Price quote example and template for Word and Excel: line items, discount, VAT
A price quote example and a quotation template to copy: header fields, line item table, discount and VAT calculation order, validity date, Word and Excel tips.
A price quote example consists of the quote number and date, customer details, a line item table, subtotal, discount, VAT and grand total, payment and delivery terms and a validity date. You can move the template below into Word or Excel and fill it in; the calculation order should stay the same in every quote: line amount, subtotal, discount, VAT base, VAT, grand total.
You are about to send your first price quote to a new customer, or you want to tidy up your existing template. Some of the price quote examples you find online have very few fields, others so many that they are no use to you. Companies that build their own template make similar mistakes: it is unclear whether the discount is applied before or after VAT, there is no validity date, and one line shows one currency while the next shows another. This article gives you a skeleton you can copy and fill in directly.
A price quote is a document in which the seller informs the buyer in writing of the price, terms and validity date for specific items. Below you will find the template’s header fields, the line item table and the calculation order; we also briefly explain why each field is there.
Price quote template: header fields
The top part of a one-page quote consists of the fields below. The notes next to them show the problem that most often arises when a field is left blank.
| Field | What to write | If left blank |
|---|---|---|
| Quote number and date | A sequential number and the date in day/month/year format | The same number is used on two quotes; the customer asks, “Which of your quotes?” |
| Prepared by | Full name, job title, phone, e-mail | The customer does not know whom to contact with questions. |
| Customer | Company name, contact person, address | The company name on the quote differs from the one on the invoice. |
| Subject | A one-sentence summary of the need | A document that just says “Price quote” does not say which job it is for. |
| Validity | “Valid until …” (a calendar date) | It becomes unclear whether the price is still binding. |
| Currency | A single currency, or the currency stated clearly on each line | A total in mixed currencies becomes meaningless. |
| Payment and delivery | Payment in advance, on credit terms or in stages; delivery date and place | The first objection is often not about the price but about these terms. |
| Notes and assumptions | Out-of-scope work, exchange rate and raw material assumptions, maintenance terms | When the price changes, a “that wasn’t in the quote” argument starts. |
Line item table and calculation order
Set up the columns of the line item table in this order: no., description, quantity and unit, unit price, line discount, amount. In the description column, write the model, dimensions and scope; a one-word description forces the customer to call you.
The calculation order should be the same in every quote. The figures in the sample table below are fictitious and show no currency; they only show how the order works.
| Step | Calculation | Fictitious example |
|---|---|---|
| Line A amount | Quantity × unit price − line discount | 10 × 200 = 2,000 |
| Line B amount | Quantity × unit price − line discount | 5 × 100 = 500 |
| Subtotal | Sum of the line amounts | 2,000 + 500 = 2,500 |
| Overall discount | If any, based on the subtotal and written as an amount | 250 |
| VAT base | Subtotal − overall discount | 2,500 − 250 = 2,250 |
| VAT | VAT base × VAT rate (the rate depends on the product or service) | 2,250 × VAT rate |
| Grand total | VAT base + VAT | 2,250 + VAT |
How do you write a line item description?
The line item description is the most neglected part of the template. When customers put quotes side by side to compare them, they look only at the description; if the description is too short, the comparison is made on price alone.
| Weak description | Strong description | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance service | Periodic maintenance for the production line: lubrication, belt check and calibration report | States the scope and the output delivered. |
| Spare part | Bearing set; model code and size specified, in original packaging | The customer can compare it one-to-one with another quote. |
| Installation | On-site installation and commissioning; electrical infrastructure out of scope | States clearly what is out of scope. |
| Consulting | Needs analysis meeting and written report; the meeting takes place at the customer’s office | Shows what will be delivered and where the work takes place. |
How should a discount be shown in a quote?
Hiding the discount and showing only the net price looks practical in the short term but causes problems at revision time: when the price changes, nobody remembers how much discount was given on which line. Show the discount in a separate column or on a separate line. The customer sees the discount as a real concession, and you know exactly how much discount is on the table when the quote is revised. Who has to approve a discount is a separate rule, but the discount should be signed off by an authorised person before the quote goes out.
Should a price quote be prepared in Word or Excel?
Both have their place; the problem starts when you begin moving content between them by hand.
- Word template: suitable for written terms, company branding and page layout. When the number of lines changes, extending the table and typing the totals by hand is error-prone.
- Excel template: line amounts, discount, VAT and total are calculated with formulas, but getting the print layout right often takes skill. When a formula cell is deleted by mistake, the total breaks silently.
- Using both together: doing the calculation in Excel and pasting the result into Word is common, but every paste is a new chance for error, and the versions of the two files multiply separately.
The limits of copying Word and Excel quote templates by hand
For a small team that sends a few quotes a week, a Word or Excel template works perfectly well. The limit comes when the template starts being copied. Each salesperson develops their own copy, payment terms are worded differently in different versions, and you have to guess from the file name which quote relates to which customer and opportunity. And a quote file past its validity date just sits quietly in a folder.
- The version question: when the customer asks, “Could you resend the latest version of your quote?”, it is unclear which file is the latest.
- Approval trail: the approval obtained for a discount stays in e-mail; the quote file carries no trace of it.
- Copied terms: when a term changes, only new quotes are updated, and old copies circulate with the old terms.
- Tracking gap: who has the quote and what stage it is at is not visible together with the customer record.
How do you get print-ready output with quote software?
In YazSis CRM AI, the quote output presents the line items, discount, VAT and grand total as a print-ready page; the page also includes the validity date and the details of who prepared it. A quote moves through the stages draft, awaiting approval, sent, accepted and rejected, and manager approval is part of the flow. This way, instead of copying a template by hand, you get print-ready output from a record.
In the Sales / Quotation & Customer Management module, quotes can be prepared in multiple currencies and every revision is saved as a separate version. A quote is kept together with the customer record and the related opportunity and goes through an approval process before it is presented to the customer. Today YazSis CRM AI is used in YazSis’s own support and sales centre; the scope of a set-up tailored to your company is agreed with you after a needs analysis.
Before you start using the template
- Decide which header fields are mandatory for your business and mark the fields that cannot be left blank.
- Write fixed terms such as payment, delivery and maintenance as a single text and keep it in one place only.
- Put the calculation order (line items, subtotal, discount, VAT, grand total) in writing and confirm it with your accountant.
- Make it a rule to write the validity date as a calendar date in every quote.
- Keep every quote you send under the customer’s name in a single folder or record system.
- Review the template every three months and remove salespeople’s own copies.
If you want to see the quote output, the approval flow and the link with the customer record, take a look at the Sales / Quotation & Customer Management module page.
Frequently asked questions
What should a price quote example include?
It consists of the quote number and date, the person who prepared it, the customer, the subject, the validity date, the line item table, subtotal, discount, VAT and grand total, payment and delivery terms and a notes section.
Should a quote template be made in Word or Excel?
Word suits written terms and page layout, Excel suits calculation. Combining the two means moving content by hand, which increases version confusion and the risk of errors.
How do you prepare a price quote example in Word?
Set up the header fields in one table and the line items in a second table; write the fixed terms as a separate section. Instead of typing totals by hand, do the calculation elsewhere and transfer the result after checking it.
How do you set up a price quote template in Excel?
The line rows have quantity, unit price and discount columns; below them are rows for subtotal, overall discount, VAT base, VAT and grand total. Total cells should be calculated with formulas and protected.
Is the discount applied before or after VAT in a quote?
The order in a quote should be the same every time and clear: line amounts first, then the discount, then VAT. Confirm the exact treatment with your accountant.
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