A quote without a real deadline is an open-ended maybe. Xero's expiry date field can be the gentle pressure that turns maybes into answers — if you actually use it.
Every Xero quote carries an expiry date. Almost nobody chooses it deliberately, which is a shame — because it is the only built-in deadline in your whole quoting process.
An open-ended quote invites an open-ended decision. Customers do not reject it; they defer it, indefinitely, in good faith. A visible expiry — especially one you mention when you send the quote — gives the decision a shape: say yes by Friday, or the price may need revisiting. That is not pressure; it is clarity, and busy customers are grateful for it.
The hardest part of chasing a quote is feeling like a nuisance. The expiry date solves this. "Just a heads-up that your quote expires this Friday" is a service, not a sales call. It is the single most natural follow-up message there is, and it works precisely because it is true.
When a quote lapses, Xero quietly marks it EXPIRED and moves on. But an expired quote is a warm lead with an excuse attached: re-issue it with fresh dates and a one-line note. Some of the easiest wins in your pipeline are sitting in your expired list right now.
Quote Nudge watches your Xero quotes and runs the follow-up cadence for you — including the pre-expiry nudge that so often lands the yes. Set the sequence once; every quote gets chased properly after that.
Long enough to be fair, short enough to matter — 14 days suits most trades and services. Material-heavy quotes where supplier prices move justify 7 days, and saying so ('prices held for 7 days') reads as professional, not pushy.
Xero marks it EXPIRED and nothing else happens — no email, no reminder. That silence is your opportunity: an expired quote is a ready-made reason to get back in touch and re-issue with fresh dates.
Auto follow-ups and branded online acceptance on your Xero quotes, with deposits coming soon. £16.79/mo after the trial — no card required.
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