Learning how to contact a supplier for a price quote means sending a clear specification and requesting either a pro forma invoice or a formal RFQ response, per International Trade Administration and U.S. GSA guidance. The right document depends on the buyer's stage: a pro forma invoice supports import licensing and payment, an RFQ compares defined products, and an Invitation to Tender formalises larger procurement. BHD Group, through its BHD Chemical and BHD Sourcing divisions, responds to quote requests against the specific grade named — not a general category.
Knowing how to contact a supplier for a price quote starts with sending a clear specification — product, grade, quantity, packaging and delivery terms — through a Request for Quote (RFQ) or by asking directly for a pro forma invoice. According to the U.S. General Services Administration (undated), an RFQ is "a solicitation type used to obtain pricing information for clearly defined products or services." The supplier's response should let a buyer compare price, spec and delivery on equal terms before committing.
Who this guide is for
This page is written for four readers who each contact a supplier for different reasons. A procurement lead at a manufacturer needs a formal quote to route through internal approval. An import/export coordinator needs the paperwork that supports customs and payment. A technical buyer — a candle maker or cosmetics formulator — needs a quote tied to a specific grade. A smaller distributor or first-time buyer needs to understand the process before making contact at all. Each gets its own section below.
What a price quote actually is
A quote is not a marketing figure — it is a document with defined legal and administrative weight. The table below sets out the main document types a buyer will meet when they contact a supplier for a price quote.
| Document | What it is | Why a buyer checks it |
|---|---|---|
| Pro forma invoice | "A quote in an invoice format that may be required by the buyer to apply for an import license, contract for pre-shipment inspection, open a letter of credit or arrange for transfer of hard currency" (International Trade Administration, undated). | Needed before an import license, letter of credit or currency transfer can proceed. |
| Commercial invoice | Carries the pro forma information plus, often, the Harmonized System (HS) code (International Trade Administration, undated). | The HS code can speed up export clearance. |
| Request for Quote (RFQ) | "A solicitation type used to obtain pricing information for clearly defined products or services" (U.S. GSA, undated). | Lets a buyer compare suppliers against one fixed specification. |
| Invitation to Tender (ITT) | Sent with a detailed specification, documentation and clear timescales (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, undated). | Formalises evaluation criteria for larger or public procurement. |
How to contact a supplier for a price quote
The mechanics are the same across industries: define the specification, send it to the supplier, and ask for either a pro forma invoice or a formal RFQ response.
For a procurement lead: routing a formal RFQ
Send the supplier your requirements document — product, grade, volume, Incoterm and delivery window — and ask for a written response. As the GSA (undated) notes, an RFQ is typically used to meet business needs already listed in a requirements document, so the more complete that document is, the more comparable the quotes that come back.
For an import/export coordinator: getting the right paperwork
Ask for a pro forma invoice first. Per International Trade Administration (undated), it contains a description of goods — quantity, price, weight, kind and other specifications — and stands as the seller's declaration to supply at a stated date and price. Once terms are agreed, request the commercial invoice, which can add the HS code and shorten customs clearance (International Trade Administration, undated).
For a technical buyer: quoting against a grade, not a category
Name the exact grade in your first message — paraffin HP3, M3 or UL2; PJ 'Ultra Snow White' (BP-2017, 0.5Y); bitumen 60/70; or the specific N-series carbon black. A quote against "wax" or "chemical" cannot be compared meaningfully; a quote against a named grade can.
Contacting suppliers across regions and channels
The process does not change much by geography or channel, but the paperwork does. A buyer working out how to contact a supplier for a price quote in usa will usually need a commercial invoice with an HS code for customs; a buyer working through how to contact a supplier for a price quote in india will often need the pro forma invoice first, to support an import license or letter of credit. Buyers used to a listing-driven flow — how to contact a supplier for a price quote on amazon, or how to contact a supplier for a price quote on ebay — should expect industrial suppliers to require more detail than a marketplace checkout does: grade, volume and Incoterms, not just an order button. For bulk industrial goods, learning how to contact a supplier for a price quote online generally means starting with a written specification by email, not a live chat.
RFQ, tender and non-binding quote: how they compare
Not every quote request carries the same weight. The comparison below is drawn from the evidence pack.
- RFQ: used for clearly defined products or services against a requirements document (GSA, undated).
- Invitation to Tender (ITT): sent to selected suppliers with a detailed specification, documentation and timescales (CIPS, undated); under ISO 10845-3:2021, standard conditions of tender set out what a tenderer must do to submit a compliant tender and how it will be evaluated.
- Non-binding Request for Quote (NRQ): a lighter-weight process; British Columbia's government created its NRQ process to make it easier for vendors to do business with it (Government of British Columbia, 2023).
- Standardised template RFQ: some buyers, such as the United Nations Development Programme (undated), publish a fixed RFQ template so every response is structured the same way.
A quote's legal effect also depends on the buyer's own rules: under FAR Part 13 (2026), section 13.004 addresses the "Legal effect of quotations" specifically, because a quote is not automatically a binding offer.
