An electrostatic precipitator proforma invoice is the supplier’s quotation set out in invoice form for one order: the models, the configuration, the supply, the prices, the Incoterm, the payment terms and the lead time, issued before any money moves. Once signed, it is the document every later step is checked against. This page gives the fourteen lines to check on it before the deposit is paid.
The expensive error at this step is paying a deposit against a document that names a price and a quantity but not the supply, the stages or the event the lead time counts from. Each of those gaps comes back later, at drawing approval, at the pre-shipment check or at the isolator on commissioning day, when the only paper both sides signed does not say what was agreed.
This page helps you decide whether a proforma invoice for a kitchen ESP or ecology unit is complete enough to pay the deposit against, and what to ask for when a line is missing. It does not compare suppliers or prices; that is on the quotation comparison page. For the inputs that let a supplier issue a complete proforma invoice in the first place, see the ten-input enquiry sheet.
| Question | Our answer |
|---|---|
| What a proforma invoice is | A quotation in invoice form for one order, issued before payment; the US International Trade Administration calls it a quote in an invoice format |
| What it is used for | Paying the deposit against; and, where needed, applying for an import license, contracting a pre-shipment inspection or opening a letter of credit |
| What it must carry for an ESP order | The fourteen lines in the check below, including the model numbers, the stages, the supply and the event the lead time counts from |
| Our payment terms | A 30% deposit, or 50% on some orders, with the balance paid before shipment; T/T and L/C are both accepted |
| Our lead time | 7 to 15 days as the standard lead time; transit time is added on top and depends on the route |
| What it does not settle | Whether the unit fits the site (drawing approval), whether the units built match (pre-shipment inspection), how they run (commissioning) |
- Where the proforma invoice sits in an ESP order
- The 14-Line ESP Proforma Invoice Check
- Payment terms: the deposit, the balance and the method
- Lead time: write down what the 7 to 15 days counts from
- Which documents prove what
- What the proforma invoice does not settle
- Buyer record and key takeaways
- Frequently asked questions
Where the proforma invoice sits in an ESP order
The proforma invoice is the hinge of an equipment order: the steps before it shape the price, and the steps after it are checked against it. The US International Trade Administration describes it as a quote in an invoice format, and lists eleven points it should carry: the seller and the buyer with their locations, the buyer’s reference, the products quoted, unit prices and extended totals, weights and dimensions, any discounts, the sales terms or Incoterm with the delivery point, the payment terms, the estimated shipping date and a validity date. The same page notes that a buyer may need it to apply for an import license, to contract a pre-shipment inspection, to open a letter of credit or to arrange the transfer of currency, and that changes should not be made without the buyer’s consent.
For a kitchen exhaust order those eleven points are necessary and not enough. A price and a product name do not say which supply the units are built for, which stages are in each unit or when the lead time starts, and those are the lines the later checks depend on. Whether the order is an in-duct kitchen electrostatic precipitator, a kitchen ecology unit with its UV-C and carbon stages, or an HME hood with the precipitator built in, the proforma invoice is where the configuration is written down for the first time in a document both sides sign.
| Step | Document | What it settles | What it checks on the proforma invoice | Our page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Enquiry | The ten inputs | The configuration the price is built on | Nothing yet; it feeds lines 3 to 5 | enquiry sheet |
| 2 Comparison | Quotations side by side | Which offer to take forward | Nothing yet | quotation comparison |
| 3 Budget | Landed cost | The total cost to site | The Incoterm, weights and dimensions | landed cost |
| 4 Proforma invoice | This page | What will be built, shipped and paid | All fourteen lines, checked and signed | This page |
| 5 Drawing approval, before the deposit | General arrangement drawing | Where the unit sits on site | Lines 3, 5 and 14: the model list, the supply and the proforma invoice number | drawing approval |
| 6 Deposit and production | Payment record | That the order is released | Lines 9 and 10 | This page |
| 7 Pre-shipment inspection and balance | Inspection record | That the units built match | Lines 3, 4, 5 and 11: models, airflow, supply, stages, documents and count | pre-shipment inspection |
| 8 Export documents | Commercial invoice, packing list, origin form where needed | Customs at both ends | Lines 11 and 12 | HS code, certificate of origin |
| 9 Commissioning | Commissioning record | That the units run as ordered | Lines 3, 4 and 5 | commissioning |
This table answers where the proforma invoice is used after it is signed. It does not answer what goes on it; that is the next section.
