Moneybird estimate — from send to accept, and what happens with follow-up

A Moneybird estimate is the revenue starting point for many freelancers and small businesses: you put scope and price on paper, the client accepts, then you invoice. Between send and accept there is often silence. This article describes what an estimate does in Moneybird, which statuses you see, and how to follow up open estimates without pretending Moneybird has features it does not — such as a dedicated estimate reminder.

What is an estimate in Moneybird?

In Moneybird an estimate is a document with lines, totals, VAT if applicable, and a validity period. You email it; the client can accept online. After acceptance you convert to an invoice. The estimate stays in your administration with status open, accepted, rejected or expired (depending on your process and client action).

Moneybird is not a CRM with long follow-up pipelines. It is accounting software with a clear estimate module. That is an advantage: little noise. The downside on busy weeks: open estimates stay until you or the client acts.

The estimate overview as your starting point

Open the estimate overview in Moneybird when you want to know who still has to decide. Filter open estimates and sort by date. That overview is the same source FollowBird uses to see which estimates are still open. FollowBird does not change the estimate; it reads status and sends your reminder template by email.

More on how this differs from invoice reminders is in Moneybird estimate reminder.

Sending and resending

When you send, you write an email in Moneybird; the estimate is attached or linked. If there is no response, you can resend and edit the mail text. That suits occasional follow-up. For structural follow-up — same tone on day 3, 10 and 21 — manual resend becomes repetitive.

FollowBird fills that gap: up to three reminder moments after N days open, with email template and preview, dashboard of open and late estimates, and pause per administration. Connect via Moneybird OAuth. 14-day trial, then €19 per month excl. VAT (pricing); referral with free month after two paid months from a new customer.

From estimate to invoice

After acceptance you create an invoice in Moneybird from the estimate. That is when follow-up is mentally done. In FollowBird you do not switch anything off by hand: reminders stop when the estimate is accepted. That avoids an awkward email after a digital signature.

Plan invoice reminders separately through Moneybird’s invoice workflow — a different track from estimate follow-up. Do not mix the two in client communication.

Content of a strong first estimate (short checklist)

• Clear description of work or product.
• Total and VAT line if relevant.
• Validity (date) so you can close honestly later.
• How to accept (link in the email).
• Contact for questions.

A good first email reduces follow-up need but does not always remove silence. That is why estimate follow-up exists as a process.

Multiple administrations

If you have more than one Moneybird administration, FollowBird links per administration. You can pause reminders for one entity while another keeps running — useful for holdings or side activities.

What FollowBird does not do

• No changes to estimate amounts or lines in Moneybird.
• No replacement for Moneybird invoicing.
• No partnership claim with Moneybird — FollowBird is an independent integration; Moneybird is a trademark of Moneybird B.V.
• No WhatsApp or SMS reminders — only email for open estimates.

Wording for follow-up

Inspiration for emails is in estimate follow-up email templates. When there is no response at all, read estimate no response.

Practical workflow on a busy week

1. Monday: estimate overview in Moneybird + FollowBird dashboard (open and late).
2. In between: delivery; automatic emails run on your days.
3. On reply: have the client accept or adjust the estimate in Moneybird.
4. Holiday: pause in FollowBird per administration.

The Moneybird estimate stays leading; follow-up becomes a system instead of guilt.

Security and access

OAuth means you authorise with your normal Moneybird login which administration FollowBird may read for open estimates. No sharing passwords with third parties. Control who on your team edits templates — one consistent voice to clients.

Estimate vs follow-up in your weekly rhythm

Block one fixed moment per week for open estimates — for example Friday morning before admin. Combine the Moneybird overview with the FollowBird dashboard so you see which estimates get a reminder on your schedule and which are already late. That stops follow-up happening only when you happen to think of a client.

If estimates often go through revisions, you update a new version in Moneybird; FollowBird tracks open status. While an old estimate stays open, reminders may keep running — close or replace deliberately so the client does not get mail about an outdated amount.

Terms on the estimate itself

What you write about deposit, cancellation or extra work shapes later conversations. Follow-up email does not repeat those terms; it asks for a decision within the validity you already put on the estimate. For legal wording, use your own adviser — this blog is not legal advice.

FollowBird integration in three steps

1. Moneybird OAuth — sign in and pick an administration.
2. Fill the template with blocks and review the preview.
3. Set up to three reminder moments and use the dashboard for open and late estimates.

After that you do not need to click resend for standard follow-up. For exceptions, keep mailing or calling manually as in estimate no response.

A note on expectations

Clients read reminders as service when the tone matches your first estimate. Avoid words like "urgent" unless there is a real deadline. If people reply only after the second email, that is not failure of the first — it is normal behaviour. Adjust the days between moments in FollowBird instead of mailing more often on the same day; the product is built for up to three moments, not a flood.

Keep your Moneybird overview and FollowBird dashboard side by side: open estimates in Moneybird are leading; the dashboard shows where your schedule lags. On holiday pause per administration so no open estimate gets unexpected mail while you are away.

If you use fixed project codes on estimates, mention that code in follow-up email so the client finds the right PDF internally faster. That saves back-and-forth about which estimate you mean.

If you are unsure whether an email sounds too formal, read it aloud. That takes a minute and stops automatic reminders feeling different from your first estimate in Moneybird.

Summary

An estimate in Moneybird is create, send, accept, invoice. For the open phase you can resend manually or let FollowBird remind with your template, up to three moments, stopping on acceptance. That is the realistic way to combine moneybird estimate and follow-up.

Try FollowBird free for 14 days: connect your administration and see open estimates with a clear follow-up schedule. Start your trial.