Conditional Acceptance

In one sentence

An acceptance that adds new terms or conditions, which may be treated as a rejection and counter-offer.

Plain English

A conditional acceptance happens when someone says yes to an offer but adds new terms or conditions to it. For example, if a seller offers to sell a car for $10,000 and the buyer says 'I accept, but only if you include new tires,' that's conditional acceptance. Under the law, a conditional acceptance often acts like a rejection of the original offer and creates a new counter-offer instead. The original offeror can then accept or reject this new proposal.

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Example

A landlord offers to rent an apartment for $1,200 per month. A tenant responds, 'I accept, but only if you allow pets and cover utilities.' This conditional acceptance is treated as a rejection of the original offer and a new counter-offer. The landlord can accept the tenant's new terms or reject them.

Used in a sentence

“The buyer's conditional acceptance, which required the seller to include a warranty, was treated as a counter-offer.”

Related terms

Acceptance

Agreeing to the exact terms of an offer, creating a binding contract.

Offer

A proposal to enter into a binding agreement on specific terms.

Rejection of Offer

A clear refusal to accept an offer, which ends the offer's power to create a contract.

Modification

A change to a contract made by the parties after it's already in effect.

UCC

The Uniform Commercial Code; a set of standardized laws governing sales of goods and commercial transactions.

Consideration

Something of value exchanged by each party to make a contract binding.

Offeror

The person who makes an offer to enter into a contract.

Offeree

The person who receives an offer and has the power to accept or reject it.

This page is a plain-English reference and is not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change over time. For specific situations consult a licensed attorney.