A quotation is the price you put in writing before a customer commits — it offers a price, it does not ask for payment. Below is a free quotation template in Excel, Word and PDF built for Malaysian businesses, plus a filled RM example you can copy line for line.
WHERE A QUOTATION SITS IN A SALE
Customer asks for a price → you send a quotation → customer agrees → you deliver the goods or do the work → you send an invoice → customer pays.
Start where you need to
01. Download the free quotation template
Choose the format you need: Excel if you want the totals to add themselves up, Word if you want to change the layout to match your letterhead, or PDF if you want a clean form to print or fill in by hand. All free, all editable, no sign-up.
Type the quantity and unit price; the line amounts, subtotal, discount, total and deposit work themselves out. Includes the quotation tracking sheet.
Excel ↓If you would rather type than use a spreadsheet, or you need to restyle the header for your letterhead.
Word ↓For printing and filling by hand, or emailing a copy nobody can accidentally edit.
PDF ↓The Sinar Jaya quotation from section 03, filled in, so you can see a finished one before you start.
PDF ↓Free · No sign-up · Editable · Made for Malaysian businesses
Works on your phone or PC · Last checked August 2026.
Change once, then forget: your business name, address, contact details, registration number and logo in the header, and your quotation numbering format. Change every time: the quotation number, the date, the validity date, the customer, and the lines you are quoting for.
The Excel file also has a quotation tracking sheet — a simple list of every quotation you send.
The form itself is the easy part; every template site gives you one. What actually loses money is the quotation you sent three weeks ago and never followed up. The second sheet is one line per quotation, with a column for whether it was sent, accepted, rejected or expired, a date to follow up, and a running count of how many you win.
02. The 60-second quotation cheat sheet
If you only read one part of this page, read this one.
What is a quotation?
A quotation is a written offer that tells a customer what a job or an order will cost, before they commit to buying. It lists what you will supply, the price of each item, the total, and how long that price stays valid. It is an offer, not a bill — nobody owes you anything because you sent one.
What should a quotation include?
The word “Quotation”, your business details, the customer’s details, a quotation number, the date, how long the price is valid, a list of what you are supplying with the quantity and price of each, the total, your payment terms, what is and is not included, and how the customer accepts it.
For a Malaysian business, that normally means prices in RM, your SSM registration number in the header (larger customers and government-linked buyers often ask for it), and — if your business is SST-registered — an estimated SST line so the customer can see the expected total. The final tax amount follows the actual invoice, not the quotation.
Three things people mix up, settled in one line each:
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Is a quotation a bill? | No. It offers a price. Nothing is owed until you send an invoice. |
| Is it binding? | On its own a quotation is an offer, so there is normally nothing agreed until the customer accepts it. Once they do accept — by signing, paying a deposit or confirming in writing — the price and terms you wrote are usually what both sides work from. |
| Does the customer have to sign it? | A signature is not normally needed just to prepare a quotation, but getting written acceptance gives you the clearest proof that the customer agreed to your price and to what is included. |
03. A completed quotation you can copy
Sinar Jaya Enterprise supplies office furniture in Shah Alam. A clinic in Subang Jaya emails asking what it would cost to furnish a new consultation wing. This is what Sinar Jaya sends back. Fictional business, example figures — the numbers reconcile, so you can follow the arithmetic.
| QUOTATION — QT-2026-0148 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sinar Jaya Enterprise No. 14, Jalan Tenaga 3/2, Seksyen 3 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor 012-388 4471 Business Reg. No. 201901234567 (SA0512345-K) | Quotation no. QT-2026-0148 Date 21 August 2026 Valid until 20 September 2026 Prepared by Lim Wei Sheng | ||
| To: Klinik Mediviva Sdn Bhd · Attn: Puan Farah Idris, Practice Manager · No. 8, Jalan SS15/4B, Subang Jaya, 47500 Selangor | |||
| Description | Qty | Unit Price (RM) | Amount (RM) |
| Ergonomic office chair, mesh back, adjustable arms | 12 | 385.00 | 4,620.00 |
| Office desk 1200mm x 600mm, white oak finish | 6 | 520.00 | 3,120.00 |
| Steel filing cabinet, 4-drawer, with lock | 4 | 445.00 | 1,780.00 |
| Delivery and on-site assembly (Klang Valley) | 1 | 350.00 | 350.00 |
| Subtotal | 9,870.00 | ||
| Discount (5%) | −493.50 | ||
| Estimated SST (if any) | Not applicable | ||
| TOTAL | 9,376.50 | ||
| Deposit required (30%) | 2,812.95 | ||
- Delivery to your premises
- On-site assembly of all items
- Removal of packaging on the day
- Removal or disposal of existing furniture
- Electrical or data cabling work
- Work outside normal business hours
Payment terms on this quotation: 30% deposit on acceptance, balance on delivery. Delivery 3–4 weeks from cleared deposit. Price holds until the validity date.
