> ## Knowledge Base Index
> Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://help.getzendo.io/sitemap.xml
> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
> Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash).

# Send a quote

A quote lets the client approve a price before you start the work. When they approve it, Zendo creates an order. Depending on how you set up the quote, the client can also pay right after approving, either on the quote itself or on an invoice that Zendo issues for them. You can create a quote in **Sales › Billing**, from a request with **Get paid ▾ › Send a Quote for approval**, or from a client's profile with **+ New Quote**.

## Create and issue the quote

![In a request, Get paid creates a quote or an invoice for that client.](https://getzendo.io/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/kb-b3-get-paid.webp =450x230)

1. Open **Sales › Billing** and select **Create Quote**. If you are already discussing the work in a request, use **Get paid ▾ › Send a Quote for approval** there instead, and the quote appears in that request's conversation.
2. Choose the **Client**. For a quote that starts a new job, leave **Link to existing Order** empty, and Zendo creates a new order for it. If paying this quote should count as buying one of your services, choose it in **Counts as purchased service**.
3. Set the **Issue date**. If you already know when you will do the work, add an **Expected start date** and an **Expected completion date**. The **Valid until** date is under **Advanced**, below **Finance settings**.
4. Add the items: either select **Import items from a service**, or add rows with a **Description**, a **Qty** and a **Unit price**. To add tax, turn on **VAT support**.
5. In **Finance settings**, choose the **Currency** and the **Payment method**. If the quote is only an offer and the client will pay a later invoice, choose **None**.
6. Under **After Quote acceptance**, choose what happens when the client approves, in **After client approves**.
7. Select **Send Quote**. This is when the quote gets its number.

![The top of the quote editor: client, order and service (2), dates (3), Import items from a service (4) and Send Quote (7).](https://getzendo.io/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/kb-b3-quote-top.webp =722x516)

![The bottom of the quote editor: Finance settings (5), Valid until under Advanced (3), and what happens after approval (6).](https://getzendo.io/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/kb-b3-quote-bottom.webp =424x396)

## What happens after approval

**A quote from issue to approval, and what each After client approves option does next**

1. Quote issued (Awaiting approval)
2. Client's answer
   - **Approves:** Order created · Source: Quote
   - **Declines:** Quote is Declined
   - **No answer:** Expired after Valid until
3. After approval: **After client approves**
   - **Create an Invoice…:** Invoice issued, client pays it
   - **Collect payment with this Quote…:** Client pays on the quote, paid invoice follows
   - **No automatic action:** Nothing until you act

The **After client approves** setting decides what happens once the client approves the quote:

- **Create an Invoice to collect payment** — the client approves the quote, then receives an invoice and pays it.
- **Collect payment with this Quote, then create a paid Invoice** — the client approves and pays on the quote itself. The invoice created afterwards is already paid, so it serves as a receipt.
- **No automatic action** — the client approves, and nothing else happens until you act.

**No automatic action** can be used, for example, when approval and payment happen at different times, for example when the client approves the scope now and you invoice at the end of the month.

## Quote statuses

A quote's status follows the client's answer:

- **Draft** — not issued yet, and without a number.
- **Awaiting approval** — issued and waiting for the client.
- **Approved** or **Declined** — the client has answered.
- **Expired** — the **Valid until** date passed without an answer.
- **Canceled** — you withdrew the quote.

A quote that collects payment then moves on to **Awaiting payment** and **Paid**, and its **Payment date** is filled in. It is paid in full or not at all. If the client pays with a manual method, someone on your team marks the quote as paid. See [Mark a document as paid or refunded](https://help.getzendo.io/en/article/mark-a-document-as-paid-or-refunded-xqxof3/).

## Every quote says whose move it is

Under its header, a quote shows a **Now** line: one sentence that says what happens next and who has to do it. Your team and the client each see it from their own side, so nobody has to guess whether the quote is waiting for them.

| The quote is | Your team sees | The client sees |
|---|---|---|
| **Awaiting approval** | *Your client approves or declines the Quote by* the **Valid until** date | *Approve or decline the Quote by* that date, with **Approve** and **Decline** at the top |
| **Approved**, and an invoice was issued | *Your client pays* the amount *by* the invoice's due date | *The Invoice is ready to pay*, with **Go to Invoice** |
| **Approved**, with the payment method **None** | *You ask for payment or issue an Invoice* | Nothing to do |
| **Awaiting payment** on the quote itself | *Your client pays* the amount | *Pay* the amount, with **Pay** at the top |
| Paid by transfer, and the client selected **I've paid** | *Your client reported paying on* the date. *Check the money arrived before you mark it paid.* | *The team confirms your payment after checking it* |

A paid, refunded, cancelled or expired quote needs nobody's move, so it has no **Now** line. A declined quote shows the reason the client gave, if they gave one.

Your team also sees the flow preview, **Where this Quote stands**, next to the quote: every step so far with its date, the current step marked **Now**, and what comes next. After approval it leads on to the invoice with **Go to Invoice**. See [See what will happen before it happens, with the flow preview](https://help.getzendo.io/en/article/see-what-will-happen-before-it-happens-with-the-flow-preview-r4lhjn/).

## Act on an approved quote

The **⋯** menu of a quote in **Sales › Billing** offers what fits its status. On an approved quote:

- **Create another Invoice** opens a new invoice for the same client, already linked to the quote's order, for example for the second instalment. Nothing is sent until you send it.
- **Edit Quote** opens the quote in the editor.
- **Cancel Quote** withdraws it.

Under **Shortcuts**, **Go to Invoice**, **Go to Order** and **Go to Request** open the documents and the work that belong to the quote.

## What approval creates

When the client approves, Zendo creates an order, and its **Source** column shows **Quote**. The order shows the amount, the payment method and the payment status. If you chose one of the two automatic options, the invoice is on the order as well.

If the quote is for an order that already exists, for example extra work on a job in progress, choose that order in **Link to existing Order** instead. See [Put a second document on the same order](https://help.getzendo.io/en/article/put-a-second-document-on-the-same-order-1j5irqe/).

## Related

- [Edit a quote or invoice](https://help.getzendo.io/en/article/edit-a-quote-or-invoice-jglivw/)
- [Issue an invoice](https://help.getzendo.io/en/article/issue-an-invoice-ktxe67/)
- [Quote for custom work priced case by case](https://help.getzendo.io/en/article/quote-for-custom-work-priced-case-by-case-1cpy1tj/)
- [Put a second document on the same order](https://help.getzendo.io/en/article/put-a-second-document-on-the-same-order-1j5irqe/)
- [Follow orders: fulfillment and payment](https://help.getzendo.io/en/article/follow-orders-fulfillment-and-payment-1oq1mqu/)