Decision rule. IF the proforma invoice is the first document that names the models, the stages, the supply and the Incoterm together, THEN read it line by line before the deposit, BECAUSE drawing approval, the pre-shipment inspection and commissioning all check back to it, and a line that is missing here cannot be checked later. The drawing itself is checked against the site before the deposit, as our drawing approval page sets out, so the deposit is paid against a signed proforma invoice and an approved drawing together.
The 14-Line ESP Proforma Invoice Check
An ESP proforma invoice is complete when each of the fourteen lines below is on it in words or figures, and not left in an email thread. Most lines carry the general points the International Trade Administration lists; an electrostatic precipitator or ecology unit order adds detail to three of them (model numbers and airflow on line 3, the start of the lead time on line 9, the documents on line 11) and adds four of its own: the configuration (4), the supply (5), the tariff line (12) and the warranty boundary (13).
A proforma invoice with all fourteen lines filled can be signed and, once the drawing is approved, paid against; one with line 3, 4, 5, 9 or 10 missing goes back before the deposit, because lines 3, 4 and 5 are what the drawing, the pre-shipment inspection and commissioning are checked against, and lines 9 and 10 are what the deposit and the balance depend on.
The 14-Line ESP Proforma Invoice Check (our own working check, not an industry standard)
| # | Line | What it should say | Checked against | If it is missing or wrong |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seller | The registered legal name and address of the company that will be paid | The name on the certificates, the test reports and the bank account | Ask why the names differ before paying; how to check a Chinese factory’s entity is on our verification page |
| 2 | Buyer, consignee and importer of record | Who orders, with your order reference; who receives the goods; and who clears them through customs | Your import arrangements | Agree the importer of record before the proforma invoice is issued |
| 3 | Models, quantities and airflow | One line per model number, with the count and the design airflow each is selected for | The datasheet for each model; the airflow on your enquiry | Return it; a series name without a model number cannot be checked at inspection |
| 4 | Configuration and scope of supply | The stages in each unit (electrostatic, UV-C, carbon), the control gear, the extract fan if it is supplied, and any logo or cabinet color agreed for an OEM order | The quotation and your enquiry | Ask for the scope to be listed item by item; what is not on it is not in the crate |
| 5 | Supply | The voltage, phase and frequency the units are built for | The reading at your site panel | Return it; the supply is set at the factory and cannot be changed on site |
| 6 | Prices | Unit price, extended total, currency and any discount | The quotation | Ask for the currency and the total to be stated in figures |
| 7 | Incoterm | The rule and the named place, such as FOB with the port of loading or CIF with the port of destination | Your freight plan and landed cost | Ask for the named place to be written; a rule without a place is incomplete |
| 8 | Weights, dimensions and packing | Gross weight, packed dimensions and the packing type per item | The datasheet; your forwarder | Ask for them with the proforma invoice so the freight can be priced; why the packing type matters for wood packaging is on the pre-shipment inspection page |
| 9 | Lead time and its start | The lead time and the event it counts from | Your on-site date, with transit added | Ask for the start event to be written: the deposit received, the drawing approved, or both |
| 10 | Payment terms | The deposit percentage, when the balance is due, the method (T/T or L/C) and the beneficiary | Your bank; for an L/C, the issuing bank | Ask for any condition on the balance, such as a pre-shipment check, to be written on this line |
| 11 | Documents with the goods | Commercial invoice, packing list, the origin form your customs needs, certificate copies naming the models, the installation and commissioning manual | Your customs broker and the specification | Name the origin form before the proforma invoice is issued |
| 12 | Tariff line | The HS code the supplier will declare | Your broker’s classification | Settle it before the proforma invoice, not at the port |
| 13 | Warranty, spares and the cleaning basis | The warranty period and what it covers, spares availability, and the cleaning basis stated at quotation | The supplier’s written terms | Ask for the boundary in words; a period on its own does not say what is covered |
| 14 | Number, date, validity and revision | The proforma invoice number, the issue date, the validity date, and that changes are made by a revised proforma invoice | The quotation date | Ask for a revised proforma invoice rather than an email when anything changes |
This table answers whether a proforma invoice is complete. It does not answer whether the configuration is right for your kitchen; that is settled by the quotation, the datasheet and the drawing.