Two details on that document do most of the work. The “not included” list is what stops the clinic assuming that hauling away their old desks was part of the price. The validity date is what lets Sinar Jaya re-quote if the supplier raises chair prices in October. Neither costs anything to write down; both are expensive to leave out.
04. Every field on a quotation, explained
What each line on the template is for, in plain words. Section 09 covers what goes wrong when they are missing.
| Field | Why you need it |
|---|---|
| The word “Quotation” | Tells the customer straight away that this is a price offer, not a bill. Without it they may think they have to pay it. |
| Your business details | Your name, address and phone number, so the customer knows exactly who is offering the price and how to reply. |
| SSM registration number | Not needed on every quotation, but bigger companies and government-linked buyers often ask for it. Putting it in your header once saves you re-issuing later. |
| Customer details | Who the offer is for, and the name of the person handling it — otherwise it sits in a general inbox. |
| Quotation number | Gives every quotation its own reference, so you and the customer always know which one you are talking about. |
| Date | Shows when you offered the price, which matters if the customer comes back months later. |
| Valid until | Tells the customer how long your price holds. This is the field most templates leave blank — see section 05. |
| Description | Explains exactly what the customer is getting. Be specific: “ergonomic office chair, mesh back” rather than “office chair”. |
| Quantity and unit price | Shows how many they are buying and the price for one. The amount is simply the two multiplied together. |
| Discount | Shows any reduction as its own line, so the customer can see what they were given instead of it disappearing into the price. |
| Estimated SST | If SST applies to your business and to this sale, show it clearly so the customer understands the expected total. Mark it as estimated — the final tax amount follows the actual invoice. If you are not SST-registered, leave this line off. (More on SST registration.) |
| Total | The full expected cost in RM. Customers compare on the total, so make it easy to find. |
| Payment terms | Explains when the deposit and the balance need to be paid, so nobody is guessing after they agree. |
| Included and not included | Sets out what you are and are not doing for this price. This is what prevents “I thought that was part of it”. |
| How to accept | One line telling the customer what to do next, so a yes in their head becomes a yes in writing. |
05. The validity date, and why it costs money
This is the field almost every free template leaves blank, and the one that quietly costs the most.
A quotation without an expiry date is an open-ended promise. Your supplier raises steel prices in October; a customer you quoted in June rings in November and accepts the June price. You either honour a price that no longer covers your cost, or you argue with a customer while they are holding your own document.
A workable rule of thumb. Match the validity period to how fast your own costs move. Stable stock you hold yourself: 30 days is normal. Anything imported, or priced off a supplier quote that itself expires: 7–14 days, and say so. Labour-only services where your cost is your own time: 30–60 days is fine. Businesses normally set their own validity period based on how long they can hold the quoted price — the point is that you picked one and wrote it down.
Write it as a date, not a duration. “Valid for 30 days” makes both of you count on a calendar and disagree about the start. “Valid until 20 September 2026” cannot be misread.
06. Quotation, proforma invoice or invoice: which to send
Three documents that carry prices, at three different moments. Send the wrong one and either you do not get paid, or you get paid for something you did not mean to promise.
| Your situation | Send this | Does it ask for payment? |
|---|---|---|
| The customer is asking “how much would this cost?” | Quotation | No |
| They have chosen you, and need a document to get approval or pay a deposit | Proforma invoice | No, but it is near-final |
| The goods are delivered or the job is done | Invoice | Yes |
The short version: a quotation says “about this much, if you want it”. A proforma invoice says “exactly this, if you agree”. An invoice says “you now owe us this”. Only the last one creates something to pay.
If you need the full side-by-side — every row, and the SST and e-invoice angle — that is covered on proforma invoice vs invoice rather than repeated here.
And what about a purchase order?
Quotation: you send this to the customer to offer your price.
Purchase order: the customer may send one back to confirm what they want to buy. It travels in the opposite direction, and it is their document, not yours.
07. How to write a quotation, step by step
- Number it. Pick a format and keep it running:
QT-2026-0148, or just 0148. Never reuse a number, and never leave it blank. - Date it, then set the validity date. Decide how long you can hold the price before you write anything else — section 05.
- Fill in both sides. Your business details and registration number; the customer’s company, the contact person, and the address.
- Write each line precisely. One line per item or task. Brand, size, finish, grade. If you are quoting a service, break it into the stages you would actually invoice.
