Create and Manage Estimates
Square Invoices allows you to send your clients an invoice estimate. Once an invoice is accepted, you can quickly convert an estimate to an invoice to get paid quickly.
You can also send multi-package estimates to offer multiple items and services from one estimate. Note: Multiple package is a Square Invoices Plus feature.
Send an Estimate Online
- Go to Invoices in your online Square Dashboard.
- Click Estimates > Create estimate.
- Select a customer from your Customer Directory or enter a new name and email address or phone number. You can enter up to nine additional recipients.
- Add an optional estimate title or edit the Invoice ID to match your records.
- Add an optional personal message, or attach a Square Contract.
- Add optional attachments. Note: Attach up to 10 files totalling 25 MB. Supported file types: JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, BMP, and PDF. Do not attach sensitive personal information or illegal content. Square may use content you upload to fight chargebacks on your behalf.
- Click Next.
- Select the due date and date of service (if applicable).
- Add items, then apply modifiers, notes, or taxes.
- Click Add Discount to add any applicable discounts to the entire invoice.
- Add a payment schedule to request an initial deposit or split balance into milestones. Note: Milestone payment is an Invoices Plus feature.
- If applicable, add up to nine packages. Note: This is a Invoices Plus feature.
- Click Next.
- Choose to share the estimate via email, text message, or manually. You can also select a send date and expiry date.
- Click Save as Draft to continue drafting or click Send once you’ve finalised the estimate.
To download a .CSV file of your invoice estimates, click Export from the Estimates tab.
Send an Estimate via the Invoices App
- From the Square Invoices app, tap + > Estimate.
- Create a new customer or add an existing customer from your Customer Directory.
- Add an optional estimate title or custom edtimate ID.
- Add an optional attachment.
- Tap Add estimate.
- Add line items or discounts (if applicable).
- Add a payment schedule to request an initial deposit or split balance into milestones. Note: Milestones is an Invoices Plus feature.
- Add the date of service (if applicable) and due date.
- Add up to nine packages to give options for your clients to choose from. Note: Multiple packages is an Invoices Plus feature.
- Tap Preview & send.
- Confirm the communication method, send date, and expiry date.
- Toggle on Automatically convert to an invoice when a customer accepts to automate the estimate to an invoice.
- Tap Send estimate.
Note: Sending an estimate is not yet available on the Square Point of Sale app. To access your estimates, use the Invoices app or your online Square Dashboard.
Create Estimates with Multiple Packages
Square Invoices Plus allows you to send an estimate with multiple packages that include groupings of items or services at accompanying prices, allowing a customer to choose which package they prefer to purchase. This allows you to spend less time sending multiple estimates for the same job and more time closing a sale.
To create a multi-package estimate:
Go to the Square Online Overview page and click Estimates.
Click Create estimate.
Fill out the customer information and estimate details. Click Next.
Enter the payment details and line items for the estimate.
Under ‘Add package’, click the + icon. Fill out an optional title and description. You can also duplicate or delete the package. Click Next.
Fill out communication options and preview the estimate. Click Send.
Note: You can send a minimum of two and a maximum of nine packages.
Convert an Estimate into an Invoice
Once an estimate is accepted by the customer, you’ll need to convert the estimate so the customer can pay.
- From the Invoices tab of your online Square Dashboard.
- Click ••• then tap Convert to invoice.
- Review the invoice details and make any applicable changes.
- Click Send.
Auto-convert accepted Estimates to Invoices
With Square Invoices Plus, you can opt to have your estimate auto-convert to an invoice once your customer accepts your estimate or save the invoice as a draft to send at a later date. If you choose to have estimates automatically converted to invoices, the invoice title and description will remain the same as the estimate, and the customer will be able to complete payment upon acceptance.
- Complete the steps above to create an estimate.
- On the “Communication screen,” toggle on Automatically convert estimate to invoice when customer accepts.
- Choose between ‘Send invoice or create share link once accepted’ or ‘Save invoice as draft once accepted.’
- This Invoices Plus feature is only available through Square Dashboard and on iOS devices. The auto-convert option is not currently available on Android devices.
- When an estimate is auto-converted to an invoice, the converted invoice will use the same delivery method as the estimate. So, if an estimate is sent via SMS, the auto-converted invoice will also be sent via SMS.
- Invoice default settings are used for fields that aren’t shared in the estimate. For example, Invoice reminders are based on Invoice default settings. You’re able to turn this feature off at any time for any estimate.
Estimates FAQ
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Once an estimate with multiple packages has been sent, it will appear in the Estimates tab. You can click on the estimate to see the estimate’s details, view rejected packages (if any), Edit, or Mark as accepted. If the customer has accepted the estimate, you see the option to manually Convert to invoice.
Multi-package estimates has limited functionality on the Square POS app. The feature is not available on the Square Invoices app at this time. For full usage, you can use the feature in your online Square Dashboard.
Multi-package estimates have a two package minimum and a nine package maximum. You can duplicate or delete as required.
Estimates will not show up as a transaction in any of your reports. An estimate does not involve any money transferred and should only be used to provide an estimate of the cost and scope of a service to be rendered.
Yes! Learn how to send invoices via text message.