Our own terms for the commercial lines can be read against any proforma invoice we issue. On line 13: a one-year warranty on the unit, with the electrostatic cells and the SPP high-voltage power supply covered, UV-C lamps and activated carbon excluded as consumables, and site labour and visits not included; common spare parts are held in stock, and spares continue to be supplied for one year after a model is discontinued. On line 4: the extract fan can be supplied with the unit and is then listed, and an OEM order can carry the buyer’s logo and a cabinet color, with a non-disclosure agreement signed by the company. On line 5: units are built for 220 V or 380 V, 50 or 60 Hz, to the order. On line 11, we prepare the commercial invoice, the packing list and the certificate copies that travel with the shipment, and the origin form where your broker says one is needed; the manual and the certificate PDFs are emailed on request. The cleaning basis on line 13 is the one stated in writing at quotation for the kitchen described, as our cleaning page explains.
Decision rule. IF line 3, 4, 5, 9 or 10 is missing or reads as a series name, a general supply or an open lead time, THEN return the proforma invoice before the deposit, BECAUSE the drawing is checked against lines 3, 5 and 14, the pre-shipment inspection against lines 3, 4, 5 and 11, and commissioning against lines 3, 4 and 5, and a payment made against an incomplete line is a payment against whatever the factory builds.
Payment terms: the deposit, the balance and the method
Our payment terms are a 30% deposit, or 50% on some orders, with the full balance paid before shipment, by T/T or by letter of credit. What matters to a buyer is not only the percentages but what is checked before each payment leaves the account.
The International Trade Administration’s guide to methods of payment sets out the trade-off plainly. Paying in advance is the least attractive option for a buyer, because of the cash-flow effect and the concern that the goods may not be sent. A letter of credit is a commitment by the buyer’s bank to pay once the exporter ships and presents the required documents, so the buyer has no payment obligation until the goods have shipped as promised; the ITA’s letter of credit page adds that they are labour-intensive and relatively expensive in bank fees, and that document errors have to be corrected before payment.
| Method | When money moves | What protects the buyer | What it costs or risks | What to write on the proforma invoice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T/T deposit, T/T balance before shipment | Deposit once the proforma invoice is signed and the drawing checked; balance before loading | The pre-shipment inspection, held before the balance is paid | Transfer fees; the balance leaves before the goods arrive | Both percentages, the beneficiary, and the pre-shipment check as a condition of the balance |
| Letter of credit | The bank pays when the documents named in the credit are presented and comply | No payment obligation until the goods have shipped, per the ITA | Bank fees; a discrepancy in the documents delays payment | The documents on line 11, worded so the credit can call for exactly those, with the pre-shipment inspection record among them if it is to protect you |
This table answers what each method protects. It does not answer which one your bank or your company prefers; that is a decision between you and your bank.
One check belongs on every payment, whatever the method. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center describes business email compromise as a scam aimed at people who make legitimate transfers, and advises using secondary channels or two-factor authentication to verify requests for changes in account information. Read the beneficiary on line 10 against the seller on line 1, and treat any later email that changes the bank details as unverified until it is confirmed through a second channel.
Decision rule. IF the balance is due before shipment, THEN write the pre-shipment inspection on the proforma invoice as the step before the balance, BECAUSE it is the last point at which the units built can be compared with lines 3, 4, 5 and 11 while the money is still yours; how that check is run is set out on the pre-shipment inspection page.