- Enter quantity and unit price. In the Excel template the line amount calculates itself.
- Add a discount only if you mean it. As its own line, so the customer can see what they were given.
- Add estimated SST only if you are SST-registered. Label it estimated.
- State the payment terms. Deposit percentage, when the balance is due, and what happens on delivery.
- Write what is not included. Two or three lines. This is the cheapest insurance on the whole page.
- Tell them how to accept. “Sign and email this back, or reply in writing quoting the quotation number.”
- Send it as a PDF. An Excel or Word file can be edited after you send it, and then you are arguing about which version is real.
- Write it down and set a date to follow up. Use the tracking sheet in the Excel file. A quotation nobody follows up is the cheapest job you will ever lose.
08. What happens after the customer says yes
Acceptance is not the end of the paperwork — it is the moment the rest of it starts. What comes next depends on what you sell.
| Step | What happens | Document |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Customer accepts | They sign and return the quotation, confirm in writing, or pay the deposit. | The signed quotation, or their email |
| 2. They need it formalised | Bigger buyers raise their own order document, or ask you for a near-final one to get internal approval. | Their purchase order, or your proforma invoice |
| 3. You supply | Goods leave your premises, or the job is completed. | Delivery order, or a completion note |
| 4. You bill | You invoice according to the payment terms you agreed. That may be a deposit before work starts, the balance after delivery, or the full amount once the job is done. | Invoice |
| 5. They pay | Payment comes in and is matched against the invoice. | Receipt, then the accounting record |
Do not email the quotation again as the bill. It has all the right numbers on it, so it is tempting. But a quotation has no invoice number and no due date, so the customer may not be able to pay against it — and it sits there unpaid while you assume the money is on its way. Send a proper invoice instead, and put the quotation number on it.
One thing worth knowing about Malaysia specifically: a quotation is not part of the e-invoice system. It is a commercial document between you and your customer. The invoice that follows it is the one that has to meet Malaysia’s e-invoice requirements.
09. Six mistakes that cost real money
| Mistake | What it costs you | Do this instead |
|---|---|---|
| No validity date | You get held to a price your costs no longer support. | Write a real date, chosen from how fast your costs move. |
| Only listing what is included | Unpaid extra work, because the customer assumed more was covered. | Write a short “not included” list as well. |
| Sending it as Excel or Word | The figures can be edited after you send them, and version disputes follow. | Send a PDF. Keep the editable file. |
| No payment terms | The customer agrees, you start work, and nobody knows when money arrives. | State the deposit and when the balance falls due. |
| Reused or missing quotation numbers | You cannot find the quotation the customer is talking about. | One unique number per quotation, running in sequence. |
| Send, then forget | Work you had already won goes elsewhere for no reason at all. | Write it in the tracking sheet and set a date to follow up. |
10. When writing them by hand stops working
The template above is enough for a handful of quotations a month. The trouble starts when the volume climbs, and it always shows up in the same places:
- Retyping the same customers. The same clinic, the same address, typed again every time — and typed slightly differently each time.
- Retyping the same products. Your price list lives in your head or in another spreadsheet, so prices drift between quotations.
- Numbering by memory. Two quotations end up sharing a number, or a number gets skipped and nobody notices for months.
- Losing track of what is outstanding. Which ones are still waiting for an answer? Which have expired? Without a register, nobody knows.
- Retyping the whole thing into an invoice. The customer says yes, and you key the same lines a second time — the most common place a wrong price reaches a customer.
They are all the same problem underneath. Each quotation is just a separate file sitting on your computer. The file does not know whether the customer accepted it, whether it has already expired, or whether you have turned it into an invoice yet — only you do, and only if you remember.
11. Create a quotation without typing everything again
In Niagawan, a quotation is part of the Sales menu, and your customers, products and prices are already saved — so you pick them from a list instead of typing them again.
| Using files | Using Niagawan |
|---|---|
| Make the quotation → customer accepts → open a new invoice file → type the customer, items and prices again → save a second document. | Make the quotation → customer accepts → turn it into an invoice → the customer, items and prices are already there. |
- Open the Sales menu and choose Quotation.
- Add a new record with the New button.
- Pick the customer from your existing list using the search box, or add a new one.
- Set the quotation date on the calendar.
- Set the expiry date — the date the quotation stops being valid. This is the field from section 05.
- Add products or services, search for each one, enter the quantity, and add it to the list.
- Add a delivery charge if there is one.
- Add a discount if you are giving one.
- Use the Remark field for payment terms, scope, or what is not included.
