Call-off order

A call-off order instructs a supplier to deliver a quantity under an existing purchasing agreement. It typically states the required delivery date and location, while prices and other commercial terms come from the underlying contract.

Call-offs are used when supply terms have already been agreed but the buyer needs flexibility over deliveries. They should identify the parent agreement, item, quantity and required date. A call-off may release goods from stock held by the supplier or instruct production, depending on how the arrangement was set up.

For example, a shop can call off 20 cases each week under a six-month supply agreement. This avoids negotiating a new price each time while giving the supplier a clear dispatch instruction. Unlike a general forecast, the call-off normally represents a specific order to supply.