Manufacturer terms of trade that match how you sell, supply and deliver

They help put the commercial rules in one place before issues arise. For manufacturers, that often means clarifying when an order is accepted, when payment is due, who carries risk in transit, what happens if goods are delayed or rejected, and how warranty or defect claims are handled. If your business works from quotes, purchase orders and invoices alone, important points can stay unclear or inconsistent. Proper terms of trade can help you assess and reduce risk, although they Your lawyer will explain the practical position and your options in plain English. if a dispute later turns on the facts.

The document often covers how orders are placed and accepted, pricing, deposits or credit terms, invoicing, payment timing, delivery responsibilities, when title or risk passes, inspection and rejection processes, warranties, limitations of liability, default rights, and termination. Depending on the manufacturing model, it may also address custom specifications, tooling, intellectual property, confidentiality, storage, or what happens if inputs or supply conditions change. The exact drafting depends on whether you produce standard goods, made-to-order items, or goods incorporating customer materials or designs.

Important details include whether you sell direct or through distributors, whether products are custom-made, how technical specifications are approved, whether you offer credit, and how delivery is arranged. It can also matter whether your customers provide designs, whether you retain ownership in tooling or materials, and whether after-sales support is part of the deal. If personal information is handled through customer accounts, portals or service records, the way your business collects, uses and shares information may also affect the drafting. Those practical details shape the contract more than the label alone.

A template may cover basic sale terms, but manufacturing businesses often need more than a simple supplier precedent. Generic wording can miss issues such as made-to-order production, specification changes, acceptance testing, delays caused by inputs, ownership of designs, or the point at which risk transfers. If the document does not match your actual sales and fulfilment process, it may create uncertainty rather than solve it. A tailored version is usually more useful where your supply chain, product design process or customer approval steps are a meaningful part of the deal.

Timing depends on the complexity of your sales model and the material we need to review. A straightforward set of terms for standard product sales will usually move faster than terms for custom manufacturing, staged delivery, or arrangements involving customer specifications and IP. Once we have your instructions and any existing documents, a lawyer can prepare the draft or review your current terms and raise any points that need decisions from you. The service covers the legal work on the document, but not implementation into ordering software or account systems.

Submit an enquiry on this page or click 'Get started'. One of our legal consultants will review it within 1 business day and get in touch to understand what you need.

Your consultant will then email you a fixed-fee quote setting out the cost, scope and timing. If you're happy with it, you can accept the quote and sign our engagement letter online.

Once you've accepted, one of our Australian-qualified lawyers will work with you to complete your project. They'll contact you by email or phone if they need anything.

Sprintlaw works on fixed-fee pricing wherever possible, so you can review the scope and cost before you decide whether to proceed. For the Manufacturer Terms Of Trade service, pricing starts from $900.00.

After you enquire, a legal consultant will confirm what is included, the expected timing and whether any extra work is needed before you engage us.

We work online, so we can help wherever you are in New Zealand. Our team works remotely, mainly from Australia.

Your work is done by our Australian-qualified lawyers, who hold Australian practising certificates and specialise in business law. None of them are New Zealand lawyers or hold a New Zealand practising certificate.

Sprintlaw NZ Limited is a legal consultancy, not a law firm, and is not regulated by the New Zealand Law Society. We don't act in court or tribunal matters, conveyancing (including leases and business sales) or other reserved areas of work. Communications with Sprintlaw are unlikely to be protected by legal professional privilege. We still keep everything confidential under our engagement letter.