Proforma Invoice Checklist: What to Check Before Signing

You sent your request for quotation, agreed on prices, and now a proforma invoice (PI) has arrived. Signing it back is the step that turns a quote into an order, so it deserves ten careful minutes.

This checklist goes through a PI line by line. It is written for buyers of motorcycle tyres and tubes from China, but most of it applies to any first import. It is practical guidance, not legal advice; for contract questions, talk to your own adviser.

What a proforma invoice is, and what it is not

The US International Trade Administration describes a pro forma invoice as "a quote in an invoice format". It says buyers may need one "to apply for an import license, contract for pre-shipment inspection, open a letter of credit or arrange for transfer of hard currency".

Two points follow from that:

• A PI is not the commercial invoice. The commercial invoice is issued for the shipment itself. In the US, for example, 19 CFR 141.86 lists what the invoice for imported goods must show, including the port of entry, a detailed description of the goods, quantities, the purchase price of each item and the country of origin. Your customs broker works from that document, not from the PI.
• Signing a PI is not a quality check. It confirms what you are ordering and on what terms. It does not inspect the goods. Quality is checked against the product specification, samples and any inspection you arrange, not against your signature on the PI.

At TIREO, an order is confirmed when you sign and return our PI and we receive the 30% deposit. Both are needed. So the PI you sign is the version we will produce from.

The checklist

The ITA lists the points a PI should include: seller and buyer names and addresses, the buyer's reference, items quoted, unit prices and totals, weights and dimensions, discounts, terms of sale with the delivery point, payment terms, estimated shipping date and a validity date. Here is how to check each group on a tyre order.

1. Seller and buyer

• The seller's full legal name and address. TIREO LLC is the overseas sales company for products made by Qingdao Zhengya Rubber Industrial Co., Ltd. in Qingdao, China. Check that the PI names the company you have been dealing with.
• Your company name and address exactly as they will appear on your import documents. A typo here can follow the order through to the bill of lading.
• Your own reference or purchase order number, if you use one.

2. Product lines

Compare every line with your request for quotation:

• Size, written exactly, for example 3.00-18, not "300-18".
• Pattern code for tyres.
• TT or TL (tube-type or tubeless).
• For inner tubes, material (natural rubber or butyl) and valve.
• Packing, if you asked for something specific.

A line that is missing a pattern or a tube material is not a small detail. It decides which product is made.

3. Quantities and minimums

• Quantity per line, and the line total.
• Each line meets its own minimum. Ours are 300 pieces per size and pattern for motorcycle tyres and 2,000 pieces per size and material for motorcycle inner tubes. Two patterns in the same size do not add up to one minimum.

4. Prices and the price basis

• Unit price and extended total per line, and the grand total. Recalculate them yourself.
• The currency.
• The price basis and delivery point. Our prices are ex-factory or at Qingdao port. Sea freight changes with every sailing and is confirmed separately for each shipment, so it should not be hidden inside the unit price unless you agreed to that.
• Any discount you agreed, shown on the PI rather than promised in a chat.

5. Payment terms

• The deposit percentage and when the balance is due. Ours are a 30% deposit and the balance before shipment.
• The bank details. Check them against details you already have from the seller, through a channel you trust, before you send money. If bank details change between emails, stop and confirm by phone or video call.

6. Lead time and shipping date

• The lead time or estimated shipping date. Our lead time is 20–30 days.
• Ask from which day it is counted, and write the answer down. Do not assume.
• The port of loading. Our shipments leave from Qingdao.

7. Consignee and documents

• Consignee and notify party, if your forwarder or bank needs them on the PI.
• Documents you will need at destination. Certificate copies are available on request, and a certificate of origin is available on request. Ask for them now, so they are not a surprise at shipment.

8. Validity

• The validity date. Our quotations are valid for 15 days. If the date has passed, ask for a re-issued PI before you pay, rather than paying against an expired one.

After you sign

Keep the signed PI with your RFQ and the email that agreed the final prices. When the commercial invoice and packing list arrive before shipment, compare them line by line with the PI. Any difference in size, pattern, quantity or price should be explained before you pay the balance.

FAQ

Is a proforma invoice legally binding?

That depends on the contract terms and the law that applies, and we cannot give legal advice. In our own process, an order is confirmed only when the PI is signed and returned and the 30% deposit is received.

Can I use the PI for customs clearance?

Normally the commercial invoice is the shipping document customs works from. In the US, 19 CFR 141.86 sets out what that invoice must contain. Ask your customs broker what your country requires.

Does signing the PI mean I accept the quality?

No. A PI confirms the order details and terms. Quality is checked against the agreed specification and samples.

What if the PI differs from the quote?

Do not sign it. Ask the seller to correct the PI first, and keep the corrected version.

Ready for a PI?

If you have already sent us your list, check the PI against this list before you sign. If not, start with our guide to writing a motorcycle tire RFQ, see the whole import process step by step, or contact us.

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