Proforma Invoice Anatomy: The 12 Fields That Protect Your Money
The proforma invoice is not a quote, it is the skeleton of your entire import: your bank needs it, your inspector works from it, and your arbitration case (if ever) stands on it. Twelve fields it must contain, and why.
The commercial core
1. Full legal names of seller and buyer (matching licenses). 2. Product descriptions with HS codes — honest: "used washing machines, tested, grade B" is workable; disguises are not. 3. Unit prices, quantities, totals in USD. 4. Incoterms and port (FOB Ningbo, CIF Lagos). 5. Validity date — 7 days for used and freight-exposed lines.
The money fields
6. Payment terms — 30/70, T/T, with milestone definitions. 7. Receiving account details — bank name, account name (must match the seller's license), SWIFT, account number. 8. Banking confirmation line: "This account will not change during the validity of this order."
The protection fields
9. Grade definitions referenced (attach the grading standard as an annex). 10. Inspection rights — buyer's third-party inspection before loading. 11. Documents to be provided — invoice, packing list with serial ranges, B/L, QC log, test reports for new lines. 12. Claim window and arbitration clause.
The field most importers forget
Number 8. Account-change fraud works because nobody put the account in writing at order time. One sentence in the PI gives you a document to wave when the "updated details" email arrives, and it will arrive eventually, because it arrives to everyone.