Written quotations should not be treated as like-for-like until the buyer clarifies the order scope, exclusions, payment terms and the treatment of insurance and shipping costs. U.S. International Trade Administration guidance provides two concrete checks: a pro forma invoice should give buyers detailed order information so arrangements can be made efficiently, and insurance and shipping costs belong among the quotation details being compared.
Which terms need clarification?
| Ambiguous area | Why it affects comparison | Clarification to request |
|---|---|---|
| Order scope | A broad description may not establish exactly what the quoted order includes. | Ask which order details are stated and which elements remain unspecified. |
| Exclusions | An item described as “extra” or “not included” may be separated from the base quote in different ways. | Ask whether it falls outside the quoted amount, requires a separate quote, or remains unconfirmed. |
| Payment terms | A quotation may not identify the stages at which payment becomes due or the events that trigger payment. | Ask which payment stages apply and what makes each payment due. |
| Insurance costs | Silence about insurance can make it unclear whether the cost is already included or must be considered separately. | Ask whether insurance costs are included, separately stated or still to be confirmed. |
| Shipping costs | A quotation that mentions shipping but does not explain its treatment cannot be compared cleanly with one that treats it differently. | Ask whether shipping costs are included in the quoted amount or identified separately. |
Wording such as “as applicable” or “to be confirmed” should be treated as an unresolved term, not as a settled commercial condition. Likewise, the absence of a term from a quotation should not automatically be interpreted as either inclusion or exclusion.
How to check the wording
First, place each quotation in the same comparison structure. Record the order information, included scope, exclusions, payment stages, insurance treatment, shipping treatment and unresolved wording. This makes differences in presentation easier to distinguish from differences in what the quotations actually cover.
Next, compare substance rather than labels. A separately stated cost may have a different commercial treatment from a cost incorporated into the base quotation, even when both documents use similar wording. Keep every separate line visible until its treatment has been confirmed.
Finally, use the same clarification questions for each quotation and request written answers or revised wording. A reader should not rely on an assumption that silence means a cost is included, that an exclusion has been priced, or that a payment condition is already agreed.
What the reader must still confirm
The two cited points are not a complete cross-border quotation checklist. They do not by themselves establish a universal required format, a standard payment structure, a deadline, or a fixed amount for insurance or shipping.
The reader must therefore confirm each quotation’s actual scope, exclusions, payment conditions and cost treatment. Any contractual or legal effect must also be checked against the applicable documents rather than inferred from a general description. If a term remains undocumented or ambiguous, it should be recorded as unresolved rather than treated as agreed.