Manage amendments to a signed quote

A client signs their quote, then changes their mind: they add 20 guests, swap a service, move a date or request an extra option. This is normal in event management, where the brief often firms up after the booking. The risky reflex would be to reopen the signed quote and overwrite it: you would then lose any record of what was originally accepted. Joinways solves this with the amendment: an official, dated, signable change that starts from the signed quote without ever erasing it.

In practice, an amendment is a complete new version of the quote, numbered after the original quote (-A1, -A2…). It reuses the current lines, flags added, modified or removed items, and shows the variation excluding tax against the original quote. Once signed, it supersedes the original quote as the contract. The original quote stays viewable and shows “Superseded by an amendment”.

Prerequisites

A quote that is Signed, Accepted or already partly invoiced, for example after a deposit. A fully paid quote can no longer be amended. An amendment is always created from the original quote, never from another amendment.

Being a member of the workspace. No specific role is required to create an amendment.

For signature, the client signs online from the public link. If the amendment was signed on paper, pick “Amendment signed” in the status and upload the document in “Record a manual signature”.

What you'll learn

• Create an amendment from an already-signed quote without touching the original version.
• Edit the affected lines and read the automatically computed amount difference.
• Get the amendment approved by the client via a public link and e-signature.
• Track the version history and carry the right amount into invoicing.

Why an amendment rather than a new quote

Rebuilding a quote from scratch on every change breaks traceability: you no longer know which document was actually accepted, nor what difference separates the initial commitment from the final amount. The amendment fixes this by starting from the signed state and keeping all history. The client immediately understands what changes: added or modified lines are marked New or Modified, with a summary of the changes and the amount variation. You keep a consistent chain of documents from the first quote through to the invoice.

This logic protects both the venue and the client: each side can, at any time, find the exact version that was binding on a given date. If a scope dispute arises, the version history settles it without ambiguity.

Create an amendment

An amendment is created from the signed quote itself, to guarantee the new version reuses exactly the accepted lines. Here is the step-by-step flow and what happens at each step.

1. Open the event, then the relevant signed quote: Joinways checks its status before showing the amendment action.
2. Click “Amendment” in the version strip at the top of the quote, or “Edit through amendment #1” under the locked items. The amendment opens as Draft, pre-filled with the current lines.

1. Edit the lines: add, remove or adjust quantities and prices according to the client's request.
2. Review the amount difference shown: Joinways continuously computes the difference versus the original quote.
3. Click “Send amendment”: the client receives a public link to the amendment, with the list of changes and the amount variation.

Good to know: the original quote stays viewable with its signature. Once the amendment is signed, it shows “Superseded by an amendment” and its items are locked.

What an amendment can change

An amendment acts on the priced content of the quote. Here are the changes it supports, each explained in one line.

• Add a line: include a new service or option absent from the signed quote.
• Remove a line: delete a service that is no longer wanted.
• Adjust a quantity: move the number of covers, rooms or hours to the new value.
• Change a unit price: apply a renegotiated rate or correct a line.
• Update a service: swap one option for another (menu, package, service).
• Amount variation: the difference excluding tax between the amendment's total and the original quote's total, recalculated on every change.

Statuses and version indices (reference)

To follow a file without confusion, you need to read the state of each version. Here are the states and markers you will meet.

• Signed quote: the starting version accepted by the client, from which the amendment is created.
• Draft: an amendment being edited, not yet sent. It can still be edited or deleted.
• Amendment pending: an amendment sent to the client via the public link, awaiting their decision.
• Amendment to sign: the client accepted the amendment but has not signed it yet. It does not supersede the quote yet.
• Amendment signed: the amendment now supersedes the original quote as the contract. The original quote shows “Superseded by an amendment”.
• Amendment index (-A1, -A2…): the suffix added to the original quote number to identify each successive amendment.

Client approval

An amendment only has value once the client accepts it, exactly like the initial quote. The flow is identical and happens remotely.

1. The client receives a public link showing the amendment and the price difference versus the signed quote.
2. They review the detail of the changed lines and the clearly isolated amount difference.
3. They accept by e-signature: the amendment then moves to the signed status.
4. On signature, the amendment supersedes the original quote as the contract. Invoicing, blocked during the amendment, becomes possible again.

Tracking and invoicing

Once the amendment is signed, the up-to-date amount is the basis for invoicing. The tracking rules are as follows.

