TIANQIUWhat Should a Battery RFQ Include?
Everything a factory needs to price your order — and nothing you have to guess at. The checklist below is the one our sales team works from, from the first email to the container.
Reply times are working days (Mon–Fri, excluding Chinese public holidays).
What information do you need to quote a battery order?
Fifteen details move a battery order from an enquiry to a firm quotation, and they fall into five groups: the product itself, your brand and packaging, the quantity, the market you ship to, and the commercial terms. Send the ones you already know — a partial brief still gets you a written spec sheet and a unit price.
The product
| What we need | Why it changes the price or the schedule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| The cell, the model or the device | Decides the chemistry, the voltage and which grade we quote | e.g. AA (LR6) alkaline, or the markings on the old cell |
| What the cell powers | Tells us the load, so the grade matches the job | e.g. smoke alarm, toy, retail multipack |
| Target capacity or runtime | We quote the grade that meets it | e.g. 2,400mAh, or 45 hours in a digital audio test |
Your brand and the pack
| What we need | Why it changes the price or the schedule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Logo and artwork, or your dieline | We print the cell and the packaging to your design | cell print, blister card, box, display tray |
| Pack format and cells per pack | Changes the packing line, the carton and the unit price | 4-piece blister card, 10-piece pack, bulk carton |
| Barcode numbers (EAN / UPC) | Required for retail listing | one code per pack size you sell |
| Languages printed on the pack | Printed in the same plant as the cells | e.g. English and Arabic, French and Dutch |
Quantity
| What we need | Why it changes the price or the schedule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity per model | Sets the price band | e.g. 50,000 pcs, or 50 cartons |
| Annual or repeat volume | Prices are tiered by quantity | pcs per year, if you can share it |
| Mixed SKUs in one carton | Possible for retail programmes | yes or no |
Market and shipping
| What we need | Why it changes the price or the schedule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Destination country, port or door | FOB, CIF and DDP quotations need the port or the address | e.g. FOB Ningbo, or DDP to your warehouse |
| The compliance your market requires | Decides which document set travels with the goods | e.g. EU declaration of conformity, MSDS |
| Shipping method | Air and sea freight need the MSDS; lithium cells also need the UN38.3 summary | air freight, sea freight, courier |
Commercial
| What we need | Why it changes the price or the schedule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Target in-market date | Sets the production slot and the artwork deadline | e.g. on the shelf by March |
| Payment method and terms | Agreed per order and written into the order confirmation | deposit and balance, agreed per order |
| Anything you already have | A drawing or a sample gets you a faster, closer quote | drawing, old cell, existing spec sheet |
What do I need to send to start today?
Four items are enough for a first quotation: the cell or the device, the quantity per model, the market you sell in, and the pack format you want. Our enquiry form asks for exactly those, plus anything else you want us to know. The remaining details can be settled while the quotation is in progress.
- The cell or the device — an IEC or ANSI model (LR6, AA, CR2032), the device it goes into, or the markings on the old cell.
- Quantity per model — pieces or cartons, and your annual or repeat volume if you know it.
- Market — the country you sell in, and the port or door address if you want a landed-cost term such as CIF or DDP.
- Pack format — bulk carton, blister card, printed box or display, and your brand on the cell, the pack or both.
Sending a drawing, a photograph or a physical sample gets you a closer quote faster — we quote from a drawing just as fast as from a model number. A sample also settles worn markings and unknown models, which is common on older devices and imported goods.
What order quantity should I ask to be quoted?
First orders start from 50 cartons per product line, counted per line rather than per model, and mixed-SKU cartons are possible for retail programmes. Below that we can still quote, but the price reflects a shorter production run. Give us the combination you need and the quotation confirms it.
| Order shape | What we can do | Effect on the quotation |
|---|---|---|
| First order from 50 cartons | Counted by product line — button cells, alkaline cells and printed packaging all share this starting point | Standard price band for the models quoted |
| Mixed-SKU cartons | Available for retail programmes that need several models in one shipment | Tell us the mix; the packing list and the price follow it |
| Annual or repeat volume | Prices are tiered by quantity | A higher annual volume moves the order into a better price band |
| Below the minimum | We can still quote | The price reflects a shorter production run |
You can brief us in pieces or in cartons — whichever your planning uses. If you work in pieces and we quote in cartons, the quotation states the cell and the pack format it is based on, so the two always match up.
How is a battery price built, and which Incoterm should I ask for?
Six things move a quoted price: the chemistry and the grade, the quantity, the pack format and the artwork, the destination and delivery term, the documentation the market requires, and how firm the schedule is. We quote against the information you send, and every quotation states its own validity.
| What you choose | What it changes |
|---|---|
| Chemistry and grade | Alkaline cells come in several grades with different capacities; heavier-duty grades cost more and run longer |
| Quantity per model | Prices are tiered by quantity, so the same cell in a larger annual volume sits in a better band |
| Pack format and artwork | Blister cards, printed boxes and displays add printing and packing steps; bulk cartons do not |
| Incoterm | EXW, FOB, CIF and DDP place the freight, insurance and destination costs in different places, so the same goods quote differently |
| Documents | Declaration numbers, test summaries and certifications for a specific market are part of the quoted scope |
| Schedule | A fixed in-market date can change the production slot and the shipping method |
How fast will I get a quote, and how long until production?
