The spare parts clause: how to structure free-of-charge parts in a coffee machine contract

Contract terms · 2026-10-16

The published figures

The five fields, and what happens when each is left vague

No percentage is quoted here, because part value as a share of order value depends entirely on which parts the clause covers. We publish a 45–50 day regular production lead time instead, because that is the figure that determines whether a spare parts commitment can physically be met.

Why the percentage feels like a standard and is not one

Part value as a share of order value varies enormously with which parts you mean. A silicone gasket set and a pump are both "spare parts" and they differ by an order of magnitude in cost and in lead time to replace.

So a percentage clause inherits every ambiguity in the question "spare parts of what, exactly" and adds a second layer of dispute on top of it. Two suppliers can agree to 2% and ship entirely different contents, both of them compliant.

The five fields that make a clause countable

1. The part list. Named part numbers, not a category. A clause covering "high-wear components" means the supplier decides what is high-wear.

2. The quantity basis. Per shipment, per unit sold to your customer, or a fixed set per container. These produce very different parts counts for the same order value.

3. The years. How long the parts are held. One year of cover is a different commercial offer from three, and a supplier quoting three years of cover for a fast-moving model is telling you about their forecast confidence.

4. The claim window. How long after a retail sale a claim is accepted. This is the field most often left undefined, and the one that decides whether the arrangement is worth anything.

5. The freight term. Whether parts ship free, free with the next production order, or free above a value threshold. "Free parts, buyer pays freight" appears in enough contracts to be worth naming explicitly.

Why lead time is the hidden variable

Our published production lead time is 45–50 days for a regular programme. A spare part claim raised in month seven of a retail programme, against a supplier building to a 45–50 day cycle, means the part either comes from existing stock of that revision or waits for a production run of it.

That is where the real risk sits, and it is not the same risk as the freight. It is the risk that the part you need is a revision that has already been superseded. This is a specification control question before it is a logistics question: agreeing which revision ships in your programme, and for how long, is worth more to you than the freight term.

What this looks like at our end

We publish spare parts and accessories as a product category rather than as a contractual quantity, and we publish the categories the factory actually runs — eleven of them, from air fryers and coffee machines through to rice cookers and slushy makers. Parts availability follows the model, and models get revised.

So the honest position is this: for a defined programme we can confirm which parts are held, for which revision, and for how long. That is a quotation-time conversation with a model list attached, not a standing percentage that can be written into a contract in advance.

What to write into the contract

Write the part number list, the years, the claim window and the freight term. Leave the percentage out entirely — it adds nothing that the part list does not already say, and it adds a number that will be argued over instead of a list that can be checked.

Then add the revision question separately: which model revision ships in your programme, and for how long will that revision be buildable. That single clause removes most of the parts-availability risk that a percentage was never going to cover.

What we can confirm during quotation

For a defined programme with a model list, we can confirm which spare parts are held, against which revision, and for what period. That confirmation belongs in the quotation and the specification, not in a generic clause — because a spare parts arrangement is only valid for a specific model and a specific period.

Where the figures behind this came from

Every number on this page traces to one of these.

Models this guide applies to

Coffee Makers

Primary line. Parts-intensive, so the spares plan is designed with the product.

Grills & Baking

Primary line. Seasonal shape, pairs with pizza makers and air fryers.

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