your settings. ### Attach File(s) to Quote Supporting documents you want to share with your customer alongside the quote, such as a product brochure or specification sheet. You can upload a maximum of 5 files, 10 MB each. ### Create a Retainer Invoice for This Quote Automatically When this option is checked, Zoho Billing automatically generates a [retainer invoice](/ke/billing/help/sales/retainer-invoice/) when the customer accepts this quote. This is useful when you want to collect an advance payment before the work or delivery begins. ## Subscription Quote Fields The Subscription Quote tab includes applicable fields described above, with the following differences and additions. These fields define how the subscription is structured and billed over time. ### Create Subscription For This field determines how the subscription is built, either using a product from your catalog or individual items. Select one of the following options: **Note:** You must select a product before you can choose a plan or addon when using the Product (Plan & Addons) option. Option Description Product (Plan & Addons) Use this when your subscription is based on a product configured in your product catalog. Selecting this reveals a Product field and a Plan and Addon table where you can specify the plan and any addons to include. Items Use this when you want to build the subscription using individual items. The item table works the same way as in a standard quote. ### Plan and Addon Table Use this table to specify the plan and addons to be included in the subscription. Field Description Plan and Addon The plan and its associated addon from the selected product to include in the subscription. Click the row to type or select a plan. You can add addons in the rows below the plan. Quantity The number of units of the plan or addon. Rate The unit price of the plan or addon. Auto-populated based on the plan configuration. Tax The applicable tax. Auto-populated based on your tax settings. Amount Calculated automatically as Quantity × Rate. ### Coupon Use this to apply a [coupon](/ke/billing/help/product-catalog/coupons/) to the subscription. The coupon table displays the coupon name, its code, and the discount value it provides. Field Description Coupon The name of the coupon to apply to the subscription. Click the row to type or select a coupon from the dropdown. Coupon Code The unique code associated with the selected coupon. Auto-populated when you select a coupon. Value The discount amount the coupon provides. It will auto-populate based on the coupon configuration. If the selected plan has a setup fee and trial period configured, the following options will be available: * **Setup Fee** - A one-time fee associated with the selected plan will be added as a line item in the plan and addon table at the start of the subscription. You can configure the rate and applicable tax for this line item. Check **Charge setup fee when the trial period starts** if you want to collect the one-time setup cost at the beginning of the trial period rather than at the start of the first billing cycle. * **Trial Days** - You can configure the number of days the customer can use the subscription before billing begins. Enter 0 to bill the customer immediately without a trial period. If the selected line item is part of a **Subscription for Items**, the following options will be available: * **Profile Name** - The item profile to be applied to this line item. The profile serves as a reference for the subscription for items that you create. * **Bill Every** - The frequency at which this line item will be billed within the subscription cycle. Enter the billing interval and select the unit: Week(s), Month(s), or Year(s) from the dropdown. ### Expires After The number of billing cycles after which the subscription created from this quote will end automatically. Once the specified number of cycles is complete, the subscription expires and billing stops. Check **Never Expires** if the subscription should continue indefinitely until it is manually cancelled. **Example:** If Expires After is set to 12 cycles for a monthly subscription, the subscription will run for 12 months and then expire automatically. If Never Expires is checked, the subscription continues until you or the customer cancels it. ### Payment Mode The payment mode determines how the customer will be charged for their subscription. Configure the following option based on your preferred collection method: Field Description Collect payment offline If payment is to be made by customers through cheques, cash, or other means wherein you do not store their card information, check **Collect payment offline**. When this option is checked, the subscription created from this quote will be an offline subscription. **Note:** When you check **Collect payment offline**, You can choose to collect the payment online instantly by configuring an available payment gateway such as WePay (Card), Zoho Payments (Card), or Stripe (ACH, Terminal Device, Card). **Insight:** For online subscriptions, make sure that **Collect payment offline** is unchecked. The customer’s payment method will be stored, and they will be automatically charged for subsequent billing cycles. ### When to Apply Changes If you want to make changes to an existing subscription, you can create a subscription quote from that subscription and choose when the changes should take effect on the associated subscription. Option Description Immediately The changes are applied to the subscription as soon as the quote is accepted. The billing amount is adjusted in the current cycle accordingly. End of This Term The changes are applied only after the current billing cycle ends. The subscription continues on its existing terms until that billing cycle completes.