# Food truck step 6: catering orders and quotations

> Quote a wedding, office lunch or festival job, send the quote, turn it into a sale when accepted, take a deposit and collect the rest after the event.

Source: https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/food-truck/step-6-catering-and-quotations/  
Last updated: 2026-10-30  
Product: SmartPOS Hub (https://smartposhub.com)

Catering is where many trucks make their best money: weddings, office lunches, private parties. SmartPOS Hub handles it with **quotations**: a priced offer you send to the customer and turn into a sale when they say yes.

## Before you start

- Catering items exist, for example "Taco bar per guest", "Additional event hour" or "Event fee" ([step 2](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/food-truck/step-2-limited-menu/)).
- The customer is a contact with name, phone and e-mail ([Contacts](https://docs.smartposhub.com/customers/contacts/)).

## Write the quote

1. Open **Sell › Add Quotation**.
2. Pick the truck as the **Business Location** (top right) and the **Customer**.
3. Under **Products**, add the catering items with quantities (guests, hours) and any discount.
4. Add notes such as the date, address and menu choices, and attach a document if needed.
5. Click **Save** (or **Save and print**). Print it or share the quote link from **Actions › Invoice URL** on the list.

![Add Quotation form with business location, customer, pay term, invoice scheme, sale date, attach document and the products table](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/food-truck-add-quotation.3JIE9qi5.png) (web app page: `/sells/create?status=quotation`)

## Follow up and win the job

**Sell › List quotations** lists every quote with the customer, location, items and who added it. Filter by truck or customer.

![List quotations page with dates, reference numbers, customers such as a wedding company and tech partners, contact numbers, truck locations and totals](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/food-truck-quotations-list.d88PkujQ.png) (web app page: `/sells/quotations`)
*Quotes per truck. Repeat customers (agencies, wedding planners) are easy to spot.*

## Turn it into a sale and take a deposit

1. When the customer accepts, open the quote with **Actions › Edit** (or from the POS under Recent Transactions › Quotation).
2. Check the final numbers and finish the sale.
3. Enter only the deposit as the payment. The rest stays due on the customer.
4. After the event, collect the balance with **Add payment** on the sale or the customer.

Read more: [Quotations, drafts and orders](https://docs.smartposhub.com/selling/quotations-drafts-and-orders/) and [Credit and part payments](https://docs.smartposhub.com/selling/credit-and-partial-payments/).

## Tips and mistakes to avoid

- Put the event date in the notes; the quote date is the date you wrote it.
- Take a deposit before buying extra ingredients for a big job.
- Load stock for the event with a stock transfer to the truck ([Stock transfers](https://docs.smartposhub.com/inventory/stock-transfers/)).

## Next

  - [Daily operations](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/food-truck/daily-operations/)
  - [Go-live checklist](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/food-truck/checklist/)

## Frequently asked questions

### Does a quotation reduce stock?

No. Quotations and drafts don't touch stock or sales until they are turned into a final sale.

### How do I turn an accepted quote into a sale?

Open Sell › List quotations, use Actions › Edit (or open it from Recent Transactions › Quotation on the POS) and finish it with a payment button.

### Can the customer pay a deposit?

Yes. When you finish the sale, enter only the deposit as the payment. The rest stays due on the customer and you collect it after the event with Add payment.

### Can I charge a travel or service fee?

Yes. Add a service product such as "Event fee" or "Additional event hour" to the quote, or use shipping charges for delivery.

### Which truck does a catering job belong to?

Pick the truck that does the job as the Business Location on the quotation, so its sales report includes the job.