> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # When a customer accepts a quote > Follow what happens after a customer says yes to your pricing, and confirm the invoice or recurring plan was created. ## What you will accomplish You will know what the customer sees when they accept a quote, what your team should check afterward, and where the money record appears. A **quote** is a price the customer reviews **before** you start billable work. When they accept it, Car Storage Software usually creates the matching bill for you. > [!NOTE] > > **Quote** — “Here is what we propose to charge. Please review and approve.” > > **Accept Quote & Pay** — The customer’s formal yes. The amount they approved can then be collected. > > **Invoice** — The bill that is ready to be paid (one-time work). > > **Recurring plan** — The repeat charge that continues on a schedule (monthly storage or a membership). ## When you would use this guide * You already sent a quote and the customer says they accepted it—or they asked what happens next. * You need to tell a customer, in plain words, what **Accept Quote & Pay** will do. * You want to confirm the new invoice or monthly plan matches the approved price. This guide starts **after** the quote exists. To build and send the quote, use [Create a quote](/docs/payments/create-a-quote.md). ## Before you start * An owner or admin has turned on quotes in [Settings > Billing](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/billing). * The quote is on [Payments > Quotes](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/quotes) with a status of **Open** (ready for the customer) or **Accepted** (already approved). * The customer can open email or the customer portal. They do not need to use the staff dashboard. > [!WARNING] > > **Draft is not ready for the customer** > > A **Draft** quote is only for your team. The customer cannot accept it until someone on your team finalizes and sends it. Open the quote and use **Resend Email** if they never received the link. ## Find the quote on your team list **1. Open Quotes** Go to [Payments > Quotes](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/quotes). **Expected result:** You see each quote, the customer, the amount, and a status such as **Draft**, **Open**, or **Accepted**. **2. Open the customer’s quote** Click the row for that customer. In this example, **Sam Rivera** has an **Open** quote for an interior detail. **Expected result:** The quote detail page shows the line items, total, and expiration date. ![Quotes page with an Open quote for Sam Rivera and a Draft quote for Alex Morgan](https://mintcdn.com/carstoragesoftware/65OxqKrCpk0fG4Bx/images/payments/quotes-list-open-sep19.webp?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=65OxqKrCpk0fG4Bx\&q=85\&s=cfb3da28bb96e45c8c870e59fc16d5f8) ***Open** means the customer can still accept. **Draft** is only visible to your team until you send it.* ## What your team sees on an open quote The staff quote page is your source of truth while you wait. ![Staff quote detail for Interior detail for your Porsche 911 showing Open status, Sam Rivera, Interior Detail Package line item, and a 390.54 total](https://mintcdn.com/carstoragesoftware/65OxqKrCpk0fG4Bx/images/payments/staff-quote-detail-open-sep19.webp?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=65OxqKrCpk0fG4Bx\&q=85\&s=fec40fee29c79f3470d1e6f29b5b579b) *Confirm the customer, line items, and **Total** before you remind them to accept. Use **Resend Email** if they cannot find the link.* > [!NOTE] > > **Status: Open** — The customer has not accepted yet. They can still say yes. > > **Expires** — After this date they should not accept this quote. Send a new quote if pricing changed. > > **Line items** — Each service or storage charge they are approving. > > **Resend Email** — Sends the quote link again. Use this when the customer says “I never got it.” ## What the customer sees The customer opens the quote from their email or a link you sent. They do **not** use [Payments > Quotes](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/quotes). That page is for staff. They see: * Your facility name * A status badge of **Awaiting Response** * Who the quote is **Prepared for** * When it is **Valid until** * Each item, quantity, and amount * The **Total** * A large **Accept Quote & Pay** button * **Download PDF** if they want a copy to keep or forward ![Customer quote page titled Interior detail for your Porsche 911 with Awaiting Response, Quote Summary, Interior Detail Package, total 390.54, and Accept Quote and Pay](https://mintcdn.com/carstoragesoftware/Qb2HfPrid60OUNfQ/images/payments/customer-quote-accept-sep19.webp?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=Qb2HfPrid60OUNfQ\&q=85\&s=2077e4af439253c81e7dbf8f05143047) *This is the customer’s view. The important button is **Accept Quote & Pay**. **Download PDF** does not accept the quote.* > [!TIP] > > **Awaiting Response means the same as Open** > > Your staff list says **Open**. The customer page says **Awaiting Response**. Both mean “not accepted yet.” ## How the customer accepts **1. The customer reviews the items and total** They should read every line. If something looks wrong, they should contact your facility **before** they accept—not after. **2. They click Accept Quote & Pay** This opens a confirmation window titled **Accept Quote**. **Why this matters:** Acceptance is their formal yes. After this, your facility can bill the approved amount. **3. They confirm Accept & Pay** The window restates the total (for example **\$390.54**). It also says their default payment method will be charged when they accept. They can click **Cancel** to stop, or **Accept & Pay \$…** to finish. **Expected result:** The badge changes to **Accepted**, and a thank-you message appears. Your team then sees **Accepted** on [Payments > Quotes](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/quotes). ![Accept Quote confirmation window stating the customer is about to accept the quote for 390.54, with Cancel and Accept and Pay buttons](https://mintcdn.com/carstoragesoftware/Qb2HfPrid60OUNfQ/images/payments/customer-quote-accept-dialog-sep19.webp?