• The amount difference flows into the total to invoice.
• An amendment can raise or lower the total. The variation shown is always measured excluding tax, against the original quote.
• History keeps every version: initial quote then successive amendments.
• In the event's “Overview” tab, the proposal and its amendments are grouped: the latest amendment first (“Amendment #2”), then the earlier amendments, then the “Original proposal”, indented. Once an amendment is signed, the original's amount is struck through and its status reads “Superseded”.
• Invoicing always happens from the original quote, never from the amendment. The “Billing” block shows “Aligned with amendment #1”: new invoices use the signed amendment's lines and total.

After a deposit: a deposit already issued stays in place, anchored to the original quote. Once the amendment is signed, “Create balance” computes the remainder on the new total excluding tax, minus what was already invoiced. If the new total is below the deposit, the balance is refused: issue a credit note on the deposit. If you had used “Invoice the full amount”, no balance is possible: void that invoice while it is Open, then invoice again.

How it works

Behind the scenes, Joinways treats the amendment as a version derived from the signed quote. It freezes the original version, duplicates its content for editing, and computes the difference between the two totals. The quote number is kept and completed with an amendment index (-A1, -A2…) so each version stays identifiable and attached to the same file.

Signing the amendment does not remove the original quote's signature: both coexist in the history. The signed amendment supersedes the original quote as the contract without erasing it, which guarantees traceability from the first commitment through to the final invoice.

Edge cases

• Multiple amendments: they follow one another, one at a time. While an amendment is in progress (Draft, pending or to sign), sign or delete it before creating another. Each gets its index (-A1, -A2…) and starts from the lines of the latest signed amendment.
• Amount variation: an amendment can raise or lower the total. The variation shown is cumulative: it compares the amendment with the original quote, not with the previous amendment.
• Mistake after signature: a signed amendment can no longer be edited; create a new amendment to correct course.
• Draft quote: while a quote is unsigned, it is edited directly, without going through an amendment.
• Request from a platform: if its terms require the quote to be filed on the platform, “Send amendment” is replaced by a “To file on” chip followed by the platform's name. You can still send it by email with “Send by email anyway”, after an explicit confirmation.

Best practices

• Never force-edit a signed quote by reopening it: always create an amendment to keep the record.
• Group related changes into a single amendment rather than multiplying them for one client request.
• Check the amount difference before sending: this is the figure the client will approve.
• Sign or delete the amendment before invoicing: while it is in progress, the “Invoice” button is blocked.
• Keep successive amendments in the history: they document how the file evolved.

Troubleshooting

Problem: the “Amendment” button doesn't appear.

Cause: the quote is neither signed nor accepted, it is fully paid, you are on an amendment, or an amendment is already in progress. Solution: open the original quote. If an amendment is in progress, resume it with “Resume amendment #1” or delete it. A draft quote is edited directly.

Problem: the amount difference shown looks wrong.

Cause: the variation is measured excluding tax and against the original quote, not the previous amendment. Solution: compare it with the original quote's total excluding tax, then check each quantity and price in the amendment.

Problem: the client can't sign the amendment.

Cause: an expired public link, a deleted amendment, or the three-signature trial cap reached. Solution: reopen the amendment and resend it to the client. If the trial cap is reached, record a manual signature.

Real-world example

Three weeks before a wedding, the couple goes from 80 to 110 guests. The planner opens the signed quote and creates an amendment: +30 covers, +1 server. The +€1,950 difference appears automatically. She sends the public link, the couple reviews the difference, signs electronically, and the final invoice reflects the new total. The original 80-cover quote stays viewable in the history.

Another example

A company books a seminar with a signed standard lunch. Two weeks out, it upgrades to the premium menu: the sales rep creates amendment -A1, which the client signs. A week later, it adds an afternoon break: amendment -A2 starts from -A1's lines, and its variation shows both changes combined against the original quote.

FAQ

Can I cancel an amendment?

As long as the client hasn't signed it, you can delete or edit it. After signature, create a new amendment to correct it.

Does the amendment change the quote number?

It keeps the original quote number followed by an amendment index (e.g. -A1), while staying attached to the same file. Numbering thus remains consistent and traceable.

Is the original quote lost after an amendment?

No. The original quote stays viewable: the amendment is added as a new version without overwriting the previous one.

Can I create several amendments for one quote?

Yes, one after the other: only one amendment can be in progress at a time. Each gets its index (-A1, -A2…) and is signed separately by the client.

Can an amendment reduce the total amount?

Yes. An amendment can raise or lower the total. The variation excluding tax against the original quote is shown to the client before signing.

How does the client sign the amendment?

Via the same public link and e-signature as the original quote, after reviewing the price difference.

When should I invoice after an amendment?

Once the amendment is signed. While it is in progress, invoicing on the quote is blocked. The balance is then computed on the amendment's total.

See also

• Create a quote
• E-signature
• Invoicing