How to write an RFQ for custom drinkware that gets an accurate quote the first time
Most slow quotations are not slow because the factory is busy. They are slow because the first email was missing three answers, and each one takes a round of messages to collect.
Why the first message decides the speed
A price for custom drinkware is built from the product, the decoration, the packing and the delivery terms. If any of those is open, the factory either asks and waits, or guesses and quotes a range you cannot compare with anyone else.
An enquiry with incomplete information normally needs a round of questions before it can be quoted, and that pushes the price back. Everything below can be answered in one message, even if some answers are 'not decided yet — please suggest'.
The checklist
| Item | What to write | Why it changes the price |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Product | A reference model from our site, a photo, or a drawing | Existing mould or new mould is the biggest single difference |
| 2. Capacity | In ml, and whether brimful or to a fill line | Decides the mould, the resin weight and the carton |
| 3. Material | PP, Tritan, PC, PE, stainless steel — or 'please advise' | Resin price and cycle time differ a lot between materials |
| 4. Quantity | Per model and per colour, and your yearly forecast if you have one | Sets whether a mixed or single-colour run is possible |
| 5. Colours | Pantone numbers from a printed guide, or a physical sample | A special colour may need its own masterbatch |
| 6. Logo and print | Vector artwork (AI, PDF), method if known, number of colours and positions | Each print colour and position is a set-up |
| 7. Packing | Bulk, OPP bag, colour box or gift box; your own artwork or ours | Packing can be a large share of the unit cost on small items |
| 8. Destination | Country and port, and whether you want FOB or delivered pricing | Changes what is included in the number we send |
| 9. Timing | The date the goods must arrive, not the date you want a quote | Tells us whether a new mould fits the schedule at all |
What you can leave open
You do not need a finished specification to ask for a price. Three things are fine to leave to the factory, as long as you say so:
- Material, if you describe the use — hot drinks, gym, children, dishwasher.
- Print method, if you send the artwork and say where it goes.
- Packing, if you tell us how the product will be sold — online, retail shelf or promotional giveaway.
What you should not leave open is quantity and destination. Without them any number we send is a guess.
A template you can copy
Paste this into your email or the message box on our contact page and fill in what you know:
- Product / reference: …
- Capacity (ml): …
- Material: … (or: please advise — used for …)
- Quantity per model / per colour: …
- Colours (Pantone): …
- Logo: method …, colours …, positions … (artwork attached)
- Packing: …
- Destination port and terms (FOB / delivered): …
- Required arrival date: …
Our enquiry form asks for most of these directly — buyer type, product category, quantity, whether a new mould is needed and which customisations you want — so the message box only needs the rest.
What happens after you send it
We check whether the product runs on an existing mould or needs a new one, confirm materials and decoration, and come back with the price, the minimum order, a sample plan and a realistic timeline. If something is missing we ask for it in one list rather than one question at a time.
If the product needs new tooling, the quotation will separate the mould cost from the unit price. For how those two numbers interact, see our article on MOQ and tooling cost.