Quick answer
When a quote expires before finance is approved, you have four options: ask the supplier for a written price hold, pay a refundable deposit to lock the price, let it lapse and re-quote, or speed up the finance side. Price each in dollars. A short extension request costs nothing, so try it first. A deposit only makes sense if it's refundable and the price rise you'd avoid is larger than the risk.
Key points
- Ask for a written price hold first. It costs nothing, and suppliers often say yes to a buyer with a clear finance timeline.
- Only pay a deposit if you know whether it's refundable if finance falls through.
- A lapsed quote isn't a disaster: compare the likely price move with the cost of rushing.
- ABS data shows building and construction output prices rising about 4.9% over the year to June 2026, so price drift on big jobs is real, but it varies by item.
- The fastest fix is usually on your side: have bank statements and the quote ready before you enquire.
The quote says valid until the 14th. Your finance won’t be sorted until the 20th. Nobody’s done anything wrong, but the calendar has put you in a corner, and “later” is about to cost real money. The good news: you have more moves than “pay up” or “lose the price”.
What are my options when the quote runs out first?
There are four, and they aren’t mutually exclusive.
| Option | What it costs | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Ask for a written price hold | Nothing | Almost always, as the first step |
| Pay a deposit to lock the price | Cash at risk if it isn’t refundable | The item is price-sensitive or scarce, and the terms are clear |
| Let it lapse and re-quote | The price movement, plus a few days | Prices are flat or falling, or you have other suppliers |
| Shorten the finance timeline | Your time up front | Always worth doing alongside the others |
Work through them in that order. The first is free, and the fourth makes all the others less necessary.
How do I ask a supplier to hold the price?
Ask early, in writing, with a date. Suppliers say yes far more often to “I’m confirming finance and will have an order to you by the 24th. Can you hold the price to the 24th?” than to a vague “can you give me a bit longer?”
Three things help:
- Give them a specific date and a reason. A finance timeline is a credible reason. Suppliers want the sale.
- Offer something small. A confirmed order date, a signed acceptance with a delivery date to follow, or a modest refundable deposit can tip the answer.
- Get the extension in writing. An email saying “price held at $X until [date]” is enough. A phone call isn’t.
If the supplier says no, you’ve lost nothing and learned how firm the price is.
Should I pay a deposit to hold the price?
A deposit is a trade: you put cash at risk in return for certainty about the price. Before you pay, get answers to two questions in writing:
- Is it refundable if my finance doesn’t proceed? If yes, the risk is small. If no, you’re betting the finance will land.
- What does the deposit actually lock in? The price, the delivery slot, or just a place in the queue?
Then do the sum. If the supplier is likely to lift the price by $2,400 and the deposit is $6,000 and refundable, paying it is cheap insurance. If it’s non-refundable and your finance isn’t yet confirmed, the maths looks very different.
One practical point: a deposit paid from your own cash reduces the amount you need to finance, which most lenders see as a plus. Just don’t drain the cash you need to run the business. If you want to see the effect, our cost of waiting calculator lets you put the price rise, the lost trade and the total finance cost side by side.
What if I just let the quote lapse?
Often that’s fine. Letting a quote lapse costs you the price difference between the old quote and the new one, plus a few days to get a fresh one. How big is that?
The Australian Bureau of Statistics tracks it. In its June 2026 Producer Price Indexes release, final demand prices rose 1.3% over the quarter and 3.6% over the year, and building construction output prices rose 4.9% over the year. The ABS linked the quarter’s lift to supply disruptions from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The September quarter figures are due on 30 October 2026.
Read those numbers carefully. They’re averages across the economy, not your supplier’s price list. But they show the size of the usual drift: over a 30-day window, general price movement is typically a small slice of the total. A supplier-specific list price rise, a new model year or a currency-driven import cost can be bigger, and that’s the thing to ask about.
Letting it lapse is usually fine when:
- the supplier hasn’t announced a price rise or new model;
- you’ve got a second quote that’s comparable;
- there’s no delivery slot or lead-time pressure;
- the item is a commodity rather than a scarce one.
It’s riskier when:
- there’s a published price increase date after your quote’s expiry (see supplier price increase notices);
- the item is imported and the delivery window is already tight (see supplier lead times);
- you’re up against a 30 June installation deadline.
Can a supplier change the price any time they like?
A quote is generally an offer that’s open for a set period. After the validity date, the supplier is entitled to re-price it. Before that date, the quote should hold, unless its own wording says prices may change.
That wording matters more than most owners realise. Since 9 November 2023, the ACCC’s reforms to the unfair contract terms regime mean that using an unfair term in a standard form contract with a small business can attract penalties, with each unfair term counted separately. The ACCC has flagged unilateral price-variation clauses as a typical risk: terms that let one side change the price with no notice and no way out for the other.
You qualify as a small business for this purpose if you employ fewer than 100 people or turned over less than $10 million in your last income year, according to ASIC. That covers most Loans Now readers.
