Method CRM logo Method CRM automation · runs daily

Convert accepted Method CRM estimates to invoices

A customer accepts an estimate in the portal, Method emails the assigned user, and the estimate waits for someone to open it and create the invoice.

Cotlet does it in your own Method CRM account with list_estimates, get_estimate, convert_estimate_to_invoice and send_invoice, called by your AI agent, an n8n workflow or a script.

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Hosted · nothing to install or maintain

Can Method CRM do this on its own?

Method converts one estimate at a time with Create > Create Invoice (checked 23 Oct 2026). Its API can create transactions, but Method ships no MCP server. When a customer accepts in the portal, Method emails the assigned user and logs the acceptance as a closed activity, and it does not create the invoice.

How you do it in Method CRM today

  1. In the Estimates App, select Active and open the estimate in the list, or find it through the customer.
  2. At the bottom of the estimate, open the Create dropdown and choose Create Invoice, which opens the Invoices App.
  3. On a QuickBooks Online account, review the lines, the customer message and the Wait for approval before syncing box, then save.
  4. If the customer paid a deposit, Method adds it to the invoice as a line item using your Deposit Item.
  5. Choose Send > Email to send the invoice link. This is repeated for each accepted estimate, one by one.

How to convert accepted Method CRM estimates to invoices

Prompt

Find estimates customers accepted in the Method portal. Turn each into an invoice, hold the QuickBooks sync, and list them for me to check.
  1. 01

    Find accepted estimates

    list_estimates runs with active_only set, because Method's Active filter hides estimates marked inactive. The agent follows next_cursor and keeps those whose status is Accepted.

  2. 02

    Read the acceptance

    get_estimate returns the lines, accepted_by, accepted_date and the deposit. An estimate without an Accepted By value is skipped, so a manual status change by a colleague is not treated as the customer's yes.

  3. 03

    Convert and hold

    convert_estimate_to_invoice creates the invoice with the Create Invoice action. It ticks Wait for approval before syncing by default, so nothing reaches QuickBooks before you look. A lead is converted to a customer when sync is released, so the tool says so.

  4. 04

    Check the deposit

    The agent compares the invoice's deposit line with the estimate's Deposit Received amount. A mismatch is listed for you and the invoice is left unsent.

  5. 05

    Send when you say so

    send_invoice emails the portal link only for invoices you approved in the chat. Each call waits for your OK by default.

What you get back

Example data

Accepted estimates: 3
Invoiced 2, sync held:
- Ortega Kitchens, estimate 2217 to invoice 1051, total 9,600, deposit 2,400, balance 7,200
- Chen Dental, estimate 2221 to invoice 1052, total 3,100, no deposit
Left for you 1: Lopez Fencing, no Accepted By value

Other ways to ask

  • Convert only estimates accepted today and send the invoices straight away after my OK.
  • List accepted estimates with a deposit received and show what is still due on each.
  • Every morning, tell me which estimates were accepted yesterday and convert none.

What Method CRM allows, and what to know first

  • Method shows Accepted By and Accepted Date on an estimate only when its status is Accepted.
  • A QuickBooks Online account has no sales orders, so an estimate goes straight to an invoice and Sales Orders made from an estimate do not sync.
  • Deposits and approvals must first be turned on in Estimate App Preferences, and a deposit needs a deposit item tied to a liability account.
  • When a lead pays an estimate deposit in the portal, the estimate syncs and the lead becomes a customer.

convert_estimate_to_invoice and send_invoice ask for your OK by default. To run it daily without you, switch confirmation off for those tools in your dashboard.

Sources: Method Help: Convert an Estimate to an Invoice · Method Help: Estimate Approvals and Deposits · Method Help: Create an Estimate for QuickBooks Online Accounts · Method Help: Convert a Lead to a Customer

Call convert_estimate_to_invoice from a script

curl

curl -X POST https://cotlet.dev/api/v1/method-crm/estimates/2217/to-invoice/convert \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $COTLET_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"wait_for_sync_approval":true}'

Example response

{
  "invoice_id": "1051",
  "from_estimate_id": "2217",
  "customer": "Ortega Kitchens",
  "total": 9600,
  "deposit_received": 2400,
  "balance_due": 7200,
  "sync": "held"
}

MCP: add https://cotlet.dev/mcp/v1 with the same key; the call is method_crm_write → convert_estimate_to_invoice. Example data.

Schedule it in n8n, Make, Zapier or cron

Method CRM tools this automation uses

Cotlet Method CRM tools used to convert accepted Method CRM estimates to invoices
Tool Parameters
list_estimates contact_id, active_only, cursor
get_estimate estimate_id
convert_estimate_to_invoice estimate_id, wait_for_sync_approval
send_invoice invoice_id, subject, body
All 15 Method CRM tools with descriptions

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to connect Method CRM to Cotlet?

Yes. You sign in to Method CRM yourself, in your own Cloud Browser in the EU, and we never save your password. Your agents only get Method CRM once you enable it, every background request is listed, and the browser profile is stored encrypted with AES-256-GCM, the cipher 1Password uses for its vaults. The AI model never sees a login, posts and messages wait for your OK, and Disable for agents cuts access in one click. Independent scanners grade cotlet.dev A+ on Qualys SSL Labs, securityheaders.com and Mozilla Observatory; live results are on https://cotlet.dev/security.

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