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How to make a pro-forma invoice with AI that buyers don't query

Do the sums first, then let AI lay out the pro-forma. Every line total and the grand total match, and the HS code and bank details are left for you.

· 3 min read · Rajesh Dhiman

A buyer confirms an order and asks for a pro-forma invoice. You need it today, so they can arrange the advance.

If one figure is wrong, the buyer writes back. Their bank may hold the payment. A small mistake can cost you a week.

AI is good at laying out an invoice. It is not safe at maths. It can multiply wrongly, or round a total without telling you. So the rule is simple: you do the sums, the AI does the layout.

Do the sums first

Work out each line total in a spreadsheet or on a calculator. Quantity × unit price. Then add the lines.

For example, a brass order in US dollars:

  • Brass planter, 15 cm: 400 pcs × USD 6.50 = USD 2,600.00
  • Brass planter, 25 cm: 250 pcs × USD 11.80 = USD 2,950.00
  • Brass tray, round, 30 cm: 120 pcs × USD 9.25 = USD 1,110.00
  • Grand total: USD 6,660.00

Work out the valid-until date too. Issued on 22 Sep 2026 and valid for 15 days, it is valid until 7 Oct 2026.

What to ask

Copy this into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. Put your own details in the brackets.

Lay out a pro-forma invoice. Plain text, no table.

Seller: [Noor Brass Works, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India]
Buyer: [Greenhouse Living Ltd, Bristol, UK]
Pro-forma number: [PI-2026-058]
Date: [22 Sep 2026]
Valid until: [7 Oct 2026]
Currency: [USD]

Items (item | qty | unit | unit price | line total):
[Brass planter, 15 cm | 400 | pcs | 6.50 | 2,600.00]
[Brass planter, 25 cm | 250 | pcs | 11.80 | 2,950.00]
[Brass tray, round, 30 cm | 120 | pcs | 9.25 | 1,110.00]

Grand total: [USD 6,660.00]
Price basis: [FOB Mundra]
Payment terms: [30% advance, 70% against copy of bill of lading]

Rules:
- Use every detail exactly as I gave it.
- Copy the line totals and the grand total as they are. Do not add, multiply or round anything.
- If a line total is not equal to quantity × unit price, say so above the invoice. Do not change it.
- Add these two lines for me to fill in:
  HS code: [CHECK: add from your own records]
  Bank details: [CHECK: add your bank name, account and SWIFT code]
- End with: "This is a pro-forma invoice, not a demand for payment."

What to check before you send

  1. Each line. Compare it with your spreadsheet. Item, quantity, unit and price should all match.
  2. The grand total. It should be your figure, to the last paisa or cent.
  3. The currency. USD should not have turned into ₹ or another symbol anywhere.
  4. The HS code. Add it from your own records. If you are not sure, ask your freight forwarder or customs broker. Don't ask the AI.
  5. Bank details. Type them in yourself, from your bank's letter. Never let the AI write them.

Then read the invoice once more. Make sure there is no [CHECK] left in it.

Why this works

The maths happens outside the AI, where you can see it and check it. The AI only copies.

The line about "say so, do not change it" catches your own typing mistakes. You find them before the buyer does.

And the HS code and bank details stay in your hands. A wrong code or a wrong account number can hold up both the goods and the money.

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