# Which delivery and cost fields must be explicit before comparing a quote?

Record the named delivery rule, edition and place with the quote, and ask which cost lines are included. Keep the allocation of delivery obligations and risk separate from a headline unit price. Missing freight, duties, taxes or other charges remain unknown until evidenced. This checklist improves questions and comparability; it is not a landed-cost quotation, a customs determination or a promise that a sourcing service handles shipment.

Materially updated: 2026-10-16

## When to use this checklist

Use this when quoted prices have different delivery terms or missing cost lines. Record the named rule, edition and place, then identify freight, insurance, tax or other amounts still needed for a comparable basis.

Editorial decision aid: this does not obtain quotations, contact suppliers or approve product conformity.

## Minimum buyer brief

Quoted rule/edition/place; included/excluded lines; price validity; remaining document owner.

| Field | Buyer input | Evidence check | Reject or unknown |
|---|---|---|---|
| named delivery rule and edition | Record the actual quoted rule and edition verbatim. | Use the named ICC rule to understand scope, without inventing terms. | A wholesale listing is not automaticallyEXW/FOB/DDP. |
| named place/point | Keep the actual named delivery location or UNKNOWN. | Two identical rule abbreviations can still name different points. | No unspecified location is assumed equivalent. |
| included cost lines | Record explicitly included and excluded charges. | Ask which party supplies missing freight/tax/duty evidence. | Missing charges are not zero. |
| risk/delivery allocation | Keep obligations and risk allocation distinct from price. | Use the actual quoted rule and professional confirmation where needed. | Do not infer legal or customs compliance from a rule. |
| currency/validity | Retain quoted currency, validity and quantity basis. | Resolve stale or differently based prices before comparison. | No live conversion or quote validity is fabricated. |
| excluded unknowns | List every unresolved cost or document owner. | A complete landed-cost answer requires actual scoped inputs. | No landed-price promise while required inputs are missing. |

## Exclude or resolve

Reject a low listing as EXW/FOB/DDP without explicit term; absent duties/freight are not zero; no local import legality conclusions.

## Questions to copy into a supplier enquiry

What named place and edition apply? Which charges are included or excluded? Who will provide missing cost and destination-specific evidence?

## Evidence and price basis

BUYER_STATED is explicit buyer input; SOURCE_OBSERVED is a dated source; DERIVED is labeled interpretation. OBSERVED does not mean SUPPLIER_CONFIRMED. Missing facts remain UNKNOWN; TO_CONFIRM describes the next question. Preserve currency, unit, quantity tier, SKU and date; a listing is not a supplier-confirmed quote. Never infer stock, MOQ waivers or certification.

## References and limits

- [ICC Incoterms2020 overview](https://iccwbo.org/business-solutions/incoterms-rules/incoterms-2020/): Allocation of delivery obligations/costs/risk under named rules; no duty, tax, freight price or legal compliance determination.
- [Current free discovery and v4 public resource](https://api.seekapi.ai/mcp): Runtime mode admission and same public sample only; no new purchase or supplier facts.

## Continue

[Parent sourcing library](/sourcing) · [Related category](/china-supply-check/listing-price-vs-quote) · [Human: review a free image brief](/china-supply-check#image-supply-check) · [Agent: free discovery and preparation](/for-agents#china-supply-check-mcp) · [Runnable free SDK examples](/for-agents#free-quickstart) · [Public sample](/china-supply-check/sample)

Preparation does not purchase or contact suppliers. Image Stripe USD 2.99 and text/model x402 2.99 USDC are separate paid routes; image x402 and text/model Stripe are OFF in the dated observation. Check live admission. The proposed $19.90 RFQ service is not open for purchase.