Quotation Template for Malaysian Caterers, Dewan and Ballrooms
Malaysian families shop around for a wedding caterer with three or four quotations spread on the table, and the one that reads clearest usually wins. That means a per-pax price, a minimum number of guests, a plain statement about service tax, and a halal line that names who holds the certificate. This template is set up for exactly that, in ringgit, for kenduri and majlis perkahwinan at a dewan, and for hotel and ballroom packages sold by the table.
Checked against Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) guidance · last reviewed 2026-09-25
Quote per pax, then show what the minimum does
Most Malaysian catering is sold per pax: RM16 for a simple nasi minyak buffet, RM25 to RM35 once you add a second lauk, a dessert station and air-conditioned canopies. Ballrooms tend to sell by the table of ten. Pick one unit and stick with it through the whole quote, because mixing "per pax" food with "per table" drinks is where arithmetic mistakes creep in.
Then write the minimum. If the family books 900 pax and 720 arrive, what do they pay? Most caterers charge the guaranteed minimum, commonly around 80 to 90% of the booked number, and charge extra plates at the same rate. Put the minimum and the final-numbers date on the quotation itself, not in a WhatsApp message three weeks later.
A good Malaysian quote also says how many plates the kitchen prepares above the confirmed count. Families expect some buffer for walk-in relatives. Decide it and write it down: a 5% buffer on 900 pax is 45 extra plates, and somebody pays for them.
Sample: majlis perkahwinan catering quotation
Saturday wedding reception for 900 guests at a community dewan in Shah Alam, 12:00 to 16:00, quoted by a caterer registered for service tax.
| Item | Qty | Rate | Tax | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasi minyak buffet with two lauk, acar and dessert | 900 pax | RM 18.00 | SST 6% (F&B) | RM 16,200.00 |
| Kambing golek, carved on site | 2 whole lamb | RM 950.00 | SST 6% (F&B) | RM 1,900.00 |
| Pelamin and entrance arch, part of the wedding package | 1 set | RM 4,500.00 | SST 6% (package) | RM 4,500.00 |
| Canopies, tables and chairs for 900 | 1 set | RM 2,800.00 | SST 6% (package) | RM 2,800.00 |
| Service crew, 20 staff for 6 hours | 20 staff | RM 90.00 | SST 6% (package) | RM 1,800.00 |
- Subtotal
- RM 27,200.00
- SST 6% (F&B) on RM 18,100.00
- RM 1,086.00
- SST 6% (package) on RM 9,100.00
- RM 546.00
- Total
- RM 28,832.00
- Deposit (30%)
- RM 8,649.60
- Balance due
- RM 20,182.40
- Guaranteed minimum 800 pax; final numbers by 14 days before the event; extra plates charged at RM18.
- Food prepared in a JAKIM-certified kitchen; certificate number shown on the final quotation.
- Valid for 30 days. A caterer not registered for service tax would remove every SST line.
How to show service tax without getting it wrong
If you are registered, show service tax as its own line at 6% on food and beverage. Customs' revised food and beverage guide says a package whose main service is food keeps the 6% rate even when it bundles the hall, pelamin, canopy and sound. So a caterer's all-in wedding package is quoted at 6% throughout, not split between 6% and 8%.
If you are not registered, and many kenduri caterers are not because the F&B threshold is RM1.5 million a year, leave service tax off completely. Section 21 of the Service Tax Act 2018 forbids an unregistered business from issuing a document that shows an amount which purports to be service tax. Writing "harga termasuk SST" when you are not registered is exactly that.
A quotation is not a tax invoice, and no tax is due when you send it. Tax is due when the family pays, which in practice means the first deposit.
The halal line: name the certificate, not just the word
Families will ask. Write what is true and checkable: "Food prepared in our JAKIM-certified kitchen, certificate number MS 1500 ..." or "Cooking by [name], JAKIM halal certificate attached". If you are a non-certified caterer cooking with halal-certified ingredients, say that instead, precisely.
Under the Trade Descriptions (Certification and Marking of Halal) Order 2011, only JAKIM and the state Islamic religious councils can certify halal, and KPDN enforces misleading halal descriptions. A sales quote is a trade description. Keep it accurate.
