A quotation is a commercial document and it repays being read like one rather than scanned for the bottom line. Six lines matter, and two of them are the ones people skip.
Unit price, and what it applies to
The price per item and the quantity that price is valid at. A unit price quoted for a container quantity is not the price you will pay for a pallet. Ask for a price schedule if you expect to order at different volumes – most suppliers have one and will share it.
Lead time, and when it starts
Not “four weeks” – four weeks from what? From order confirmation, from deposit, from drawing approval? On a made-to-order item this distinction routinely costs two weeks, and it is the most common source of a missed deadline.
Ask when the clock starts and get it in writing.
Validity period
How long the price stands. Resin costs move, and a quote with no validity date is a quote that can be revisited. Thirty to sixty days is normal; if there is no date, ask for one.
This is the line people skip and the one that causes the awkward conversation three months later.
Delivery terms
Ex-works, FOB, CIF, DAP – the Incoterm determines who pays freight and where risk transfers. On bulky packaging the freight share is large, so an ex-works figure and a landed figure are not the same product. Ask for the term explicitly if it is not printed.
Specification
Thickness, grammage, resin, additives, tolerances. If the quote does not state them, there is nothing to check the delivery against, and nothing to argue from later. A quote that lists them is worth more than a cheaper one that does not.
Payment terms
Deposit percentage, balance timing, and any terms for repeat business. On a first order with a new supplier a deposit is normal; on established business there is often room to negotiate.
What is usually negotiable
Price at higher volume, payment terms on repeat business, and lead time if you can be flexible on specification. What is usually not negotiable below a certain quantity is tooling – which is why it is worth understanding before you ask. That is covered in negotiating MOQ with a packaging supplier.
Two lines that are easy to misread
Lead time. “Four weeks” in a quote usually means production time, not door-to-door. Add order processing, approval, payment clearance and transit, and the real number is often two weeks longer. Ask for a date rather than a duration – it removes the ambiguity entirely.
Packing and palletising. Whether the price includes export packing, pallets and any fumigation or documentation. On a bulky order these are not trivial, and they are frequently quoted separately or omitted until the invoice.
When the quote arrives thin
Ask for the missing lines before you compare rather than after. It is a reasonable request, it takes one email, and a supplier’s willingness to complete a quote is itself worth noting – the ones who answer fully tend to be the ones who deliver as specified.
What we can do
We supply reusable pallet sleeve containers and quote all six lines as standard, because a quote that cannot be checked is not worth much. Send us what you have been quoted elsewhere and we will tell you plainly where we differ – including when we are the more expensive option.