- Save. The quotation stays in your list, so you can see what you sent and quote its number when you raise the invoice.
Because the quotation and the invoice sit in the same place, you can turn the quotation into an invoice without typing everything again — and a quotation from three months ago is still there when the customer rings back about it.
Sending quotations regularly?
Niagawan keeps your customers, products, quotations and invoices together, so you do not type the same details twice — and you can see which quotations are still waiting for an answer.
See how quotations work in Niagawan → See pricing12. Frequently asked questions
Can I get a free quotation template?
Yes — the Excel, Word and PDF templates on this page are free, with no sign-up. The Excel version is a working spreadsheet with live formulas, so line amounts, the subtotal, the discount, the total and the deposit calculate themselves. It also includes a quotation tracking sheet — a simple list of every quotation you send.
What is a quotation?
A quotation is a written offer telling a customer what a job or an order will cost, before they commit to buying. It lists what you will supply, the price of each item, the total, and how long the price stays valid. It offers a price — it does not ask for payment.
What should a quotation include?
Your business and customer details, a quotation number and date, how long the price is valid, a list of what you are supplying with quantities and prices, the total in RM, your payment terms, and what is not included. Section 04 explains each field.
What is the difference between a quotation and an invoice?
A quotation is sent before the sale and offers a price — nothing is owed because you sent one. An invoice is sent after the goods are delivered or the job is done, and it is a request for payment. Only the invoice creates something to pay.
Is a quotation binding?
On its own a quotation is an offer, so there is normally nothing agreed until the customer accepts it. Once they do accept — by signing, paying a deposit or confirming in writing — the price and terms you wrote are usually what both sides work from. That is why it is worth writing the scope and the validity date carefully.
How long should a quotation be valid for?
Businesses normally set their own period, based on how long they can hold the quoted price. Around 30 days is common for stock you hold yourself, 7 to 14 days for imported goods or anything priced off a supplier quote that itself expires, and 30 to 60 days for labour-only services. Write it as a date rather than “valid for 30 days”, so nobody has to count.
Should I put SST on a quotation?
If SST applies to your business and to this sale, show it clearly so the customer understands the expected total, and mark it as estimated. The final tax treatment follows the actual invoice, not the quotation. If your business is not SST-registered, leave the line off. See how to register for SST if you are unsure whether it applies to you.
Does a quotation need to be signed?
A signature is not normally needed just to prepare a quotation, but a signature line is the cheapest proof you will get that the customer agreed to both the price and what is included. Your own signature mainly makes the document look official; the customer’s is the one that matters.
Is a quotation the same as a proforma invoice?
No, though neither asks for payment. A quotation is the earlier, looser offer — “about this much, if you want it”. A proforma invoice is the tidier, near-final version a customer uses to get approval or pay a deposit once they have chosen you. See the proforma invoice guide for the full comparison.
Can I make a quotation without an accounting system?
Yes. For a handful of quotations a month, the Excel, Word or PDF template on this page is enough — fill it in, save it as a PDF and email it. A system starts paying off when you are sending them often enough that retyping customers and prices, keeping the numbering straight, and remembering which ones are still unanswered becomes the real work.
Can I change a quotation after sending it?
Yes. Send the customer the updated version and make it clear that it replaces the earlier one — either give it a new quotation number or mark it as a revision. This keeps both sides from working off different prices or terms.
What happens when a customer accepts my quotation?
They confirm in writing, sign and return it, or pay the deposit. After that you supply the goods or do the work, then send an invoice according to the payment terms you agreed. Some larger customers will send you a purchase order first. Section 08 walks through the whole sequence.
What is a request for quotation (RFQ)?
It is the opposite direction. An RFQ is what a buyer sends to suppliers asking them to quote a price. The quotation on this page is what you, as the supplier, send back in reply.
Is there a quotation template in Excel?
Yes — the .xlsx file on this page. It is a working spreadsheet rather than a picture of a form: you type the quantity and unit price, and the line amount, subtotal, discount, total and deposit calculate themselves. A second sheet is a quotation tracking sheet, where you note whether each one was sent, accepted, rejected or expired, and when to follow up.
How do I turn an accepted quotation into an invoice?
With a template, you type the customer and the lines into a fresh invoice yourself and put the quotation number on it. In an accounting system you turn the quotation into an invoice without typing it again. Either way, always send a proper invoice — do not email the quotation again as the bill, because it has no invoice number and no due date, so the customer may not be able to pay against it.
What is quotation in Malay?
Quotation in Malay is sebut harga. It is the document you send a customer to show your proposed price before they agree to buy. If you would rather work in Malay: Panduan sebut harga dalam Bahasa Melayu →