We reply with a written spec sheet and a unit price within 24 hours on working days. Samples are built after you sign off the written specification, usually in 1-2 weeks — custom cells or packs take longer. Production starts once the order is confirmed and, where the order carries your artwork, once the proof is approved.
| Step | What you get | Typical timing |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Your brief | Nothing needed from you beyond the four items above | — |
| 2. Quotation | A written spec sheet and a unit price, with the specification the price is based on | Within 24 hours on working days |
| 3. Sample | Cells built to the signed specification, brand printed on cell or pack | Usually 1-2 weeks after sign-off |
| 4. Artwork proof | A proof of the printed packaging for your approval | Before production starts |
| 5. Production | The run on our own lines, with final testing | Scheduled in the order confirmation |
| 6. Handover | Goods and document set handed to your forwarder | Per the order confirmation; transit depends on the method |
The schedule in the order confirmation covers production and the handover to the forwarder. Transit time depends on the shipping method and the destination, and is confirmed with the shipping documents. If a fixed in-market date matters more than the price, say so in the first email — it changes what we recommend.
Which certificates and documents come with a first order?
Every shipment travels with the paperwork your customs broker and your compliance file need: a commercial invoice and packing list, an EU declaration of conformity referencing EU Regulation 2023/1542 and the IEC 60086 series, and the MSDS for the chemistry shipped. Lithium cells also need the UN38.3 transport summary.
| Document | When it applies |
|---|---|
| Commercial invoice and packing list | Every shipment |
| EU declaration of conformity | Referencing EU Regulation 2023/1542 and the IEC 60086 series, with a declaration number per model |
| MSDS | The material safety data sheet for the chemistry shipped; air and sea freight always need it |
| UN38.3 transport summary | Required for air and sea freight of lithium cells — alkaline and silver-oxide cells are non-dangerous goods and have no UN38.3 report |
| UL documentation | Per product line, where the line is covered |
What do you need to print my brand on the cells and the packaging?
Send your logo in vector form, the artwork or dieline for the pack you want, your barcode numbers and the languages that must appear on it. You specify the brand and the packaging; we print to your approved design in the same plant that makes the cells, and you approve a proof before production.
| You send | We do |
|---|---|
| Logo in vector form (AI, EPS, SVG or PDF) | Print it on the cell, the blister card, the box — or all three |
| Artwork or dieline for the pack, or a competitor sample to match | Lay out the pack to your dieline and send a proof for approval |
| Barcode numbers (EAN / UPC) per pack size | Print the codes as supplied, in the position your market requires |
| The languages that must appear on the pack | Print them in the same production run as the cells |
| Cell print layout, if you have one | Print the cell to that layout; if not, we print your brand and the model designation |
You do not need a print-ready file to start. Many buyers send a logo and a photograph of the pack they want matched, and we work the dieline out with you before anything is printed. Formats we produce include blister cards, printed boxes, shrink packs, strips, display boxes and bulk cartons.
What payment and order terms should I expect on a first order?
Payment terms are agreed per order and written into the order confirmation, together with the currency and the bank details. New customers usually start with a deposit and the balance before shipment, and repeat orders can be arranged on terms that suit your cash flow. Each sale is governed by its own order confirmation.
- Quotation validity — each quotation states its own validity; if the quantity, the packaging or the market changes, ask for a revised quotation rather than reusing the old price.
- Currency and bank details — written into the order confirmation. We do not accept changes to bank details by email: always confirm with your usual contact before transferring.
- Order confirmation — states the model, quantity, packaging, price, trade term and schedule. Where it differs from a page on this site, the order confirmation applies.
- Artwork changes — production starts after the proof is approved, so late artwork changes move the schedule.
What do buyers ask before sending a battery RFQ?
The six questions below are the ones that arrive with a first enquiry, from the minimum information a quotation needs to carton figures and quoting from a drawing. All six answers are also published as structured data on this page, so search engines and AI assistants can quote them directly.
What is the minimum information needed for a battery quotation?
What is the minimum order quantity?
Can you quote FOB prices at 50,000, 100,000 and 500,000 pieces?
How fast will I get a quote, and how fast a sample?
How many pieces are in a carton, and what does it weigh?
Can you quote from a drawing or an existing cell?
How do I send my requirements?
Tell us the cell or the device, the quantity per model, your market and how you want the batteries packed. We reply with a written spec sheet, a unit price and a timeline within 24 hours on working days. You do not need every item on the checklist to get started — the four required fields are enough.