Lead time: write down what the 7 to 15 days counts from
Our standard lead time is 7 to 15 days, and a lead time is only useful on a proforma invoice when it says what starts the count. The two candidates are the deposit reaching the supplier and the drawing being approved, because drawing approval sits between the signed proforma invoice and the start of production. This page does not say which one applies to a given order; ask for the start event to be written on line 9, and for the drawing turnaround to be agreed at the same time.
Transit is separate. The time from the factory to your port depends on the route and the Incoterm, so ask for it with the proforma invoice, add it to the lead time and check the total against your on-site date. An OEM order with a logo or a cabinet color has its minimum quantity and its lead time agreed case by case; a standard order has a minimum of one unit.
Which documents prove what
A signed proforma invoice proves what was agreed; it does not prove that the agreement is the right one for the site or that the units built will match it. The table separates what each document in this part of the order supports.
| Evidence | What it supports | What it does not prove on its own | Product-condition scope | Buyer action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signed proforma invoice | What will be built, shipped and paid, and on which terms | Site fit; performance; acceptance by an authority | The order it names | Keep the signed copy; the drawing and the inspection record cite its number |
| Incoterm on line 7, under Incoterms 2020 | Where costs and risk pass from seller to buyer | The freight price; insurance beyond what the rule requires | The named place | Write the named place; price the rest on the landed cost page |
| Letter of credit | The bank’s undertaking to pay against complying documents | That the goods are the right goods | The documents named in the credit | Match the credit’s document list to line 11 |
| Certificate copies on line 11 | Conformity of the models each certificate names | Other models; performance in your kitchen | The named models | Check the model names against line 3; our scopes are on the certifications page |
| Test report, on request | Efficiency of the tested model at the tested airflow | Efficiency at your site | The tested model | Read the model and airflow lines before the percentage |
This table covers the documents at the payment stage. Acceptance of the installed system is three separate layers, equipment evidence, site installation and whole-system operation, and passing one layer does not clear the next.
What the proforma invoice does not settle
- Whether the unit fits the plant room. The proforma invoice names the model; the general arrangement drawing shows the service side, the clearances and the duct connections. The step is drawing approval, before production starts.
- Whether the units built are the units ordered. The proforma invoice is the reference; the check is the pre-shipment inspection, made before the balance is paid.
- How the unit performs. Efficiency comes from a test report on a stated model and airflow, and the site baseline is recorded at commissioning. The step is to read the report and keep the commissioning record.
- Acceptance by an authority. Which listing or approval a project needs is set by the code path and the specification. The step is to state it in the enquiry, before the proforma invoice is issued.
- A cleaning interval in weeks or months. The cleaning basis is stated in writing at quotation for the kitchen described, and carried into the order and the commissioning record. The step is to copy that basis onto line 13.
Buyer record and key takeaways
Before the deposit is paid, these five items are in your file.
- The proforma invoice with all fourteen lines filled, signed by both sides, and its number.
- The datasheet for each model on line 3, and the supply reading from your site panel matched to line 5.
- The start event for the lead time on line 9, the drawing turnaround and the transit time, added up against your on-site date.
- The payment terms on line 10 with the condition on the balance, and the beneficiary confirmed through a second channel.
- The document list on line 11, agreed with your broker and, for a letter of credit, with your bank.
Key takeaways
- A hinge, not a formality: the drawing, the pre-shipment inspection and commissioning are all checked against the proforma invoice, so its gaps become their gaps.
- Five lines decide: models, configuration, supply, the lead-time start and the payment terms; return the document if any of them is missing.
- The balance has a check: write the pre-shipment inspection on the proforma invoice as the step before the balance is paid.
- Bank details are verified twice: once against the seller line, and again through a second channel if they ever change.
- Changes go through a revised document: a new proforma invoice with a new date, not an email.
Frequently asked questions
- What should a proforma invoice for an electrostatic precipitator include?
