An estimate can be created in Method using the Estimates App. This article will explain how to create an estimate and the different parts of the Estimates screen.
There are minor differences in creating an estimate depending on whether or not you have QuickBooks Desktop or QuickBooks Online. If you are using QuickBooks Online, please see our article Create an Estimate for QuickBooks Online Accounts.
📌 Note: Estimates are saved as soon as you create an estimate and select a customer for that estimate, even without hitting the save button.
Estimate Details
Click ⊕ New on your Estimates App or click ⊕ New Estimate in the Estimate List screen.
This opens the New / Edit Estimate screen. Choose a customer or lead to associate with this estimate. This opens more fields to be filled out.
The top will show the total, the customer, and on the right, the open and closed activities related to this estimate. Because this is a brand new estimate, there won't be any activities related to it yet.
When you select a customer, the billing and shipping addresses for that customer will populate for the estimate. If you have multiple shipping addresses for your customer, you will have the option to choose a different ship address.
Except for the Customer and the Date, the following fields are optional:
Estimate # | Created if the field is left blank, and is assigned sequentially (if the last estimate was #15, this will be #16). |
Date* and Due | Today's date appears in the Date and Due fields (these can be changed manually). |
Terms | Terms, synced from QuickBooks. |
P.O. Number | Include a purchase order number if applicable. |
Status | Track whether or not the esimate was approved via the customer portal (see Estimate Approvals.) This is not a field within QuickBooks itself. |
Currency and Exchange Rate | Visible if Multicurrency is enabled. Currency cannot be changed. |
Sales rep | Assign a sales rep. |
Tags | Assign tags to this estimate. |
Opportunity | The opportunity this estimate is linked to. |
| Prevents the estimate from syncing to QuickBooks until a user unchecks this option and saves. If the Customer is a Lead, then the lead will automatically convert on save. |
| Flags the estimate in QuickBooks as "to be emailed"; group and email multiple estimates in QuickBooks. |
| Flags the estimate in QuickBooks as "to be printed"; group and print multiple estimates in QuickBooks. |
| This estimate appears in the Active filter of the Estimates List. Checked by default. |
Wait for approval before syncing
Estimate Line Items
Line items are added to the Estimate using the Line Items grid. Items available are taken from the Items App which is synced with your QuickBooks account. By clicking on a row, each column (other than the Amount) can be edited to fill in details for each line item.
To add QuickBooks items to this estimate, add them directly in the grid. To add more lines, select the Add Lines button.
If you are viewing on mobile, adding new items is done via a separate screen.
⚠️ Note: Line items are not saved until you save the whole estimate. If you updated the line items and log out of your session, they will not be saved in the estimate.
Estimate Total
Below the item lines grid, you will find the total as well as a few more fields to fill in:
Memo (Internal) | An internal note for yourself and other Method Users with access to this transaction. The memo is not visible to the customer. |
Customer Message | Message to appear on your estimate for the customer to see (e.g. "looking forward to your business"). This dropdown is only managed within QuickBooks desktop. To change the message, find Customer Message List in QuickBooks. |
Attachments | Add a file to this transaction. Attachments do not sync to QuickBooks. |
Taxes | The Sales Tax synced from QuickBooks. |
Customer Tax Code | The tax code assigned to the customer. |
+ Add Depost | Although not shown above, selecting this link will allow you to add a deposit to the estimate. Note, this needs to be enabled in the Estimate App Preferences. |
Deposit Required | Amount of deposit. |
Amount / Percent | Select whether the Deposit Required is a dollar amount, or a percentage. |
| Click icon to remove the deposit. |
Trash Can icon
Estimate Buttons
With the buttons, clicking the down arrow (
) will show you more options:
More Actions ( |
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Clear / New | Clear the form and create a new estimate. |
Delete | Delete the estimate. This cannot be undone. |
Make a copy | Copy the estimate. |
Create ( |
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Create Invoice | This will create an Invoice from the estimate, copying the line items and and other transaction information. |
Create Sales Order | This will create a Sales Order from the estimate, copying the line items and and other transaction information. |
Create Purchase Order | Generate a Purchase Order from this estimate. Only available if user has access to the Purchase Order app. For more information, see Convert Sales Transactions to Purchase Orders. |
Creates a pdf file of the estimate which you can print. Ensure your pop-ups are not blocked. The pdf is created using a template chosen within the app's preferences. The PDF link created will expire within 5 to 10 minutes. You should not reference the link in any permanent document. | |
Send ( |
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Email the customer a link to their portal where they will be able to view their transactions online. You will get a preview and the option to make edits before sending it out. | |
SMS | Send an SMS to customer with a link to their portal where they will be able to view their transactions online. You will get a preview and the option to make edits before sending it out. Only shows if SMS is enabled in your account. |
Save ( |
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Save & New | Save the estimate and clear the form to enter in a new estimate. |
Save & Back | Save the estimate and go to the previous screen. |