What your quotation must show in Malaysia
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Your business name, address and SSM number | Families and corporate clients check who they are paying; corporates ask for the SSM number to add you as a vendor |
| Service tax registration number, only if registered | An unregistered business must not show any amount that purports to be service tax[1] |
| Price per pax or per table, and the minimum guaranteed number | Sets what the client pays if fewer guests arrive |
| Service tax at 6% on the food package, shown separately | F&B services and food-led packages are taxed at 6%[2] |
| Halal status with the certificate holder named | Halal descriptions are regulated under the Trade Descriptions Act 2011[3] |
| Deposit, payment dates and cancellation terms | Your own policy; tax falls due when each payment arrives[1] |
| Validity date and revision number | Stops an old price being held against you months later |
Quotation letter or table: which format Malaysian clients expect
Corporate and government-linked clients often want a quotation letter: letterhead, reference number, addressed to a named officer, with the pricing table underneath and a validity line. Families prefer a single page they can photograph. The Excel file has both sheets, fed by the same numbers, so the letter and the table can never disagree.
Put a reference number on every quotation, and a revision number when prices change. When a family says "but your quote said RM24", you want to be able to ask which revision they mean.
Deposits, validity and the dates that matter
Typical Malaysian terms are a booking deposit of 20 to 30% to hold the date, a second payment a month before, and the balance a week before the event or on the day. None of that is set by law. It is your policy, so the quote has to say it.
Give the quotation a validity date. Ingredient prices move, and a quote from January for a December wedding should not bind you if chicken and cooking oil have both gone up. Thirty days is common; hotels quoting ballroom packages often hold prices only until the end of the quarter.
List what is excluded as well as what is included. Parking attendants, a second pelamin for the bride's side, the doa selamat, and air-conditioning for the canopy are all things families assume are included and later find are not.
Five mistakes we see on Malaysian catering quotes
Most quote disputes in Malaysia come from the same handful of gaps. Check your draft against these before it goes out.
- Showing SST when the caterer is not registered, or charging 8% on a food package that should be 6%.
- No minimum pax, so the family pays only for the 650 guests who came to a 900-pax booking.
- "Halal" with no certificate holder named.
- Per-pax food and per-table drinks mixed on one quote with no total per head.
- No validity date on a quote sent eight months before the wedding.
Help the family compare you fairly
Families put quotes side by side and divide by the number of guests. If your RM18 includes canopies and crew while a rival's RM15 does not, you lose on the headline number unless the quote makes the comparison easy. Add a per-head total at the bottom that includes everything: food, package items and service tax. On the sample, that line tells the family what each of their 900 guests actually costs.
Be specific about portions too. "Two lauk" means little; "ayam masak merah and daging rendang, about 120 g per guest" lets a family compare like with like, and protects you when an aunt complains the rendang ran out at 3 pm.
Send quotations from one system in Malaysia
Venura keeps bookings, quotes, invoices, deposits and receipts together for venues and caterers, in MYR with your own tax rates. Plans for Malaysia are priced on request.
Quotation questions from Malaysia
What should a catering quotation in Malaysia include?
Your business details, the per-pax or per-table price, the menu, the minimum guaranteed pax, service tax at 6% if you are registered, a halal statement naming the certificate holder, the deposit and payment dates, a validity date and a list of what is not included.
Do I add SST to a quotation if I am not registered?
No. Food and beverage operators only register once taxable turnover exceeds RM1.5 million in 12 months. Section 21 of the Service Tax Act 2018 says an unregistered business must not issue a document showing an amount that purports to be service tax.
Is a wedding package with hall rental taxed at 8%?
Not when food is the main service. Customs' revised food and beverage guide (April 2024) says a package whose main service is food and beverage, even with hall rental, decor and entertainment inside it, takes the 6% F&B rate.
Is there a free quotation template in Excel for Malaysia?
Yes. The download on this page is an Excel quotation with ringgit formatting, per-pax lines, a minimum pax row, a 6% service tax column you can switch off, a deposit schedule, and a separate sheet laid out as a quotation letter for corporate clients.
How long should a Malaysian quotation stay valid?
There is no legal minimum. Thirty days is common for caterers because ingredient prices move; hotels often hold ballroom package prices to the end of the quarter. State the date clearly and add a revision number whenever the price changes.
Does sending a quotation create a service tax liability?
No. A quotation is an offer. Under section 11 of the Service Tax Act 2018, service tax becomes due when the customer pays you, which in practice is the booking deposit. So the quote itself carries no tax risk, but the deposit you take after it does.
More templates for Malaysia
Sources
- Service Tax Act 2018 (Act 807), sections 11, 21, 24 and 25, Attorney General's Chambers (checked 2026-09-25)
- Customs Guide on Food and Beverages (revised 16 April 2024), summary of package and threshold rules by CCS (checked 2026-09-25)
- KPDN: Trade Descriptions Act 2011 and the halal orders (enforcement) (checked 2026-09-25)
- Royal Malaysian Customs Department, MySST: service tax FAQ and industry guides (checked 2026-09-25)
This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice. Rules change, so confirm with your accountant or the authority linked above.
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