- The general points any proforma invoice carries, the seller, the buyer, the products, prices, Incoterm with the named place, payment terms, weights and dimensions, shipping date and validity, and the detail this equipment needs: the model numbers with their airflow, the stages and scope of supply in each unit, the supply the units are built for, the event the lead time counts from, the documents shipped with the goods, the tariff line and the warranty boundary. Our 14-Line ESP Proforma Invoice Check lists all of them with what each is checked against.
- How much deposit is paid on a kitchen ESP order?
- On our orders, a 30% deposit, or 50% on some orders, with the balance paid before shipment, by T/T or by letter of credit. Other suppliers set their own terms; what to compare is not only the percentage but which check is written on the proforma invoice before each payment.
- Is a proforma invoice the same as a commercial invoice?
- No. The proforma invoice is issued before the order is paid and is the quotation in invoice form that the deposit is paid against. The commercial invoice is issued for the shipment and goes with the packing list, and the origin form where one is needed, to customs. The two should agree on the models, quantities and values, and the proforma invoice number is the link between them.
- Can a proforma invoice be used to open a letter of credit?
- Yes. The US International Trade Administration lists opening a letter of credit, applying for an import license and contracting a pre-shipment inspection among the uses of a proforma invoice. Word the document list on the proforma invoice so the credit can call for exactly those documents, because a discrepancy delays payment.
- What happens if the order changes after the proforma invoice is signed?
- The change is made by a revised proforma invoice with a new date, signed again, and the drawing and the inspection then cite the revised number. Whether a signed proforma invoice is a binding contract in your jurisdiction is a question for your own counsel; for the order itself, the rule is that nothing changes without a revised document both sides have seen.
Checking a proforma invoice before the deposit?
Send us the proforma invoice you have been given, or, if you are still at enquiry stage, the ten inputs on our enquiry sheet, starting with the cooking process, the design airflow and the supply at your panel. You get back a proforma invoice with the Incoterm, the lead time, the payment terms and the stages in scope, the datasheet for each model on it and copies of the certificates that name those models, with any line still open listed as an open point to settle before the deposit.
Send your enquiry or proforma invoice →
If the configuration is still open, start from the duty: the models the fourteen lines refer to are on the kitchen electrostatic precipitator range and the kitchen ecology unit page, and what an ecology unit or a pollution control unit contains is explained on those two guides.
Why we write this. Several of our own pages tell the buyer to check the drawing, the shipment and the commissioning record against the proforma invoice; the pre-shipment page lists what it should name, but no page set out the whole document line by line before the deposit. The questions behind this page are what goes on it, what deposit is paid and what can be checked before the balance. It answers them with the lines and the terms. This page does not size or configure equipment; sizing and quotation live on the product pages.
Scarlett handles export enquiries, dealer relationships and commercial terms at Polygee, and issues the proforma invoices this page describes. Polygee, founded in 2004, manufactures in-duct electrostatic precipitators, kitchen ESP hoods and kitchen ecology units at its factory in Zhangjiagang, China, and has exported to 50 countries. This page explains commercial documents for planning purposes; it is not legal or banking advice.
References & further reading
- US International Trade Administration, Pro Forma Invoice (definition, the eleven points it should carry, and its uses). trade.gov
- US International Trade Administration, Methods of Payment and Letter of Credit. Methods of payment · Letter of credit
- International Chamber of Commerce, Incoterms 2020. iccwbo.org
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, Business Email Compromise, Alert I-091124-PSA, 11 September 2024. ic3.gov
- Our own pages the fourteen lines hand over to: the enquiry sheet, landed cost, HS code and certificate of origin.
Related reading
- Electrostatic precipitator drawing approval: the eleven lines on the general arrangement drawing, checked against lines 3, 5 and 14 of the proforma invoice before the deposit and before production starts.
- Electrostatic precipitator pre-shipment inspection: the twelve checks made before the balance is paid, against lines 3, 4, 5 and 11.
- Electrostatic precipitator landed cost: the cost lines between the factory price and the unit on site, priced from the Incoterm and the weights on lines 7 and 8.
- Electrostatic precipitator quotation comparison: how to line up competing offers before one of them becomes a proforma invoice.