# How proposals work

> Send photography clients one page with your pricing, options, contract and deposit. They choose, accept, sign and pay in one sitting, and the job books itself.

Source: https://help.corehue.co/docs/proposals/how-proposals-work/

Send a proposal to quote for a job and let your client choose from the options you offer. You can include a contract and payment requirements. Acceptance creates the booking, with any required signing and payment steps completed first.

> **Limited on the Free plan**
On Free you can create, duplicate, edit and save proposal drafts. Sending and sharing them needs Plus or Pro. See [CoreHue plans](/docs/plans-and-billing/corehue-plans).

## What goes into a proposal

- **Items**: what's included, add-ons your client can tick, and choices where they pick one option. See [Offering options and add-ons](/docs/proposals/offering-choices).
- **A contract**, if you include one. Your client signs it after accepting.
- **Payment**, if you collect it: one full payment or a schedule with a deposit first.
- **An expiry date**, if you want the offer to close.
- **A service date**, needed if the proposal will create a booking.

## What happens when your client accepts

Accepting is the yes. Your client's choices lock, and the contract and invoice are created at that moment. Then they work through the next steps one at a time: sign the agreement, then pay. Once they're done, CoreHue can create a confirmed booking on your calendar.

Your counter-signature isn't part of that chain, so a contract waiting for you never holds your client up. More in [What happens when a client accepts](/docs/proposals/after-acceptance).

## Proposal statuses

| Status | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| **Draft** | You're still working on it. Your client can't see anything yet |
| **Sent** | It's with your client |
| **Accepted** | They said yes and their choices are locked |
| **Declined** | They said no |
| **Expired** | The expiry date passed before they finished |
| **Cancelled** | You withdrew it |

The proposals list opens on **Active proposals**. There's also an **Awaiting completion** filter for accepted proposals where your client still has a step to finish. Columns show the **Proposal**, its **Context** (contact or inquiry), **Status**, when it was **Sent**, when it **Expires**, and the **Total**.

## When a proposal is worth it

**Use one** when your client is choosing between options or comparing you with someone else: weddings, commercial jobs, anything custom. The gap between "interested" and "booked" is where people drift away, and a proposal closes it.

**Skip it** for a standard session at a fixed price. Let clients book themselves with [direct booking](/docs/online-booking/direct-booking-services) instead.

## Proposals on the Free plan

On Free, the proposal editor shows "Create proposals for free. Upgrade to send or share them." with an **Upgrade** button. You can build and save as many drafts as you like. Choosing **Send proposal** opens an upgrade prompt titled **Send this proposal**, and editing a proposal that's already been sent opens **Edit this proposal**.

Proposals you sent while on a paid plan stay live, so your client can still accept, sign and pay.

## Where to start

1. Open an inquiry or a contact, or use the plus beside **Proposals** in the sidebar.
2. Fill in the details and items. See [Creating a proposal](/docs/proposals/creating-a-proposal).
3. Add a contract and payment. See [Adding a contract and payment schedule](/docs/proposals/bundling-a-contract-and-payments).
4. Send it. See [Sending a proposal](/docs/proposals/sending-a-proposal).

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I use proposals on the Free plan?

Partly. On the Free plan you can create, duplicate, edit and save proposal drafts. Sending or sharing a proposal needs Plus or Pro.

### Does my client need an account to accept a proposal?

No. Your client opens the proposal link, makes their choices, accepts, signs and pays right on the page, without a CoreHue account or sign-in.

### What's the difference between a proposal and an invoice?

An invoice asks for a fixed amount. A proposal is a quote that lets your client choose what they want, accept, sign your contract and pay, and creates the invoice for you when they accept.

### Can a proposal create a booking automatically?

Yes. In the proposal editor, turn on **Create a booking** and add a service date. Once your client has accepted, signed and paid, a confirmed booking appears on your calendar.