An estimate is a quote: a non-binding proposal that doesn't affect inventory or revenue. An invoice is a real transaction; inventory comes out of stock and revenue is recorded.
You use an estimate when
- You're proposing work to a customer who hasn't committed yet
- You need to share pricing for approval
- You're building a quote to send by email or text
When the customer says yes, click "Create Invoice" on the estimate page. All the line items carry over, inventory reserves correctly, and you can take payment. The estimate itself stays on file, marked Won and linked to the new invoice, so you keep a record of what was quoted.
Estimate auto-expire is off by default. When enabled (Settings > Invoicing), estimates expire after a configurable window (default 30 days) and expired estimates are tracked in the Sales Pipeline reports.