Guide
Quotes and invoices are different documents — treat them that way
When to send which, and why the numbering must not be shared.
A quote is a promise with a timer; an invoice is a bill. Mixing them creates two problems: unclear expectations and unusable records.
Always separate the numbering
If quotes and invoices share a sequence, your records cannot answer "how many invoices did we issue this year" without guessing. Asterielle keeps QUO and INV series separate for exactly this reason.
Quotes need an expiry
Material and labour prices move. A quote without a validity date is an open commitment at whatever the price was when you wrote it. Fourteen to thirty days is normal.
Say what changes the price
The clause that saves the most arguments is short: what is included, what is not, and what would change the number. Put it in the notes field of the quote rather than in a separate document nobody reads.
Raise the invoice against the quote
When the work is done, issue the invoice with the quote number in the notes. Clients approve faster when the invoice visibly matches what they already agreed.
On deposits
If you take a deposit, invoice it as its own document and show the balance on the final invoice. "Total less deposit received" is a line most small-business tools forget, and the one clients ask about most.
Ready to try it? Open the tool.