Request for Quotation Template
A request for quotation asks suppliers to price a defined requirement. The whole value of it is comparability: three quotes you cannot line up side by side are worse than one, because you will end up choosing on the number rather than on what the number includes. Most of the work is in specifying tightly enough that the replies can be compared at all.
| Item # | Description | HS Code | Qty | Unit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Please quote your best price and lead time for the items listed above, on terms to . Responses are required by .
Parties, ports, container and line items carry across every document.
Specify enough that the replies are comparable
State the Incoterm and named place, the destination, the quantity, the packaging you expect and the date you need the goods. Suppliers who are not told the delivery basis will each assume a different one. The cheapest-looking quote is then usually the one that excludes the most. Where a specification matters, such as a grade, a tolerance or a certification, put it on the RFQ rather than leaving it to be discovered on inspection.
Ask for quantity breaks rather than a single price
Suppliers price in bands, and the band boundary is often close to your order size. Asking for prices at several quantities costs the supplier nothing and frequently reveals that ordering slightly more is cheaper in total. It also tells you how much of the price is tooling or setup, which is what you need to know before committing to a second order.
Set a deadline, and say what happens after it
An RFQ without a reply-by date drifts, and quotes that arrive weeks apart cannot be compared because the underlying costs have moved. State the date, state how you want the reply, and say whether you intend to negotiate afterwards or award on the quotes as submitted. Suppliers price differently depending on which it is.
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Exporters
Make the invoice, packing list and certificate of origin for a shipment in one go, without typing the consignee's address four times.
Freight forwarders
Turn a client's spreadsheet into a clean set of documents that a customs broker will accept.
Customs brokers
Rebuild a missing or unusable document from the details you already have.
One shipment in, every document out
| FreightStow | Typical alternative | |
|---|---|---|
| Enter the details once for every document | Yes | Retype for each document |
| Document types | 33 | Varies |
| Statutory forms (CMR, ISF, USMCA origin) | Included | Often missing |
| Add, rename or remove line-item columns | Yes | Fixed templates |
| Download formats | PDF, Excel, Word | PDF only |
| Try it without an account | Yes | Usually not |
The right-hand column describes the general pattern in this category, not one named vendor. Features and plans change — check any provider’s current terms before deciding.
Commercial documents · 12
- Packing List — DetailedFull itemised packing list with HS codes, marks and numbers, package types and per-item dimensions.
- Packing List — SimpleMinimal packing list: what is in the shipment, how many packages, and what it weighs. No HS codes or dimensions.
- Packing List — ContainerPacking list broken down by container, for FCL shipments where each line must be traced to a container and seal.
- Packing List — ConsolidatedOne packing list covering several orders or invoices consolidated into a single shipment.
- Commercial InvoiceThe primary customs valuation document: what was sold, to whom, on what terms, and for how much.
- Proforma InvoiceA binding quotation in invoice form, issued before shipment so the buyer can open a letter of credit or arrange an import licence.
- Tax InvoiceInvoice showing the tax charged on a supply, in the form required for the buyer to reclaim input tax.
- Credit NoteCancels or reduces a previously issued invoice, for returns, short shipments or agreed price adjustments.
- Purchase OrderThe buyer's formal instruction to supply goods on stated terms, prices and delivery dates.
- QuotationA priced offer to supply, stating validity, lead time and the Incoterms the price is quoted on.
- Request for QuotationInvites a supplier to price a specified list of goods against stated delivery terms and a response deadline.
- Sales ConfirmationThe seller's acceptance of an order, confirming goods, price, terms and shipment schedule back to the buyer.
Declarations & instructions · 10
- Non Asbestos DeclarationCertifies that the goods contain no asbestos in any form — required by Australia, Saudi Arabia and other markets that ban asbestos outright.
- New and Unused DeclarationCertifies that the goods are new and have never been used — required where the destination restricts imports of second-hand goods.
- Packing DeclarationDeclares the timber packaging and container cleanliness of a consignment — required for Australian and New Zealand biosecurity clearance.
- DeclarationA blank declaration on letterhead, for the one-off statements a buyer, bank or customs authority asks for that have no standard form.
- Declaration of OriginA self-certified origin statement made by the exporter, used where a full chamber-stamped certificate of origin is not required.
- Verified Gross Mass DeclarationThe SOLAS VGM certificate. No container may be loaded to a vessel without a signed verified gross mass from the shipper.
- Shipper's Letter of InstructionThe exporter's instructions to their freight forwarder, including the authority to act as agent for customs purposes.
- Shipping InstructionTells the carrier exactly how the bill of lading should read: parties, routing, cargo description and freight terms.
- Forwarding InstructionBooks a consignment with a freight forwarder: collection details, routing, cargo particulars and who pays which charges.
- Sales ContractThe agreement itself: goods, price, delivery terms, payment and the clauses both parties sign against.
Statutory & customs forms · 11
- CMR — Consignment Note (Sender)The sender's copy of the international road consignment note, retained as proof of what was handed to the carrier.
- CMR — Consignment Note (Carrier)The carrier's copy of the road consignment note, evidencing the contract of carriage.
- CMR — Consignment Note (Consignee)The consignee's copy of the road consignment note, travelling with the goods and signed on delivery.
- Bill of LadingThe carrier's receipt for the goods, evidence of the contract of carriage, and a document of title the consignee must surrender to collect the cargo.
- Certificate of OriginCertifies where goods were produced. Usually stamped by a chamber of commerce and required to claim tariff treatment or satisfy a letter of credit.
- Certification of Origin (USMCA/CUSMA/T-MEC)The free-trade certification for US–Mexico–Canada shipments. Has no prescribed form, but must carry all nine required data elements.
- Importer Security FilingThe ten data elements a US importer must file with CBP at least 24 hours before cargo is laden aboard a vessel bound for the United States.
- Phytosanitary CertificateCertifies that a consignment of plants or plant products meets the importing country's phytosanitary requirements.
- Form 6 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document accompanying a transboundary shipment of hazardous waste, tracking it from exporter to disposal facility.
- Form 9 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document for transboundary shipments of hazardous recyclable material, tracking custody through to the recovery facility.
- Bill of ExchangeAn unconditional written order requiring the drawee to pay a fixed sum on demand or at a stated future date — the instrument behind documentary collections.
+What is the difference between an RFQ and an RFP?
A request for quotation asks for a price against a specification. You have already written it. A request for proposal asks suppliers to propose how to meet a need, and price is only part of the answer. Use an RFQ when you know exactly what you want and are choosing on commercial terms.
+How many suppliers should I send it to?
Enough to be confident in the market price, few enough that you will genuinely evaluate every reply. Three is the usual working number. Sending to a dozen and answering none of them damages your standing with suppliers you may need later.
+Should I tell suppliers my target price?
It depends on what you want. Disclosing a target anchors the replies and speeds things up, at the cost of never learning that someone would have gone lower. Withholding it gives you a truer read of the market but invites quotes that miss your budget entirely.
+Does an RFQ commit me to buying?
No. It is a request for prices, not an order and not a promise to place one. The commitment begins when you issue a purchase order against a quotation you have accepted.
+Should the RFQ specify packaging?
Yes, if it matters. Export packing, pallet dimensions and carton weights affect freight cost and whether the goods survive the journey, and a supplier quoting domestic packing will be cheaper and wrong. It also lets you compare shipping costs, which are otherwise invisible until the goods are ready.
Try it with a real shipment.
The generator on this page is the real product. Fill it in, download the PDF, and see if it is what you need.
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