A request for quote, or RFQ, is a buyer asking what a specific order will cost. They are usually asking other suppliers too, so a clear and prompt reply matters. This guide covers what to check before you answer, what a good quote contains, and how to follow up.
Read the request properly
Buyers describe products in their own words, not yours. Before you price anything, translate the request into exact products, variants and quantities, and note anything you had to guess.
- Product and variant: Which SKU each line refers to
- Quantity: Units, cases or pallets, and whether the buyer means your pack size
- Deadline: When they need the goods, not only when they need the quote
- Destination: Where it ships, since freight changes the total
- Gaps: Anything unclear that you need to ask about
Ask before you guess
If a line is ambiguous, ask one short question instead of quoting the wrong item. A quick acknowledgment also tells the buyer the request has been seen.
- ✅ "Confirming you mean the 500 ml size, in cases of 12?"
- ✅ Quote the clear lines now, and mark the unclear ones as pending
- ❌ Substituting a similar product without saying so
Price each line
Check every line against your wholesale price list. Apply the volume break the quantity falls into, and confirm your minimum order quantity is met. If the buyer is close to the next break, show them both prices.
| Check | Question |
|---|---|
| Price list | Which wholesale price applies? |
| Volume break | Which tier does this quantity reach? |
| MOQ | Is the minimum met for this product? |
| Next break | Would a few more units lower the unit price? |
For how to set these up, see wholesale price breaks and MOQ.
What the quote should include
A quote is complete when the buyer can approve it without writing back. Put the numbers first and the conditions directly underneath.
- Line items: Product, variant, quantity, unit price and line total
- Shipping: Cost or estimate, and the method
- Lead time: When the order would ship
- Payment terms: When payment is due and how to pay
- Validity: The date the quoted prices expire
- Substitutions: Anything out of stock, and what you suggest instead
Make it easy to say yes
The fewer steps between the quote and payment, the better. In Shopify, you can build the quote as a draft order and send an invoice from it. By default the invoice contains a link to a checkout where the buyer can pay.
- Draft order: Holds the quoted lines and prices
- Invoice: Sends the buyer a checkout link
- Follow up: If you hear nothing, send one short reminder before the validity date
See how to turn a wholesale quote into a draft order for the steps.
Doing this at scale
QuoteWeaver reads the buyer's free-text request, parses it into line items, and matches each one to a real catalog SKU with a confidence score. It prices the quote against your B2B list, including volume breaks, MOQ and next-break upsells, then builds a Shopify draft order and a drafted reply. Low-confidence lines are flagged, and it never invents a SKU or a price. See QuoteWeaver.