What to check before you order
- The exact grade named, not a category — e.g. bitumen 60/70, not "bitumen"
- Whether the quote is a pro forma invoice, an RFQ response, or a non-binding estimate
- Quantity, packaging and weight stated in the document
- Delivery terms (Incoterm) and date
- Whether an HS code is included or will be added at commercial invoice stage
- Payment terms and whether a letter of credit is required
- Whether the quote has a validity window before price is subject to change
- Who at the supplier is accountable for the order once confirmed
Where these materials are actually used
Candles: paraffin and slack wax
The waxes family is used to make pillar candles. Buyers working in economy or utility candles, grave, church and mourning candles, or container candles typically request quotes against a named paraffin grade or slack-wax blending stock, rather than a generic "wax" spec.
Cosmetics and personal care
The waxes family is also used to make cosmetic creams and balms. A quote request here should name the specific grade and its intended formulation role, since different wax grades behave differently in a cream or balm base.
Tyres and rubber
Carbon black and rubber process oils are both used to make vehicle tyres. A tyre-compound buyer should quote against a named N-series carbon black grade or a named rubber process oil, alongside anti-ozonant and base oil requirements such as base oil SN 500 where relevant.
Packaging film
The polymers family is used to make packaging film. A packaging buyer's RFQ should specify the polymer grade, film application and required volume.
Detergents and fertiliser
The industrial chemicals family is used to make soap and detergent, and separately to make granular fertiliser spread on cropland. These are two distinct buyer groups and should not be quoted together — a detergents buyer and an agriculture buyer need different specification sheets.
Quick facts
- A pro forma invoice is a quote in invoice format, often required for import licenses, pre-shipment inspection, letters of credit or currency transfer (International Trade Administration).
- A commercial invoice can add an HS code, which may speed customs clearance (International Trade Administration).
- An RFQ is used to obtain pricing on clearly defined products against a requirements document (U.S. GSA).
- ISO 10845-3:2021 sets standard conditions of tender, including how compliance and evaluation criteria are communicated (ISO).
- FAR Part 13 section 13.004 addresses the legal effect of a quotation directly (U.S. GSA/Acquisition.gov).
Working with BHD Group
BHD Group operates two divisions, BHD Chemical and BHD Sourcing, one accountable house behind both. When you contact a supplier for a price quote from BHD Group, expect a response built around the specification you send — grade, volume, Incoterm and paperwork — rather than a broker's vague range. Send the exact grade, from paraffin wax and petroleum jelly through to bitumen 60/70, carbon black and rubber process oils, and the quote that comes back will match it.
Sources
- International Trade Administration — Pro Forma Invoice, https://www.trade.gov/pro-forma-invoice
- International Trade Administration — Common Export Documents, https://www.trade.gov/common-export-documents
- International Trade Administration — Commercial Invoice, https://www.trade.gov/commercial-invoice
- U.S. General Services Administration (Acquisition.gov) — FAR Part 13, https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-13
- U.S. General Services Administration (BUY.GSA.GOV) — Learn about: Request for Quote (RFQ), https://buy.gsa.gov/rfq
- International Organization for Standardization — ISO 10845-3:2021, https://www.iso.org/standard/81170.html
- United Nations Development Programme — Request for Quotation (RFQ), https://popp.undp.org/document/request-quotation-rfq
- Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply — The Tender Process, https://www.cips.org/intelligence-hub/quality-measurement/tender-process
- Government of British Columbia — Non-binding Request for Quote: Guidance & Training, https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/bc-procurement-resources/procurement-training-resources/non-binding_request_for_quote_guidance__training_dec42023.pdf
Frequently asked questions
What is how to contact a supplier for a price quote?
It is the process of sending a supplier a clear product specification and requesting a priced response, usually in the form of a pro forma invoice or a Request for Quote (RFQ). A pro forma invoice is, per the International Trade Administration, a quote in invoice format that may be required to apply for an import license, arrange a letter of credit or transfer currency. An RFQ, per the U.S. General Services Administration, is a solicitation type used to obtain pricing on clearly defined products or services.
How does how to contact a supplier for a price quote work?
A buyer defines the specification — product, grade, quantity, packaging and delivery terms — and sends it to the supplier, asking for a pro forma invoice or RFQ response. The International Trade Administration notes a pro forma invoice includes a description of goods and stands as the seller's declaration to supply at a stated date and price. Once terms are agreed, a commercial invoice follows, which can add an HS code to speed customs clearance.
What are the benefits of how to contact a supplier for a price quote?
A written quote lets a buyer compare suppliers on equal terms, supports import licensing, letters of credit and customs clearance, and gives a documented basis for the order. Under FAR Part 13, section 13.004 addresses the legal effect of a quotation directly, so knowing which document type you have — pro forma invoice, RFQ, or non-binding estimate — clarifies what the supplier is actually committing to before you order.
Why buyers work with BHD Group
Two divisions operate under a single accountable house. There is no handoff between a trading desk and a sourcing desk that leaves a buyer chasing an answer — one team owns the order from enquiry to delivery.
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