Sourcing DeskWhat a DAP Price Includes: A Delivery-Point Worksheet for Arrival, Unloading and Import
What a DAP price points to
A DAP price hangs on one detail: the named place written into your contract. In simple terms, the quote is not a promise that every cost is covered until you are fully operational. It is a boundary line set by the named place, and under the International Chamber of Commerce, Incoterms 2020 rules, that named place is where the rule allocates delivery, carriage, risk and cost for the parties. Those rules deal with that allocation only; they do not validate supplier capability, confirm product quality, prove payment terms, or act as any kind of certificate.
Because the allocation depends on the specific rule and the named place, a DAP quote cannot be read in isolation. The most useful thing you can do is split the delivery moment into arrival, unloading and import questions.
Why the named place decides your real landed cost
The quoted named place is the fact that decides which side pays for what at the end of the journey. If the named place is only a city, a terminal or a port, then anything that happens after the goods arrive there is a separate commercial question, not something you can safely assume is bundled in. The same rule can still leave different amounts on your side, which is why you should test the named place rather than the rule label alone.
Incoterms 2020 covers delivery, carriage, risk and cost allocation. It does not tell you whether a supplier is reliable, whether goods meet your specification, or how you will pay. A screening result, a worksheet or any Incoterms label should never be treated as certification. Incoterms do not prove quality or payment terms. Treat the rule as a boundary description and everything else as something you still have to agree in writing.
The delivery-point worksheet
Copy the worksheet below into your sourcing notes, then fill one row at a time from the actual quote and the named place. Where the answer is “not stated”, treat that as a request to send back to the supplier rather than an assumption that it is included.
| Stage | Question to answer before accepting the price | Where to confirm | Your note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arrival | Exact named place: copy the wording and any address detail from the quote | Quote / contract | |
| Arrival | Carriage: does the seller’s price include carriage to that named place? | Quote / Incoterms 2020 allocation | |
| Arrival | Risk moment: at what point does the arrival condition change hands at the named place? | Contract wording | |
| Unloading | Unloading: is unloading from the arriving vehicle inside the DAP price, or a separate local charge? | Quote / local agent | |
| Unloading | Equipment and labour: who provides and pays for lifting gear or crew at the named place? | Quote / site note | |
| Unloading | Onward move: if the named place is a terminal or curb, what moves goods to final storage? | Quote / your plan | |
| Import | Import clearance: which party handles import customs formalities in the destination? | Contract / broker | |
| Import | Duties and taxes: does the price include duties, taxes, or broker fees? | Quote / broker | |
| Import | Importer of record: who carries that role for this shipment? | Contract / broker | |
| Import | Documents: which documents must the seller provide, and which do you need first? | Quote / checklist |
Example of how to use it (hypothetical): if a quote says only “DAP” plus a place name, every row you cannot mark as included becomes a clarification request, not an assumption.
How to read the answers
Work through the table and mark each row as included, excluded or not stated. Any row marked “not stated” is exposure you have not yet priced. Import rows in particular often sit outside the seller’s delivery obligation, so they are a common place for surprise charges to appear; confirm them with your broker or legal adviser, because this worksheet is an editorial aid and not legal, customs or regulatory advice.
Keep the completed table as a handoff record. When you later compare suppliers, you want to compare included rows, not just prices that used the same rule label.
Carry the open items into your brief
Copy the full DAP wording and exact named place into the delivery-point worksheet, then mark every cost or action the quote leaves unstated. Keep that record with your draft brief. Sourcing Desk's on-site tool prepares the brief locally; it does not send it. The seller and buyer must confirm their case-specific arrangements before either relies on the quote.
Topic-specific next action: copy the worksheet into your brief, fill the named place row first, and list the arrival, unloading and import items you need the supplier to confirm in writing before you compare quotations.