Quote expiry dates: handle late acceptance and changed prices clearly
Write an exact acceptance deadline, distinguish it from delivery and payment dates, and use a clear renewal message when an offer has expired.
A useful expiry date tells the customer when to respond to an offer. It should not quietly change an already agreed job. Use fictional quote Q-118 below to separate an acceptance deadline, a delivery window and an invoice payment date.
Put the deadline where the customer can find it
Q-118 offers 20 printed signs at USD 18 each, a USD 360 total before any applicable tax or shipping. For this example, the offer is open through September 25, 2026 at 17:00 Europe/London local time. Specifying the time zone avoids relying on the reader's location.
Docuivo has a date-only Due / valid field, so enter September 25 there and put the time, zone and acceptance instruction in Terms. Its default text saying 30 days is editable; replace it when you choose a different deadline.
Quote Q-118 is open for acceptance until September 25, 2026 at 17:00, Europe/London local time. Please reply with Q-118 and the version date to confirm acceptance of the listed scope and terms. After that deadline, request written reconfirmation of price and availability before proceeding.
Keep three dates separate
These dates belong to different events. The delivery date does not extend the offer automatically, and the quote expiry does not become the invoice due date.
| Date or window | Purpose | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| September 25, 17:00 local time | Offer acceptance deadline | Correct quote and version |
| October 5–7 | Proposed delivery window | Only confirmed when actually agreed |
| October 20 | Example invoice deadline | Payment terms agreed separately |
A late reply needs an explicit next step
Assume no agreement was formed before expiry and the customer first replies on September 28. The supplier can still offer the same USD 360 price or propose a new offer if circumstances changed; record which one happens rather than leaving two apparently current files.
In this example the new proposal is USD 19 per sign: 20 × 19 = USD 380, USD 20 above the earlier offer. It is a proposal for approval, not an automatic charge. A quote that was already accepted, or other commitments between the parties, needs different treatment based on the actual agreement.
Subject: Updated offer replacing unaccepted quote Q-118 Thank you for your reply. The acceptance deadline on Q-118 has passed. Attached is Q-119 for the same 20-sign specification at USD 380.00, with [new acceptance deadline] and [proposed delivery window]. Please review and confirm the new proposal before work begins. The earlier USD 360.00 offer is retained in our records as expired, not treated as an accepted order.
Preserve the agreement, not just the latest PDF
Keep the sent quote, the customer's response, any changed scope and the final confirmation together. An uploaded signature image is not identity verification. Do not infer acceptance from someone merely opening a link.
New Zealand's Consumer Protection guidance explains the role of an accepted quote and agreed changes to scope. It illustrates why an expiry field is not a universal permission to increase an agreed price; check the law and contract applicable to your own transaction.
This guide provides general educational information and is not legal, accounting, tax or financial advice. Requirements vary by country, industry and transaction. See how Docuivo tests its tools and calculations.