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=Qb2HfPrid60OUNfQ\&q=85\&s=d203dc013be4be3f3c537a804a0fa6c8) *The customer must click **Accept & Pay** in this window. Closing it or clicking **Cancel** leaves the quote **Open**.* > [!NOTE] > > **If the quote includes monthly storage** > > The customer page shows a warning that they agree to be billed on a schedule. After they accept, check [Payments > Recurring](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/recurring) as well as [Invoices](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/invoices). ## What your team does after they accept Car Storage Software usually creates the billing record **automatically**. You do not click a separate “convert to invoice” button on the quote. **1. Confirm the quote status** Open [Payments > Quotes](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/quotes) and click the quote. Status should be **Accepted**. **2. Find the new invoice or recurring plan** * **One-time work** (detailing, transport, a setup fee) → [Payments > Invoices](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/invoices) * **Repeat charges** (monthly storage, annual membership) → [Payments > Recurring](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/recurring) **Why this matters:** The totals should match what the customer already approved. If they do not, stop and ask a manager before you send another bill. **3. Collect payment or watch the plan** * New **invoice** → [Send and collect customer payments](/docs/payments/send-and-collect-customer-payments.md) * New **recurring plan** → [Manage recurring billing](/docs/payments/manage-recurring-billing.md) ![Invoices page showing customer bills after quotes and recurring plans were created](https://mintcdn.com/carstoragesoftware/Qb2HfPrid60OUNfQ/images/payments/invoices-after-quote-setup-sep19.webp?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=Qb2HfPrid60OUNfQ\&q=85\&s=8797558c730b999f1050a7d108a2dee4) *After a one-time quote is accepted, look here for the matching customer invoice. Filter by the customer name if the list is long.* ## If you need to bill by hand instead Use this only when your manager asks you to (for example the customer approved pricing on the phone and never clicked **Accept Quote & Pay**). **1. Keep the accepted or printed quote open** Match the customer, descriptions, and amounts exactly. **2. Create the right billing record** * One-time work → [Create an invoice](/docs/payments/create-an-invoice.md) * Repeat charges → [Manage recurring billing](/docs/payments/manage-recurring-billing.md) > [!WARNING] > > **Do not bill from an expired quote** > > If the quote is **Expired** or **Canceled**, create a new quote with today’s pricing. Do not copy old numbers onto an invoice unless a manager says the old price still stands. ## Common mistakes to avoid * Do not tell the customer to “log into Payments.” They use the email link or the customer portal. * Do not treat **Download PDF** as acceptance. Only **Accept Quote & Pay** (then **Accept & Pay**) accepts the quote. * Do not create a second invoice for the same accepted quote unless the automatic bill failed and a manager asked you to. * Do not ignore a quote that includes storage or a membership. Check [Recurring](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/recurring), not only Invoices. ## Troubleshooting > [!WARNING] > > **The customer says they cannot open the quote** > > Open the quote on [Payments > Quotes](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/quotes) and click **Resend Email**. Ask them to check junk mail. If the quote is still **Draft**, finalize and send it first. > [!WARNING] > > **They clicked accept but you do not see an invoice** > > Refresh [Payments > Invoices](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/invoices) and search the customer name. If the quote included only recurring items, look on [Recurring](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/recurring) instead. > [!TIP] > > **The quote stayed Draft after you tried to send it** > > Quotes that mix a one-time item and a monthly storage price sometimes need extra setup. Split them: one quote for the one-time work, and a recurring plan for storage. Ask a manager if you are unsure. > [!TIP] > > **The customer is worried they will be charged twice** > > Show them the **Accepted** quote and the single matching invoice or recurring plan. Acceptance creates the bill. It does not create a second mystery charge. ## What success looks like * You can explain **Accept Quote & Pay** in one sentence: “You are approving this price so we can bill you.” * After acceptance, the quote shows **Accepted** on [Payments > Quotes](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/quotes). * The matching invoice or recurring plan exists and the total matches the quote. * Your team knows the next step: collect the invoice or watch the recurring plan. ## What to do next * Build the next quote → [Create a quote](/docs/payments/create-a-quote.md) * Collect an invoice from this acceptance → [Send and collect customer payments](/docs/payments/send-and-collect-customer-payments.md) * Check monthly storage after a membership quote → [Manage recurring billing](/docs/payments/manage-recurring-billing.md) * See facility-wide totals → [Use the Payments overview dashboard](/docs/payments/use-the-payments-overview-dashboard.md) This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.