Guide to Reading Rebar Invoices, Pro Forma Invoices, and Waybills

A seller gives a customer a pro forma invoice with Thursday’s price. The customer takes the weekend to make a decision and returns on Monday to transfer the money—exactly the day the rebar price has risen by several percent in the market. Now the question is: Should the seller provide the shipment at Thursday’s price or Monday’s? The answer depends precisely on what a pro forma invoice is and what it is not.

A Pro Forma Invoice Is a Promise, Not a Contract

A pro forma invoice is issued before the sale is finalized so that the customer knows how much they are expected to pay. However, it does not create any payment obligation for the buyer and, legally, is merely the seller’s offer at that moment. In a market like rebar, where prices fluctuate daily, this means that the price on a pro forma invoice can still change until an official invoice is issued. If you do not make this point clear to the customer from the beginning, exactly the scenario above will occur: the customer thinks the price has been locked in, while you think you had only made an offer.

Official Invoice; Where the Real Obligation Begins

Unlike a pro forma invoice, an official invoice is a document that creates an obligation in the transaction and must be registered in the Taxpayers’ System. This system was designed to ensure that every real transaction leaves a trace that can be tracked in the tax system; for this reason, every official invoice receives a unique ۲۲-character number in which the identity of the tax memory, the date, and the invoice serial number are encoded. In addition to this number, a valid invoice must include the seller’s ۱۴-digit economic code, the national ID or national code of the parties, and the exact address of the place of business; even each product line receives its own special ۱۳-digit code.

For you as a buyer or seller, the practical meaning of this is simple: an official invoice is the only document that truly protects you in the event of a legal dispute. A pro forma invoice, no matter how precise and signed it is, does not serve this role.

Three documents, three separate obligations; mistake one for another, and the dispute starts right there.

Waybill; A Transport Document, Not a Title Document

A waybill concerns the cost and route of transporting the shipment, not the transaction itself. Details such as the shipment’s weight, origin and destination, the driver’s name, and the vehicle number are recorded in it. A point that is often forgotten is that these details must match what appears on the official invoice. If the weight or quantity recorded on the waybill does not match the invoice, the best time to clarify the matter is before the shipment is fully unloaded—not after the truck has left and no one is any longer available to answer.

A Question Many First-Time Buyers Ask

“If I have accepted the pro forma invoice, isn’t its price final?” The short answer is: no, unless the seller has explicitly guaranteed the price for a specified period. If you want such a guarantee, have it written on the pro forma invoice itself rather than relying on a verbal agreement.

Checklist Before Final Settlement

• Compare the pro forma invoice and the official invoice for price, size, and quantity.
• Check the unique number of the official invoice; without this number, the invoice has not been registered in the Taxpayers’ System.
• Compare the waybill’s weight and details with the official invoice, not just with the pro forma invoice.
• Keep a copy of all three documents; in rebar market disputes, the official document always has the final say.

Together, these three documents create a chain of trust: the pro forma invoice shows intent, the official invoice records the obligation, and the waybill documents delivery. When all three are consistent, both you and your customer know exactly where you stand in the transaction.