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    A quote states the price of a defined service. A proposal describes a proposed solution as well as the price. Automation can draft, approve, send and track both. This post covers the difference, the automation steps, and the Malaysian legal points on electronic signatures and offer validity.

    Quote and proposal

    Definitions from Conga's quote-versus-proposal guide, 16 December 2025.
    AspectQuoteProposal
    PurposeGives pricing for a specific product or serviceOutlines a solution to the client's problem
    ContentsItemised pricing, applicable taxes, total and payment termsThe client's needs and goals, and a plan of action

    Both documents are built from the same job information: scope, quantities, location, constraints and customer details.

    Automation steps

    • Drafting: job notes are converted into a structured document with line items, assumptions, exclusions and payment terms.
    • Pricing rules: base rates, tier adjustments, add-on costs, minimum charges and travel fees are stored once, so every document follows the same structure.
    • Scope templates: common job types start from a template that staff adjust.
    • Approval: a document above a set value, or with custom scope, is routed to a named approver before it is sent.
    • Delivery and signature: the customer receives a link, reviews the document and signs electronically.
    • Job creation: the signed document is logged to the job record and triggers the next step, such as a deposit request, a calendar booking or a new job.

    A person reviews and approves pricing before a document is sent. The automation handles structure and wording, not pricing decisions.

    Electronic signatures

    Section 9(1) of the Electronic Commerce Act 2006 (Act 658) provides that a legal requirement for a signature is met by an electronic signature on an electronic message when three conditions hold.

    • The signature is attached to or logically associated with the electronic message.
    • The signature adequately identifies the person and adequately indicates the person's approval of the information it relates to.
    • The signature is as reliable as is appropriate given the purpose and circumstances for which it is required.

    Section 9(2) treats a signature as reliable when its means of creation is linked to and under the control of the signer only, and any later change to the signature or the document is detectable. Section 9(3) keeps the Digital Signature Act 1997 in force for digital signatures used in commercial transactions. The reprint cited is as at 1 November 2012. Documents that other laws require in a particular form are outside this post.

    Validity period

    Section 6(b) of the Contracts Act 1950 (Act 136) provides that a proposal is revoked by the lapse of the time it prescribes for acceptance. If it prescribes none, it is revoked after a reasonable time without acceptance. A stated validity date on each quote or proposal fixes that time in the document itself.

    Stripe's Quotes API models the same field as an expiry time (expires_at) on each quote. The reprint of the Contracts Act cited incorporates amendments up to 1 January 2006.

    Acceptance and invoicing

    In Stripe's Quotes API, an accepted quote automatically creates an invoice, a subscription or a subscription schedule. Acceptance triggers the next record without re-entering the details.

    Follow-up after sending

    A sent document stays open until its validity date. A follow-up sequence can send a check-in after an interval the business sets, a second message if there is no reply, and a final notice before expiry.

    Conversion tracking records which document types are accepted, which pricing tiers are accepted most often, and where documents stall.

    What OtomoAI builds

    OtomoAI connects proposal automation to the CRM and the calendar. An accepted quote creates the job record, reserves the resource and starts the customer confirmation sequence.

    Get in touch and we quote for your case.

    Sources

    Ritchie Boon Win Yew ·