Glossary: Ordering
Pro forma invoice
A pro forma invoice is a preliminary invoice that a seller sends before an order is fulfilled, showing the goods, prices, shipping and terms the buyer is agreeing to. It is a statement of what the sale would be and is not a final invoice for accounting or tax.
In detail
A pro forma invoice looks like an invoice but works like an offer. The seller sends it before shipping so that the buyer can check the details, approve a quote, arrange payment or prepare import paperwork. After the goods ship, the seller issues the final invoice, which is the document used for accounting, tax and payment collection.
Sellers use it in a few cases: when the buyer pays in advance (a prepayment), when a quote needs a formal document for approval, when goods are exported and customs ask for a value, and when a bank needs paperwork for a letter of credit. It should carry the same details as the final invoice: the parties, the items, quantities, prices, shipping, taxes where they apply and the payment terms.
A pro forma invoice is different from a quote and from a commercial invoice. A quote is a price offer, and a pro forma invoice is a formatted version of it with the order details. A commercial invoice is the final invoice used for customs and accounting. Mark the pro forma clearly as not for payment records, so it is not booked twice.
Keep a clear link between the documents. Use the same reference numbers on the quote, the pro forma invoice, the order and the final invoice, so that everyone can follow the order from request to payment.
Example
A buyer in another country asks for a pro forma invoice for 200 units at $12 plus $180 shipping, a total of $2,580. They use it to arrange payment and import paperwork, and the seller issues the final invoice when the goods ship.
On Shopify
With a B2B customer and company location assigned to a draft order, Shopify applies the company's prices, payment terms and checkout options. A merchant can set a custom price and send the customer a payment invoice. The Help Center does not call this a pro forma invoice.
Source: Shopify Help Center: Creating B2B orders using draft orders (read October 4, 2026).
In BSS B2B apps
BSS B2B Quote turns an approved quote into a Shopify draft order and emails the invoice to the customer. The merchant can also convert a quote to a draft order from the admin and send the invoice as a separate step.
Learn more
Read the Quick order and RFQ hub for guides, use cases and setup docs, or the complete Shopify B2B guide.