Proforma invoice checklist: what to see in writing before you pay
Before you pay a deposit, the proforma invoice should state each product by code, the size tolerance, the accepted level of natural variation, how the goods are packed and marked, the Incoterm with a named place, when each payment is due, the lead time and which documents come with the shipment. If a point is not on the proforma, assume it has not been agreed. Natural products make this list longer than usual, because "a medium chew" means different things to different people.
- For importers, shops and Amazon sellers
- Before the deposit
- About 6 minutes to read
Why the proforma carries so much weight
Incoterms do not cover every term of a sale. The US International Trade Administration notes that Incoterms do not "identify the goods being sold nor list the contract price", do not set the method or timing of payment, and do not address liability when goods fail to conform with the contract (Know Your Incoterms). Those points have to live somewhere else, and on a first order that place is the proforma invoice. For contract questions in your country, confirm with your own adviser.
1. A product code on every line
Every line should carry a product code. Our coffee wood codes run CC01XS, CC01S, CC01M, CC01L, CC01XL and CC01XXL, and sets have their own codes, such as S2CC01 for a set of two and S3CC01 for a set of three. Size names differ between buyers, and a buyer's "large" can be one step off ours. We pack by code, so the code on the proforma is the one that ships.
Our minimum is 50 per item, counted per item, not per size, so the lines under one item can be split across sizes freely.
2. Size tolerance and natural variation
Size tolerance is its own line, in centimetres, not in percent. For coffee wood, length moves by about 0.5–1 cm, and diameter by 0.3–0.5 cm for XS and S, 0.5–1 cm for M and L and 1.5–2.5 cm for XL and XXL. The full table is in coffee wood chew sizes.
Natural wood shows some cracks. The accepted crack level is written on the proforma invoice before you pay a deposit.
For handmade items such as hemp balls, size varies a little from piece to piece, so the line should point to the sample you approved. That approved sample is the reference our quality checks use. How to judge one is in what to check in natural chew samples.
3. Packing, labels and marks
- Inner pack: for coffee wood, one size per bag, vacuum-sealed with a desiccant pack, in bags of one, two or three pieces. Hemp balls and coco coir toys go in poly bags.
- Labels: your tag inside the bag, a size label outside, the suffocation warning on every bag. Barcodes are created by you and printed by us, one code per size.
- Cartons: five-ply export cartons. For Amazon, our standard carton is 51 × 31 × 39 cm.
- Marks: our standard four-line shipping mark or your own form, and for FBA the Amazon labels.
- Paid extras: label or box design and laser engraving are quoted with your order. Engraving starts only once the order is confirmed.
The packing options are laid out on our packing page.
4. Incoterm and named place
Write the rule and the place. The US International Trade Administration lists each rule with its place, for example "FOB - Free on Board (insert named port of loading)". We quote FOB, CIF or DAP, and FCA when you ask for it. The proforma should also say who books the freight, who arranges fumigation (our forwarder on CIF and DAP, yours on FOB and EXW) and, on CIF, that the insurance is minimum cover, which does not pay for moisture, mould, cracking or breakage. Help choosing is in FOB, CIF or DAP for a small mixed order.
Freight quotes carry a validity date, and how import duties are handled is agreed before we quote.
5. Payment: amounts and the trigger for each
We work on T/T 50/50, paid to our company account. The proforma states when the balance is due: on the draft B/L for FOB and CIF, before transport for EXW, and for a small DAP order by air, when the goods are finished and before pickup. That way both sides know when to pay and when the B/L is released. The B/L is released once payment is complete. More in deposit and payment terms.
6. Lead time, documents and claims
- Lead time counts from the day we receive the deposit. For orders with your label, bag or box design, we confirm it after seeing the design file.
- Documents: commercial invoice and packing list with every shipment, plus a B/L for sea or an AWB for air. Certificate of origin, phytosanitary and fumigation certificates are added when your country requires them. For EU buyers, the consignee block (name, address, EORI, VAT) should be identical on every document.
- Claims: film the unboxing. If real defects go beyond the agreed level, we make up the part beyond that level in your next shipment.
Questions buyers ask about proforma invoices
Is the accepted crack level on the proforma?
Yes. The accepted crack level is written on the proforma invoice before you pay a deposit.
Are size tolerances in percent?
No. They are in centimetres, on a separate line.
When is the balance due?
On the draft B/L for FOB and CIF, before transport for EXW, and before pickup for a small DAP order by air.
Do Incoterms cover payment and product quality?
No. The US International Trade Administration notes that Incoterms do not set payment terms or address liability for goods that fail to conform. Put those on the proforma.
Are design and engraving included?
No. Both are paid services, quoted with your order.
Get a proforma you can check
Send your codes, quantities and destination, and we will draft a proforma you can check against this list.
Not sure about sizes yet? Start with samples: your first 3 are free, you pay the shipping.