# Bidder proformas

> Ask buyers to pay before you invoice them: a proforma reserves the lots they won and becomes a regular invoice once the payment has arrived.

- URL: https://www.selloff.auction/features/bidder-proformas
- Language: English
- Domain: Accounting
- Last updated: 2026-10-29
- Français: https://www.selloff.auction/fr/fonctionnalites/proformas-encherisseurs.md

## At a glance

- Proformas for a selection of a buyer's lots, or for several bidders in one action
- Hammer price, premium, insurance, platform fees and VAT as on the future invoice
- Sales reserved for the proforma until it is converted or deleted
- Converted into an invoice in one step, optionally marked as paid
- Own document template and reference numbering, separate from invoices

## Invoice only what has been paid

When a buyer has to pay before receiving an invoice, issuing the invoice straight away is a risk: if the buyer never pays, it has to be cancelled with a credit note. A proforma asks for the payment first. It lists the lots won, the amounts and your payment details, and becomes a regular invoice once the money has arrived. Proformas are off by default: switch them on in Settings › Accounting › Proformas.

## Issuing proformas

In Bidders to invoice, the Create proforma action of a bidder lists their sales in that currency, all selected: untick the lots to leave out, check the total and confirm. To issue proformas for several bidders at once, select them and choose Create proformas; a client's bidder numbers in the same sale can be merged into a single proforma.

The proforma shows the amounts of the future invoice: hammer prices, buyer's premium, buyer's insurance, platform fees and VAT. Shipping is added by the invoice. Proformas are printed or emailed with their own [document template](https://www.selloff.auction/features/letter-templates.md), and their references follow their own format without using up invoice numbers.

## While the payment is pending

The proforma's sales are reserved: they leave the list of bidders to invoice and can be neither invoiced separately nor cancelled. Lots the buyer wins afterwards stay available as usual. The Bidders with proforma tab lists pending proformas first, with a warning when prices, premium or VAT have changed since the proforma was issued. Pending proformas also show in the Bidders to watch dashboard widget.

## From proforma to invoice

Once the buyer has paid, Generate invoice creates the [buyer invoice](https://www.selloff.auction/features/automatic-invoicing.md) with exactly the proforma's sales, using the usual calculations and numbering. Tick Mark the invoice as paid to record the [payment](https://www.selloff.auction/features/payment-tracking.md) on the account of your choice in the same step, with a payment confirmation by email if you wish. Several proformas can be converted or deleted at once. Deleting a pending proforma releases its sales; a converted proforma stays listed with a link to its invoice. Each step is recorded in the client's activities.

## Related features

- [Automatic invoicing](https://www.selloff.auction/features/automatic-invoicing.md): Create buyer invoices and consignor statements from recorded sales in a few clicks, with premium, insurance, fees, shipping and VAT calculated automatically.
- [Payment tracking & reminders](https://www.selloff.auction/features/payment-tracking.md): Record and apply payments, see what each client owes, send reminders at three levels with fees, and follow receivables in the aging report.
- [Letter & document templates](https://www.selloff.auction/features/letter-templates.md): Adapt the layout and wording of every document Selloff produces, from letters and receipts to invoices, in each language, with placeholders and conditions.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the difference between a proforma and an invoice in Selloff?

A proforma is a request for payment issued before the invoice. It shows the same amounts as the future invoice, except shipping, but has its own reference and does not use an invoice number. No invoice exists until you convert the proforma, so a buyer who never pays leaves nothing to cancel with a credit note.

### Can the lots on a pending proforma be invoiced another way?

No. While the proforma is pending, its sales are reserved: they can only be invoiced by converting the proforma, and a sale cannot be cancelled until the proforma is deleted. Lots the buyer wins later, or that you left off the proforma, stay in Bidders to invoice.

### How is the buyer's payment recorded?

When you convert the proforma, tick Mark the invoice as paid and choose the account and the payment date. Selloff records a payment of the full invoice amount, shipping included, and can email a payment confirmation to the buyer. Only users allowed to record payments see this option.

### What happens if the amounts change after the proforma was sent?

The proforma keeps the amounts it was issued with. If prices, buyer's premium, VAT or the client's details change, the proforma list shows a warning with the current amount, and the invoice uses the current values. Print the proforma again if the buyer needs an updated document.