Quote expired: what now? (extend, resend, follow up)

When your quote has expired, Moneybird shows it as expired, while you still need to know: is this job going ahead or not? What should I do if a quote has expired? First check whether the client still wants the proposal. Then resend the estimate in Moneybird with a new deadline in the email, or create a new quote with current price and date. Is an expired quote still valid? Not automatically: after the validity date on the document, the original offer is generally over. Treat late acceptance deliberately — confirm in writing that you still honour it, or send a new quote. How long to set validity is covered in quote validity period; this article is about the steps after that date.

General information, not legal advice.

Spotting expiry: has the valid-until date passed?

In Moneybird your estimate overview shows when the valid until date has passed. The estimate does not disappear; it stays in your records. Your client usually does not track that date and often only notices it has passed when they open the estimate again. A short email or call around the expiry date is often good service, not “pushing”.

Step 1: check whether the client still wants it

Before you shift the date or resend, you want to know if there is still interest. Sometimes the quote expired because internal approval was slow; sometimes the project moved; sometimes the client forgot.

Send a short, concrete email. Quote the same estimate number and state plainly that the date has passed:

Subject: Estimate [number] — still relevant?

Hi [name],

Estimate [number] (€ [amount]) was valid until [date] and now shows as expired in my records. Would you still like to go ahead with the same scope, or is the project on hold for now?

If you still want to start, I am happy to send an updated estimate with a new validity date. A brief reply — yes, no, or later — helps me plan.

Best regards, [name]

More variants are in estimate follow-up email templates. Prefer calling? Quote follow-up call covers when that fits.

Step 2: extend or resend in Moneybird

Moneybird has no separate “extend validity” button, and according to Moneybird you cannot change the date of an estimate once it has been sent. In the estimate workflow you set under Verzending (Sending) when an estimate expires. Once the date has passed, you can handle it like this:

1. Resend the estimate with edited email text — Moneybird describes this in sending an estimate. The estimate itself keeps its old date, so state in the email until when you now stand by the offer.
2. New estimate with the same or adjusted lines and a fresh valid until date if prices or your schedule have changed.
3. Close internally when the client no longer responds after the last step in your follow-up schedule.

If you change the workflow after creating the estimate, Moneybird notes that only the workflow changes, not the text on the estimate, so manual edits are not lost. For a new round, choose deliberately: resend the same estimate, or create a new estimate with current figures.

Step 3: new price or schedule — quote again

An expired quote does not mean the relationship is over. It means the offer on paper no longer matches today’s situation. Materials, rates or your calendar may have shifted.

• Only timing was the issue? Resending with the new deadline in the email may be enough if price and scope stay the same. If you also want a new date on the estimate itself, create a new estimate.
• Content or price changed? Create a new estimate and mention the old number in the email: “Replaces estimate [old], valid until [new date].”
• Still no clear answer for a while? Use a steady follow-up schedule, so you do not keep extending the date without hearing back from the client.

Legal context (general, not advice)

Dutch contract law looks at offer and acceptance. Article 6:217(1) of the Dutch Civil Code (DCC) states that an agreement is formed by an offer and its acceptance. Your estimate is often that offer.

Validity date on the quote. Article 6:219(1) DCC provides that an offer can generally be revoked unless it contains a time limit for acceptance. A quote with a clear “valid until” date cannot usually be withdrawn during that period as if there were no deadline.

Quote without a date. Article 6:221(1) DCC says that a written offer lapses if it is not accepted within a reasonable time (an oral offer: if it is not accepted immediately). This matters mainly for quotes without a date. For quotes with an expiry date, the offer ends on the date stated on the quote itself.

Late acceptance after the date. Article 6:223 DCC deals with late acceptance. Paragraph 1: you may still treat a late acceptance as timely if you tell the other party without delay. Paragraph 2: if acceptance is late but you understand or should understand that this was unclear to the other party, it counts as timely — unless you tell them without delay that you consider the offer lapsed.

Practical takeaway after expiry: if you receive “yes” after the date, respond quickly in writing. Happy to keep the old price and scope? Confirm that explicitly. No longer? Say the quote has expired and send a new one. If acceptance deviates from the offer, article 6:225(1) DCC may apply: an acceptance that deviates from the offer counts as a new offer and as a rejection of the original one. Paragraph 2 makes an exception when the reply differs only on minor points. More on how binding a quote is, before and after a yes: is a quote legally binding.

General information, not legal advice. If in doubt, have your terms reviewed by a lawyer.

Prevent silent expiry next time

Expiry is often predictable: the date was on the estimate. Problems arise when nobody mentions it until it is too late.

1. Align your follow-up with the expiry date — plan your last reminder before the valid-until date and mention that date in your emails. How to choose a sensible period is covered in quote validity period; for a follow-up schedule, see estimate follow-up.
2. Automate follow-up while the estimate is open — Moneybird cannot send a separate reminder for an estimate; see Moneybird estimate reminder.

FollowBird: follow-up around the expiry date, not a replacement for a new quote

FollowBird automatically sends email reminders for estimates that are still open or expired in Moneybird: you set up to 3 reminder moments, each a set number of days after sending (by default two: after 7 and after 14 days). Reminders stop once the estimate is accepted or rejected in Moneybird; the valid-until date passing does not stop them on its own. The dashboard shows Upcoming reminders, Recent activity, and your open and late estimates. Useful for sending one more email before the expiry date, but not a substitute for a new estimate or a written extension.

FollowBird follows Moneybird status; it does not decide whether a client may still accept an expired quote legally. After expiry you choose: new estimate, resend, or close — FollowBird mainly helps with the follow-up before that point.

Try FollowBird free for 14 days: sign in with your Moneybird account, set your email text and reminder days, and keep track of open estimates. Start your trial — then €19.00 per month excl. VAT on pricing.

Summary

An expired quote is both an admin and a sales moment: check whether the client still wants it, resend the estimate with a new deadline in the email, or create a new quote if costs have changed. Legally, an expired offer is not automatically “still valid”; with late acceptance, respond quickly in writing. Avoid surprises by following up before the date — and always tie an extension to a clear scope and schedule.