A supplier price increase is not governed by trade custom or by the quote you remember. It is governed by the price-change machinery in the contract: whether prices are fixed for a term, how much notice an increase needs, whether an index or a cap applies, and which orders the new price reaches. Where the contract is silent, that silence — not the announcement — is the problem, fixed at renewal. Your signed text is the only authority on your position.
Key Takeaways
- A price increase is decided by clause forms — fixed term, notice, indexation, cap, cut-off — not by the announcement alone.
- No index, cap or notice period is “standard”; an unnamed form is an unagreed form.
- The cut-off event decides which pipeline orders an increase reaches.
- Test every notice against the signed text in writing, and close silent clauses at renewal.
The Clause Forms That Decide an Increase
Contracts handle increases through a small set of forms, each deciding one question.
| Clause form | What it decides | The ambiguity to close before signing |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed-price term | Whether any increase can apply at all during the term | Does “fixed” cover every configuration you buy, or only SKUs named in a schedule? |
| Notice period | How far ahead an increase must be announced | Notice to whom, in what form, counted from when — receipt, sending, or an anniversary? |
| Indexation | Whether prices track a published measure rather than announcements | Which measure, which base date, how often applied. No index is “standard” — unnamed means unagreed. |
| Cap or collar | The most an increase can be within a period | Per increase, per year, or per term — and does an unused portion carry forward? |
| Order cut-off | Which price applies to orders already in the pipeline | Which event locks the price: order placed, deposit paid, production started, or goods shipped? |
| Quote validity and re-quote rights | Whether an unaccepted quote can be withdrawn or repriced | Is validity stated on the quote, and what counts as acceptance — the quote, the pro-forma, or the signed order? |
When the Contract Is Silent
Silence does not freeze prices; it removes the machinery. Without a fixed term or a cut-off clause, each new order is a new offer at the price then quoted, and an increase is a negotiation rather than a breach. The forms above are cheap to agree before signing, and expensive to retrofit after an announcement. This article is a reading map, not legal advice — have your own adviser review price clauses against your jurisdiction and volumes, as you would the payment terms beside them.
Reading a Price-Increase Notice
When a notice arrives, test it against the signed text in this order:
- Find the clause it relies on. An increase the forms do not permit is a request, not an entitlement; ask the supplier to cite the clause.
- Check the notice arithmetic. Right party, agreed form, and the full period the clause requires before the effective date?
- Check which orders it claims to reach. Compare its reach with the cut-off clause — the locking event decides.
- Recompute it if indexed or capped. Work from the named measure, base date and the cap’s period. Errors here are usually clerical.
- Reply in writing before the effective date. Silence can be treated as acceptance under some forms. A short written position preserves yours.
Price Terms When You Buy From EVDANCE
EVDANCE is a Shenzhen manufacturer founded in 2011, exporting to 30+ countries, with private label from 100 units and a 3-year standard warranty. Its prices are written quotes, and price-change treatment lives in the quote and contract behind it — no general policy is published, and none should be assumed. When you contract — through the reseller and distributor programme, the OEM programme or contact us — ask for the price-change clause in writing: fixed term, notice period and cut-off event decide every future increase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a supplier raise the price on an order I have already placed?
Only as the cut-off clause allows. If the locking event is order placement, a placed order carries its price; if it is shipment, it may not. The answer is in your signed text, not in the notice.
Is indexation standard in EV charger supply contracts?
No standard exists to assume. Indexation is one form among several — fixed terms, announced increases with notice, caps — and applies only where a contract names measure, base date and frequency.
My contract has no price clause at all. What can I do now?
Current orders stand on their quoted terms. Treat the gap as a renewal item: agree the fixed term, notice, cap and cut-off forms from the table, with your adviser’s review. Missing in a first contract is normal; missing in the second is avoidable.
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