Quotes and proforma invoices, and converting them to a sale
Prepare a quote or proforma invoice a customer can review and approve, then turn it into a completed sale without re-entering a single line.
Not every deal closes at the counter. A company client often asks for a quote or a proforma invoice first, approves it, then comes back to pay. CEMAC POS lets you prepare that document with the same catalogue and pricing you use at the till, share it, and convert it into a real sale the moment the customer confirms — with no retyping.
How it works
A quote (or proforma invoice) looks like a sale but commits nothing: it reserves no stock movement, records no payment, and produces no journal entry. It is a priced offer with your VAT-inclusive amounts at 19.25% that the customer can review. When they accept, you convert it into a sale — the lines, quantities and prices carry over — and only then does it become an immutable, hash-chained transaction that takes payment and affects your books.
Quote / proforma --> customer reviews --> approved?
| |
| (edit lines, yes
| quantities, prices) |
| v
+-------------------------------> Convert to sale
|
v
Take payment + print
Creating and converting step by step
- Open the quotes / proforma section and start a new quote.
- Attach the customer with their name and details for the document header.
- Add products, quantities and any discounts, exactly as you would build a cart.
- Save the quote and print it as an A4 document or send it on WhatsApp for approval.
- When the customer confirms, open the quote again and review the lines are still current.
- Tap Convert to sale — the lines, quantities and prices transfer automatically.
- Take payment (cash, MTN MoMo, Orange Money or a split) as with any sale.
- Print or send the final receipt or invoice.
A quote holds no stock and no payment until you convert it. If prices or availability changed between the quote and the conversion, review the lines before taking payment.
Common errors and how to fix them
| Message / symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Convert to sale is not available | The quote has no lines or no customer attached | Add at least one product and attach the customer, then convert |
| Prices on the sale differ from the quote | Catalogue prices changed after the quote was created | Review each line during conversion and confirm the amounts with the customer |
| Quote does not appear in the list | It was not saved, or a filter is hiding it | Check the status filter and search by customer name; re-create it if it was never saved |
| Stock looks wrong after making a quote | You expected the quote to reserve stock | Quotes reserve nothing — stock only moves when the quote is converted to a sale |
| Cannot edit a converted sale | The quote became an immutable sale on conversion | Record a separate return or corrective sale; the original sale cannot be altered |
Common questions
Does a quote reserve stock or take payment?
No. A quote is only a priced offer. It reserves no stock and records no payment until you convert it into a sale.
Do I have to re-enter items when converting?
No. Converting a quote carries over every line, quantity and price automatically, so you go straight to taking payment.
Can I edit a quote before converting?
Yes. Until you convert it, a quote can be edited freely — add or remove lines, change quantities, and adjust discounts.
Try it in your own shop
Start a free 30-day trial and follow along — no card required.
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