Revenue Objects
Track commercial relationships from exploration through fulfillment
Revenue objects track value exchange—from initial conversations to ongoing partnerships. Understanding how these objects work together transforms revenue from "forecasting fiction" into operational reality.
Why Revenue Objects Matter
Traditional CRM thinking treats the Deal as the center of the universe—everything flows to "closing the deal." But Value-First thinking recognizes that a closed deal is just a commitment to create value together. Real revenue comes from fulfilling that commitment.
HubSpot provides multiple revenue objects because different stages of commercial relationships require different data structures:
- Deals track exploration and probability
- Quotes make proposals explicit
- Orders record actual commitments
- Invoices track value delivered and payment requested
- Products define your catalog of offerings
- Subscriptions manage recurring relationships
When you use the right object for each stage, your revenue reporting tells the truth instead of telling stories.
💼 Deal
Every commercial opportunity being explored. Deals track the progression of potential partnerships from initial interest through commitment. They're not "sales pipeline stages"—they're relationship milestones showing how trust develops and value gets defined together.
Key Properties
- Deal Name: What you're exploring together
- Amount: Potential value (not guaranteed revenue)
- Close Date: Expected commitment timeline
- Pipeline: Stage of exploration
- Deal Stage: Current milestone
- Probability: Likelihood of commitment
Common Associations
- Contact: Who's involved in evaluation
- Company: Organization considering partnership
- Quote: Formal proposals made
- Product: What's being considered
- Order: Commitment once made
CVP Perspective: A Deal tracks "we're figuring this out together." The amount is a forecast, not a fact. Don't let Deal amounts corrupt your revenue reporting—that's what Orders are for.
📋 Quote
Every formal offer with terms made explicit. Quotes document what you're proposing—products, pricing, terms, timeline. They make implicit conversations explicit and provide something concrete for stakeholders to review, approve, and reference.
Key Properties
- Quote Name: What this proposal covers
- Quote Amount: Total proposed value
- Expiration Date: When terms expire
- Status: Draft, Sent, Approved, Rejected
- Terms: Conditions and agreements
- Payment Schedule: When and how payment occurs
Common Associations
- Deal: Opportunity this quote supports
- Contact: Who receives the quote
- Company: Organization being quoted
- Line Item: Individual products/services
- Order: If quote is accepted
CVP Perspective: Quotes turn conversations into concrete proposals. Multiple quotes per Deal are normal—you're iterating together toward the right solution, not just "closing at any cost."
📦 Product
Everything you offer—your catalog of value. Products define what you provide, at what price points, with what configurations. Products get added to Quotes, purchased through Orders, and delivered through Services. They're the "what" of your value proposition made concrete.
Key Properties
- Product Name: What you call this offering
- Description: What value it provides
- Price: Standard pricing (can vary per quote)
- SKU: Internal tracking code
- Recurring: One-time or subscription
- Category: How you organize offerings
Common Associations
- Deal: What's being considered
- Quote: What's being proposed
- Line Item: Specific instances with pricing
- Order: What was committed to
- Service: What's being delivered
CVP Perspective: Products aren't just SKUs in a catalog—they're promises of value. Your product library should reflect the transformation you deliver, not just the activities you perform.
📊 Line Item
Every product instance with specific pricing and quantity. Line Items connect Products to Deals, Quotes, and Orders with context-specific details. The same Product can appear as different Line Items with different pricing, quantities, or discounts.
Key Properties
- Product: Which offering this represents
- Quantity: How many/much
- Price: Per-unit price (may differ from catalog)
- Discount: Applied reductions
- Amount: Total (quantity × price - discount)
- Term: Duration for recurring items
Common Associations
- Product: Catalog item being sold
- Deal: Opportunity containing this item
- Quote: Proposal including this item
- Order: Commitment to purchase
✅ Order
Every commitment made concrete. Orders represent the moment when interest becomes action—when someone says "yes, let's do this." In Value-First thinking, the Order (not the Deal) is the source of truth for revenue because it represents actual commitment, not forecasted probability.