What this means in practice: if a supplier’s contract says “prices may change without notice” and you’ve already signed, that clause may not be enforceable, but proving it is a legal exercise, not a quick fix. For a live deadline, it’s far cheaper to negotiate a written price hold than to argue about a term. If a clause worries you, raise it with a lawyer or the ACCC before you sign.
Why is finance usually the slow part, and what can I fix?
Most of the delay sits on the borrower’s side, and it’s fixable. A lender needs a clear picture of the business and of what’s being bought. business.gov.au lists what lenders usually ask for, including identification, financial reports and cash flow information. Typically that means:
- recent business bank statements;
- ID and ABN or ACN details;
- the supplier’s quote or tax invoice, showing the item, price and GST;
- a list of existing debts and any ATO position;
- property details, if you’re offering security.
Two details trip people up. First, a lender will want the quote to match what it’s funding: the make, model and price. If you change the specification after approval, the paperwork needs to change too. Second, lenders generally check the supplier’s details at settlement, so get the supplier’s ABN and the correct description on the paperwork from the start. Ask your lender what age of invoice they’ll accept, because that varies.
Do all of that before you enquire, and the finance side of the timeline shrinks. Our guide on working back from your deadline walks through the full sequence.
Illustrative example: a $60,000 machine and a 21-day gap
Illustrative only: invented figures and no real business.
A small fabrication workshop has a quote of $60,000 for a new press brake, valid for 14 days. The owner expects finance to take another three weeks because of a missing document and an accountant’s letter.
- Option A, lapse and re-quote. The supplier says the list price is rising 4% next month. Cost of waiting: $2,400, plus a week while the re-quote is issued.
- Option B, refundable deposit. A 10% deposit ($6,000) locks the price for 30 days and is refundable if finance isn’t approved. Cost: nothing, assuming the finance lands, and $6,000 of working cash is tied up for three weeks.
- Option C, extension request. The owner emails the supplier: confirmed order date, price held for 21 days. The supplier agrees. Cost: nothing.
Option C goes first, and it works. Had the supplier refused, the owner would have fallen back to B. Either way, the owner chases the missing documents at the same time, so the timeline shrinks from three weeks to about ten days. The result: price locked, no cash at risk, order placed on time.
When is letting the quote lapse the smarter call?
This site is a decision-making site, not a pressure site, so here’s the honest answer: sometimes you should walk.
- The price is likely to fall or hold. If a supplier is clearing stock or the market is soft, re-quoting could save you money.
- The quote was the only thing pushing you. If the deadline is the supplier’s, not yours, and the equipment isn’t earning anything yet, the urgency isn’t real. Our guide on when waiting is smarter covers that call.
- A better option has appeared. Another supplier, a newer model or a second-hand unit that fits.
- The deposit would be non-refundable and the finance isn’t certain. That’s a bet, not insurance.
If none of those apply and the cost of waiting, from price drift plus lost work, is larger than the cost of acting, move.
How do I check my own numbers?
Write down four figures: the price rise you could face, the deposit at risk, the profit the asset will earn each week once it’s running, and the total dollar cost of finance. If the weekly profit times the weeks of delay beats the risk you’re taking on, act now. If it doesn’t, you’ve bought yourself the right to wait.
Ready to line finance up with your quote?
If your quote is ticking down, the quickest way to find out where you stand is to have a real conversation about it. Our 60-second enquiry asks about the amount, what you’re buying and your timeline. Asking won’t touch your credit file, and we don’t send your details to a pile of lenders: one lending specialist reads your answers and calls you to talk it through, including whether your dates are realistic. Please fill the form in as accurately as you can, including the quote’s expiry date, so we can point you at the right option the first time.
Frequently asked questions
Can a supplier change the price after giving me a quote?
Usually yes once the quote has expired, and sometimes earlier if the quote says prices may change. A quote is generally an offer open for a set period, not a promise to hold the price indefinitely. Read the validity date and any wording about price changes, and ask for the hold in writing if you need one.
How long is a supplier quote normally valid?
There's no standard period. Many suppliers use 14 to 30 days, and quotes for materials or imported goods are often shorter because their costs move faster. The validity date is printed on the quote or in the supplier's terms. If it isn't, ask.
Should I pay a deposit to hold the price?
Only if you're clear on two things: whether the deposit is refundable if your finance doesn't go ahead, and whether the price rise you'd dodge is bigger than the amount you'd put at risk. Get the terms in writing before you pay.
Can a price variation clause in a supplier contract be unfair?
It can be. Under the unfair contract terms rules, a standard form contract with a small business can have a term struck out if it's unfair, and penalties for using unfair terms apply from 9 November 2023. A clause letting the supplier change the price at will, with no notice and no right for you to walk away, is the type regulators look at. Whether a particular clause is unfair is a question for a lawyer or the ACCC.
Will the lender accept a new quote if the first one expired?
Generally a lender wants a current quote or tax invoice from the supplier that matches what's being funded. If the figures change, tell your lending specialist straight away so the application can be updated, rather than at settlement.
Does enquiring about finance affect my credit score?
Not when you enquire with us. There's no credit check for the 60-second enquiry, and a credit check only comes up if you decide to go ahead.