Estimates, deposits and payment schedules

Send an EST-numbered estimate with a hosted accept link — your client accepts with a typed name recorded with a timestamp — convert it to an invoice in one tap, and collect through a deposit or milestone schedule that chases itself.

An estimate lets your client say yes before any money changes hands — they accept online with a typed name recorded with a timestamp — and a payment schedule then collects the invoice in the right pieces: a deposit up front or milestones with their own due dates.

Send an estimate your client can accept online

From Invoices → New, pick the Estimate document type. Estimates get their own EST- numbering series, so your invoice sequence is untouched.
Add the client and line items exactly as on an invoice, and save.
From the estimate's detail page, share the accept link — over WhatsApp, email or however you like.
The link opens a hosted page showing the full estimate. To accept, your client types their name — Finocket records that typed-name acceptance with a timestamp, so you always know who agreed and when. They can also decline with a reason, which lands back on the estimate for you.
Once accepted, tap Convert to invoice. Client, line items and taxes carry over — nothing is retyped — and the estimate stays linked to the invoice it became.

Deposits and milestone schedules

Any invoice can carry a payment schedule: a deposit percentage up front (say 40% to start, 60% on delivery), or custom milestones with their own amounts and due dates. The invoice total never changes — the schedule just says how it arrives. Set it up from the payment-schedule card on the invoice detail page.

How installments get chased

Payment links always collect the next open installment, never the whole balance — a deposit request can't accidentally charge the full amount.
Reminders chase the next open installment as its due date approaches and passes (see Getting paid faster for the schedule).
The client portal shows the schedule and offers a pay action on whichever installment is due next.
A paid installment ticks itself off; if a payment is refunded, the installment reopens so the balance stays honest.

Access & control

Owners and assistants can create estimates, share accept links and convert them. An invited accountant sees estimates read-only. The accept page itself is public — the link is the key, so share it only with the client.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between a quote/estimate and an invoice?

An estimate is a proposal: it carries no tax liability and doesn't touch your books or GST returns. It becomes real money only when you convert it to an invoice after acceptance. Finocket keeps them on separate EST-/INV- numbering so the two never mix.

Is a typed-name acceptance legally useful?

It's a record of assent: Finocket stores who typed what name and exactly when, attached to the exact estimate they saw. For most small-business work in India that's a solid paper trail; for high-value contracts pair it with your usual agreement.

How do I collect an advance from a client?

Convert the accepted estimate to an invoice, then add a payment schedule with a deposit percentage. The payment link and reminders will chase just the deposit first, and the remaining milestones after.

Can my client decline an estimate?

Yes — the accept page has a decline action with a reason box. The reason lands back on the estimate so you know what to fix before re-quoting.

Does an estimate affect my GST returns?

No. Estimates stay out of GSTR-1 and your income entirely. Only the invoice you convert it into is reported.

Clients, projects and invoices

Add clients with GSTIN + state auto-fill. Send invoices — tax invoice, bill of supply, export invoice, receipt or credit note — start from an estimate, or split an invoice into a deposit + milestone schedule.

Progress billing and invoice templates

Bill an estimate, sales order or retainer in tranches — by percentage or amount — with a running billed/remaining tally that can never over-bill the job to the paisa, and pick from three invoice PDF templates that each keep your show-on-PDF custom fields.

The client portal and statements of account

One branded link shows your client their balance, open invoices with pay actions, estimates to accept, payment history and a statement download — plus how to run a per-client statement with running balance and ageing.