Proforma invoice: what it is, why the number changes when you pay, and which document to keep

The short answer: a proforma invoice is the document we show you before you pay: it says what you will pay, to whom and by what means. It is used to pay and, if needed, for your company to approve the expense. When the payment is recorded, the invoice becomes Paid and gets its definitive number, in sequence. That is why the number before and after can differ.

How to recognise it

While it is unpaid, the invoice’s title in Meu Interweb reads “Proforma Invoice #” and a number. Once paid, it becomes an invoice, with the status Paid. The number has the format number/year (for example, 0123/2026) and restarts each year.

Proforma (unpaid) Invoice (paid)
What it is for To pay, and for the company to approve the expense. To record the expense in your accounts.
Number A pre-invoice number. A definitive number, in sequence, with no gaps.
Can the name or tax number change? Yes, before you pay: tell us. It is harder: issued invoices are not rewritten.
Where to find it In Billing, in the list of invoices. In the same place, with the Paid status and the PDF to download.

What to do

1 Check the details on the proforma (company name, address, tax number) before paying. If wrong, fix them in Account Details or open a ticket: Your invoice: billing details, tax and receipts.
2 Pay by the method you chose. If by bank transfer, send the proof in the invoice’s own form: Bank transfer: the five stages.
3 Download the paid invoice when the status changes to Paid, and give that PDF to whoever does your accounts.
4 Keep the bank’s proof as well, to be safe.
Do not open a second ticket for the proof. The invoice’s form opens a Billing ticket by itself, titled “Proforma Invoice #...” and already tied to that invoice. If you see it in your list of tickets, that is the one: it is with us, waiting on the bank, and has not been forgotten.
Do not confuse it with the “pro forma” of a quote request, the PDF a company’s accounts department may ask for before ordering: that is another document, explained in When accounts wants a pro forma before paying. And what your country’s law accepts as a tax document, and when, varies: ask your accountant which document they prefer for recording the expense.

Need a proforma with other details or an invoice you cannot download? Open a ticket with the number.

Open a support ticket

SEE ALSO

Bank transfer: the five stages until your payment is confirmed

How to get an invoice in your company name and tax number

Sending your invoices to an accountant: where invoice e-mails go and how to add a second recipient

Invoice paid but the service is still suspended or pending: what to check

Your accounts department wants a pro forma before paying: what to send them

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