Can a sourcing seller increase my contract price?
Check the existing contract's pricing and variation wording, ask the UK seller for evidence tied to the affected order, and confirm who can approve any change. Record the scope, effective date and agreed terms before updating purchasing instructions. Discuss the supporting factory evidence with Cambridge China Bridge.
Start with the existing contract
Gather the accepted quotation, order acknowledgement, purchase order, incorporated terms and previous amendments. Identify the contracting UK seller and check the governing-law wording. For the wider contract review, use UK seller supply terms. Keep the seller's explanation of factory costs separate from its explanation of the contractual basis for changing your price.
The Sale of Goods Act allows a sale price to be fixed by the contract, by an agreed method or by the parties' course of dealing. Ask the seller to identify which pricing basis it relies on. Check whether the request concerns an accepted order, an uncommitted reorder or work outside the agreed scope.
Test the clause against the request
Ask for the exact price-adjustment or variation clause. Check its trigger, calculation method, notice procedure, effective date and affected goods. Look for wording about currency, materials, freight or buyer-requested changes. Compare the request with each condition rather than accepting a general reference to rising costs.
Distinguish a claimed adjustment under existing terms from a proposal requiring your agreement. If the wording is absent, unclear or disputed, ask the seller to explain its position in writing and obtain advice on that contract before deciding about payment, cancellation or continued performance. Ask how production and delivery will be handled during the review.
Ask for an order-specific cost bridge
Request a reconciliation from the agreed price to the proposed price, showing each changed cost and its supporting document. Useful evidence includes dated factory quotations, material invoices, freight quotations and the exchange-rate basis used. Ask what changed after acceptance, which goods are affected and whether the claimed cost was already included.
Check that the evidence matches your specification, quantity, currency and delivery scope. Where source documents are confidential, ask for redacted extracts that retain enough detail to test the calculation. Use the quote comparison guide for matching scope and the landed-price guide for cost categories. Record unsupported items as unresolved.
Confirm who can approve the change
Identify your commercial approver and the seller's authorised contact. Ask each organisation to confirm who may agree the price change and which approval or signing procedure to use. Keep a technical approval, such as approving a replacement material, separate from approval of its price and delivery consequences.
Give purchasing, finance and operations a clear written status: under review, declined or approved with stated conditions. Ask staff to route revised invoices, order acknowledgements and payment requests to the approver. If supply is urgent, document the proposed interim arrangements and seek advice before taking a step whose contractual effect is uncertain.
Document the exact outcome
For an agreed change, prepare a dated amendment identifying the parties, original contract, affected orders, revised price, currency, VAT treatment and effective date. State whether it applies to existing goods, future orders or a temporary period. Record any review or reversal mechanism, payment changes and delivery consequences, and identify the specification and other terms that remain unchanged.
Use the agreement procedure specified in the contract and retain the approval record alongside the amendment and supporting evidence. Reconcile purchasing records and invoices to that outcome. If no agreement is reached, record the disputed points and each party's stated next steps. A useful review request asks for the contractual basis, cost reconciliation, affected scope and proposed amendment together.
Frequently asked questions
Can a UK sourcing seller increase an agreed price?
Check the agreed pricing basis and adjustment wording. Ask the seller to identify the clause and show how its conditions apply to your order. Obtain contract advice if that basis is disputed.
Does a factory price increase justify my seller's increase?
Ask for matching factory evidence and a reconciliation to your agreed price. Assess the cost explanation separately from the seller's claimed contractual basis.
Who should approve a contract price change?
Confirm the authorised approver on each side and the contract's agreement procedure. Keep technical approval separate from approval of price, payment and delivery changes.
What should a price-change agreement include?
Identify the contract, affected orders, revised price, currency, VAT treatment, effective date and any payment or delivery changes. Retain the amendment, approvals and supporting evidence together.