Quotation Expiry Reminder
Reminds a customer their quote is about to run out.
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Dear Sir / Madam,
Our quotation [quote no.] for $ [amount] is valid until [date].
I am not chasing a decision — I would rather you took the time you need. But material prices have been moving, and after that date I would have to requote rather than simply extend, which may not be in your favour.
If you want the current price held while you decide, say so and I will see what I can do. If the project has gone quiet or gone elsewhere, tell me that too and I will close the file.
What is a Quotation Expiry Reminder?
A quotation expiry reminder tells a customer that the price they were given has a date on it and that date is approaching. It matters in both directions. It protects you, because a quote left open indefinitely holds your costs at last quarter's numbers. And it gives the customer a genuine reason to decide, which is far more effective than a fourth email asking whether they have had a chance to look at it.
Contractors, printers, fabricators and installers rely on these because their input costs move between quotation and acceptance. Freight forwarders and importers use them because currency and fuel surcharges shift weekly. Software resellers use them because vendor pricing and promotional discounts have fixed windows. Sales teams use them as a legitimate reason to reopen a stalled conversation without inventing urgency. The customer is usually not stalling deliberately; the quote is sitting behind three other things on somebody's desk, and a dated reminder moves it up the pile.
Whether an offer can be withdrawn before its stated expiry date, and what happens if the customer accepts one day late, are contract questions with different answers in different systems. Several common law jurisdictions allow an offer to be revoked before acceptance unless it has been held open for consideration; some civil law systems and the CISG treat an offer stated to be open for a fixed period as irrevocable during it. Consumer price display and advertising rules may also apply to what you quoted. State the expiry expressly in the original quotation and check your position before withdrawing early.
The reminder does not cancel the quotation by itself if the quotation never stated an expiry — where nothing was said, the question becomes what a reasonable period was, which is exactly the argument you do not want. It does not oblige you to honour the price up to the deadline if circumstances have already changed, though withdrawing early has its own consequences. It is not a contract, not an invoice and not a purchase order, and sending one does not reserve stock, capacity or a production slot unless you say so.
What to put in a Quotation Expiry Reminder
These are the details this template asks for. Anything left blank is marked in red on the preview so you can see what is still missing.
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Business name | For example: Barton Supply Co. |
| Your address | For example: Unit 7, Barton Road, Columbus, OH 43212 |
| Customer name | For example: Halliwell Interiors Inc. |
| Customer address | For example: 44 High Street, Columbus, OH 43215 |
| Quotation no. | For example: QTN/2026/0417 |
| Quoted value | For example: 425,000 |
| Quotation expires on | Free text |
| Signatory name optional | For example: K. Srinivasa Rao |
| Signatory designation optional | For example: Honorary Secretary |
| Issued to (full name) | For example: James Whitfield |
| Their address | For example: 588 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212 |
How to write a Quotation Expiry Reminder
Repeat the quote reference and the total
Lead with the quotation number, the date it was issued, the headline total and a one-line description of what it covers. The recipient may have several quotes from several suppliers open, and may not be the person who requested yours. Never make them open an attachment to work out which job you are chasing about — put the identifying information in the body of the message.
Give the exact expiry date
Write the date in full, and say what happens at that moment: ‘this quotation is valid until 30 April; after that date it lapses and any new order would be re-quoted at current prices.’ Vague phrasing such as ‘expiring soon’ does no work at all. If a time of day matters because of a supplier deadline behind yours, state that too.
Say what happens after the date
Be specific and honest. Re-quoting at current prices, losing a reserved production slot, or a vendor promotion ending are all real consequences worth naming. If the practical effect is that you would probably re-issue at a similar price but the lead time moves out by three weeks, say that. Customers can tell the difference between a real constraint and manufactured pressure, and the second one costs you credibility.
Name the one thing that changed
Where the deadline exists because of a cost driver, name it in a sentence: the steel price your supplier reviews monthly, the exchange rate on an imported component, a carrier's surcharge. One concrete reason makes the date credible. A generic line about market conditions makes it sound like a sales technique, which is precisely what you are trying to avoid.
Make acceptance take one step
Tell them exactly what to do: reply with a purchase order number, sign and return the attached acceptance page, or confirm by email that they accept quotation 1182. Remove every intermediate step you can. If a deposit is required to secure the price, say how much and how to pay it. Then give a direct number for the person who can answer questions the same day.
Common mistakes
- Sending the reminder on the day of expiry, which leaves no time for an internal approval that most organisations need at least a week for.
- Extending the deadline every time it passes, which teaches the customer that the date means nothing and removes any reason to decide.
- Not saying whether an expired quote is simply re-issued or re-priced upwards, so the customer assumes the former and treats the deadline as decorative.
- Sending it to the technical contact who requested the quote rather than the person holding the budget, so it never reaches anyone with authority to accept.
- Letting a quote lapse in silence and raising it only when the customer finally places the order, which forces a price conversation at the exact moment they had decided to buy.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a quotation be valid for?
Thirty days is a common default, but it should reflect how fast your own costs move. Where materials, currency or subcontractor rates change monthly, a shorter period is more honest than a long one you cannot hold. State the period on the quotation itself rather than deciding later, and say what the price depends on — quantity, specification, site conditions — so a change in those is not treated as a price rise.
How do I follow up on a quote without being pushy?
Follow up on something factual rather than on their decision. An approaching expiry date, a change in lead time, or a supplier price review all give you a reason to write that is about the quote rather than about pressure. Ask a question they can answer easily — whether the scope is still as quoted — instead of asking whether they have made up their mind.
What do I say when a quote expires?
Say it has lapsed, offer to re-quote, and ask whether anything about the requirement has changed. Do not pretend it is still live. If your costs have not moved, re-issuing at the same price with a new date is a straightforward gesture. If they have, this is the moment to explain why, before the customer has anchored on the old figure.
Can I withdraw a quotation before it expires?
Sometimes, and the answer depends on the governing law and on how the quotation was worded. Some systems let an offer be revoked before acceptance; others treat a fixed validity period as binding on the offeror. There may also be consumer or advertising rules on prices you have published. Check the position before withdrawing, and expect a commercial cost even where you are entitled to do it.
How many times should I follow up on a quote?
Two or three contacts spaced over the validity period is usually enough, each carrying new information rather than repeating the last one. After the expiry reminder, stop chasing and move to a periodic check-in instead. Repeated identical follow-ups train the recipient to ignore your name in their inbox, which costs you the next opportunity as well as this one.
This page explains general practice and is not legal advice. Requirements differ between countries and, in some cases, between states — check what applies where the document will be used.