Understanding Quotes, Pro Forma Invoices and Invoices in the NDIS

If you’re an NDIS participant (or supporting someone with their plan), you’ve probably come across different documents from providers — things like quotes, pro forma invoices and invoices.

At first glance, they can look pretty similar, but they each serve a different purpose. Knowing the difference will help you understand what to request and ensure a smooth and easy experience.

Quotes: Planning Ahead

A quote is basically a price estimate. It tells you how much a product or service is likely to cost before you agree to go ahead.
Quotes are especially helpful when your plan or budget is being revised.
Quotes provide a clear picture of funding requirements for certain periods and support the planning and budgeting process.
Keep in mind that quotes often have expiration dates and can be subject to change.

  • When to request a Quote: Quotes may be requested at any time. They are helpful to provide to during planning reviews to support budget requirements. They are sometimes provided for final approval before proceeding with an order to ensure all items are correct. Quotes are often used for products that require sourcing to ensure all parties agree before proceeding.
  • Why it matters: A quote is not a bill or an invoice. You won’t pay anything at this stage — it’s just for your planning and approval.

Pro Forma Invoices: Pre-Approval

A pro forma invoice looks a lot like an invoice, but it’s not actually a bill. Instead, it’s more like a detailed cost outline.
These are more commonly required for products such as a wheelchair or mattress, high-value, one-off purchases.

  • When to request a Pro-Forma Invoice: Often for bigger, one-off purchases such as assistive technology or specialised equipment.
  • Why it matters: Your plan manager may ask for this so they can “hold” or approve the funds before the provider supplies the product or service
  • Important to know: A pro forma invoice is not meant to be paid — it’s only used to confirm the money is set aside in your plan.

Invoices: Request for Payment

An invoice is the only document that can be paid. It’s the official bill that the plan manager will receive once you have approved and finalised your order for products you wish to receive.
Similar to any other shopping experience, the payment must be received to us and than your order can be processed and dispatched to you (the participant).

  • When to request an Invoice: Once you have submitted an order (or your approval if a quote was provided first).
  • Why it matters: Your plan manager will use this to process the payment directly from your NDIS funds.
  • What it needs to include:
    • Your name (the participant)
    • Provider’s details and ABN
    • Date of service or purchase
    • What was provided (sometimes with an NDIS item code)
    • The cost and total amount
    • GST info (if relevant)
    • Provider’s bank details

If anything is missing, your plan manager may have to go back to the provider, which can delay payment.

Save Time: Order Online

To make things easier, you don’t need to send your plan manager screenshots or website links when you order from us.

When you check out on our website, we’ll automatically generate a proper invoice with all the details your plan manager needs — and we’ll send it straight to them for payment.

This means:

  • No back-and-forth emails.
  • No risk of missing information.
  • A faster, smoother process for you.

Putting It All Together

Here’s the simple way to think about it:

  • Quote → A price estimate for planning.
  • Pro forma invoice → A detailed outline used for pre-approval.
  • Invoice → The actual bill that gets paid.

By understanding the role of each document and ordering online through our website, you’ll save time and ensure your plan manager has exactly what they need to pay quickly and correctly.