Key Properties
- Order Name: What was committed to
- Order Amount: Actual revenue (not forecast)
- Order Date: When commitment was made
- Status: Pending, Confirmed, Fulfilled, Canceled
- Billing Frequency: One-time or recurring
- Start Date: When delivery begins
Common Associations
- Deal: Opportunity that led to this
- Quote: Proposal that was accepted
- Contact: Who committed
- Company: Organization committing
- Invoice: Payment requests
- Service: Delivery of what was ordered
CVP Perspective: This is the most important concept in revenue architecture: Deals may or may not become Orders. Orders represent actual revenue. Your financial reporting should flow from Orders, not Deals.
💵 Invoice
Every value delivered, payment requested. Invoices track what you've earned and what's owed. They connect to Orders (what was committed), Payments (what was received), and provide financial clarity across the customer lifecycle.
Key Properties
- Invoice Number: Unique identifier
- Amount Due: Total owed
- Issue Date: When invoice was created
- Due Date: When payment is expected
- Status: Draft, Sent, Paid, Overdue, Canceled
- Payment Terms: Net 30, Net 60, etc.
Common Associations
- Order: What's being billed
- Contact: Billing contact
- Company: Who owes payment
- Payment: Received payments
- Subscription: Recurring billing
CVP Perspective: Revenue recognition follows delivery. Invoice when you've created value, not just when you need cash flow. This aligns financial reality with value creation.
💳 Payment
Every financial transaction received. Payments track actual money received, connecting to Invoices and Orders. They provide a complete picture of cash flow and payment history.
Key Properties
- Amount: Payment received
- Payment Date: When received
- Payment Method: Credit, ACH, Wire, etc.
- Status: Pending, Completed, Failed
- Transaction ID: External reference
Common Associations
- Invoice: What's being paid
- Order: Original commitment
- Contact: Who made payment
- Company: Paying organization
🔄 Subscription
Every recurring relationship tracked. Subscriptions manage ongoing commitments—monthly services, annual licenses, renewable partnerships. They track renewal dates, payment schedules, and relationship continuity over time.
Key Properties
- Subscription Name: What's recurring
- Recurring Amount: Per-period value
- Billing Frequency: Monthly, Annual, etc.
- Start Date: When subscription began
- Renewal Date: Next renewal
- Status: Active, Paused, Canceled
Common Associations
- Order: Original commitment
- Contact: Subscriber
- Company: Subscribing organization
- Invoice: Recurring billing
- Product: What's subscribed to
CVP Perspective: Subscriptions are relationship infrastructure for recurring value. Renewal isn't a sales event—it's a vote of confidence that value is being delivered consistently.
🛒 Cart (Commerce Hub)
E-commerce shopping session. Available with Commerce Hub, Carts track items selected before purchase commitment. Think of it as the digital equivalent of items in a shopping basket before checkout.
How Revenue Objects Flow Together
Understanding individual objects is important. Understanding how they flow together is essential. Here's a typical revenue journey:
Deal Created
Commercial conversation begins. Products added to explore fit.
Quote Generated
Line Items with specific pricing. Formal proposal sent for review.
Order Confirmed
Quote accepted, commitment made. This is your revenue source of truth.
Subscription Created (if recurring)
Ongoing relationship established with renewal tracking.
Invoice Issued
Value delivered, payment requested based on terms.
Payment Received
Financial transaction completes the cycle.
Each object serves a distinct purpose. Using the right object at each stage creates clarity. Mixing them up creates confusion.
Where should your revenue source of truth live?
Your answer reveals whether you're forecasting or operating on reality.
Key Takeaway: Deals track possibility. Quotes formalize proposals. Orders represent commitment. Invoices request payment for value delivered. Don't let forecasted probability (Deals) corrupt actual revenue reporting (Orders).
Next up: Delivery Objects — how Services, Projects, and Deliverables transform commitments into fulfilled value.