Template · While you order · Updated 2026-09-08
Proforma invoice checklist
The proforma invoice is the contract you pay against. Do not send a deposit until every box below is ticked on the document itself, not in a chat message.
Proforma invoice checklist · Yangtze Moto Export · https://yangtzemoto.pages.dev/learn/templates/proforma-invoice-checklist/ · updated 2026-09-08
A · Seller identity
- Registered company name in Chinese and English, identical to the business licence
- Registered address and the loading / factory address if different
- Unified social credit code (18 characters) from the licence
- Bank beneficiary name identical to the company name; bank name, SWIFT, account number
- PI number, issue date, validity date
B · Buyer identity
- Your company name, address, tax ID, consignee and notify party for the B/L
C · Lines
- Each model on its own line: model code, spec (cc, EFI/carb, ABS, colour, kit), unit price, quantity, line total
- Spare parts kit as separate lines or an itemised attachment
- Currency stated (US$) and total in words
- HS code per line (8711.xx for motorcycles, 8703.xx for UTVs, 8714.xx parts)
D · Terms
- Incoterm and named port, e.g. “FOB Shanghai, Incoterms 2020”
- Payment: percentage, trigger and evidence for each stage (e.g. 30% on PI; 70% against PDI videos per VIN and loading report with seal number)
- Production lead time in days from deposit receipt; latest shipment date
- PDI standard: 18 points, filmed per VIN, delivered before balance
- Packing: crate type, one bike per crate or SKD, parts cartons, marking
- Documents to be supplied and when (draft B/L within 24 h of loading; originals or telex release after balance)
- Warranty: period, what is covered, claims evidence, remedy (parts by courier / with next container / credit)
- Late shipment remedy (e.g. 0.5% per week after the latest shipment date)
- Governing language of the contract
E · Red flags — stop and ask
| What you see | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Beneficiary is a personal name or a different company (“our Hong Kong account”) | The single most common fraud pattern. Pay only the entity on the licence. |
| Bank details changed by e-mail after the PI was issued | Business e-mail compromise. Confirm by voice on a known number before paying. |
| 100% or 50%+ upfront on a first order | Not automatically dishonest, but your leverage is gone. Tie the balance to evidence. |
| Lines say “motorcycle” without model code or spec | You cannot hold anyone to it. Every line must be specific. |
| No Incoterm, or “FOB” with no port | Freight and risk are undefined; disputes follow. |
| Price far below the market band for the spec | Either the spec is not what you think or the deal is not real. See our FOB bands. |
| PI validity of a few days with pressure to pay | Urgency is a sales tactic, not a reason to skip checks. |
Our own proformas are issued through the quotation system and follow this checklist line for line. The payment safety guide explains the staged T/T behind section D.
Free to use and adapt. Provided as a working layout, not legal advice; have your own counsel review contract clauses for your jurisdiction. Yangtze Moto Export, Chongqing, China.