The Chemfinet Exchange allows you to conveniently create and submit a Request For Quote (RFQ) or place a bid with our easy-to-use forms. The whole process is really quite simple. The guide below covers all the basics, but if you have any questions, or you're just not quite sure about something, please call us at 914-333-0606.

Organization and Operation of the Exchange
For Buyers
For Sellers

Organization and Operation of the Exchange:
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The Exchange is organized to let members post custom manufactured products they wish to buy (via RFQs) in order to solicit bids from other members. Unlike an auction, the Exchange has no preset rules or predetermined logic that dictates the selection of winning bids. The Buyer posting an RFQ can accept bids and offers on the basis of whatever criteria they deem important , whether it be price, availability, quantity, location, specifications, or other parameters. The Buyer is not obligated to accept any bids or offers .

Sellers can place bids on as many postings as they wish. However, every bid will be reviewed by Chemfinet's staff to make sure that the seller is a reliable supplier who can meet their obligations.

Obviously, you cannot bid on your own RFQ, and a Seller can place only one active bid against any specific posted RFQ.

All postings are anonymous: individual and company names are not shown. We zealously protect identities during the process to make sure that there are no inappropriate disclosures of key information.

The Cost of Using the Chemfinet Online Exchange
There are NO direct costs to the Buyer or Seller for using the Exchange. That's right, none. The pricing presented to the Buyer is their final pricing. Normal charges for shipping and duty (if applicable) will be charged on the invoice, of course.

Member Responsibility and Summary of the Exchange Rules
All Members who place RFQs and / or Bids to Sell agree to abide by the User Agreement and Exchange Rules (below). Placing an RFQ or a Bid to Sell is an implicit recognition that a member is willing to sell or buy a product under the terms of a Successful Transaction. Please see the Membership Agreement for more information.

Summary of Chemfinet Online Exchange Rules
1. Only registered members (Buyer or Full Registration) may submit RFQs. Only registered members (Seller or Full Registration) may submit Bids.
2. All postings must have a minimum expiration date no less than five (5) days from initial submission and a maximum of no more than ninety (90) days.
3. Seller’s bids are automatically withdrawn when they expire
4. All Bids expire when the RFQ is fulfilled or it expires.
5. Members can cancel their postings from their Seller or Buyer Options page(s) at any time up until expiration. .
6. Members may place only one bid per product RFQ posting.
7. All bids must be placed in the same currency and unit as the Product RFQ posting.
8. When both parties agree (either in writing, including fax and email, or through links on the site), Purchase Orders acceptable to the seller must be issued within three (3) business days.

Posting Guidelines
Members are expected to follow these rules in posting to the Chemfinet Online Exchange:
1. Sellers are to bid only on products they guarantee they can deliver.
2. Buyers are to request only products they can pay for and accept delivery on.
3. The Buyer can accept one, several, all, or none of the bids submitted. If the Buyer chooses to allocate across several sellers (and therefore lower the quantity order from any seller), the sellers may negotiate a higher unit price.
4. Bids are accepted based upon all of the combined posted details, not just the price quoted.
5. It is the Member’s responsibility to comply with all applicable laws and regulations relating to the advertising, purchase, sale, and transfer of chemical products.
6. Regulations require that buyers and sellers intending to trade radioactive materials be licensed to possess, handle, ship, and receive radioactive materials. For states that have established regulatory agencies for the control of radioactive materials, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has transferred its regulatory authority to them. In these states, a state license is required. Full information about federal and state licensing is available from: US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Division of Licensing and Regulations, Washington, DC 20555

For Buyers:
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Creating an RFQ
To create a Request for Quote (RFQ) for posting, you must have either a Buyer or Full Membership. Click on "Create New RFQ" on the menu. The Request for Quote screen appears.

Fill in all information as appropriate. If your compound cannot be uniquely determined by Product Name or CAS Registry Number, you may fax or upload an image of the molecular structure or sequence. You can use any of the popular chemical drawing packages. To upload a file, select the compound structure option and you will receive instructions for uploading the file when the RFQ is submitted. To fax your file, include the RFQ ID (provided as soon as you submit the RFQ) and fax it to 914-333-0333.

You can choose to keep your RFQ in effect for anywhere from 5 to 90 days. Please allow a realistic time frame for Sellers to see your bid and prepare a reasonable bid.

Clicking the "Add" button submits your RFQ to Chemfinet. It will be processed by Chemfinet and posted to the Exchange for bidding within 24 hours.

Viewing Active RFQs and Bids
Selecting "View Active RFQs" from the menu displays a summary of all your active RFQs. The last column shows how many bids have been submitted. If you have several pages of RFQs, at the bottom of the screen you can specify which page you want displayed; clicking the double arrow buttons takes you to the beginning or end of the list.

To view a particular RFQ in detail, including all specification details and all active bids, click on the RFQ ID. This will take you to the RFQ Detail screen. Near the bottom of the screen you see any messages you have broadcast to all bidders regarding the RFQ. Below that, a summary of all bids is displayed. To see the Bid Detail, click on the Bid ID. This screen includes a table that compares the RFQ specifications to the bidder’s offer. It also includes a summary of the other bids and any messages (Buyer Notices) and negotiations that have been sent.

Changing or Canceling an RFQ
To remove an RFQ from the system, select "View Active RFQs." Click on the ID of the RFQ you want to withdraw. With the RFQ displayed, go down the screen and click on the "Cancel RFQ" button to immediately remove it from the Exchange.

To modify any aspects of the RFQ, it is best to contact us directly. We will be happy to make the changes for you. You can also do this yourself, by selecting "View Active RFQs." Click on the ID of the RFQ you want to change. With the RFQ displayed, go down the screen and click on the "Modify RFQ" button. A new Request for Quote screen will be displayed, prepopulated with the same data as the original RFQ. Make any changes you wish and click the "Add" button when done. The modified RFQ will be posted to the Exchange within 24 hours under a new RFQ ID. All bids posted to the original RFQ will be cancelled and bidders will be notified.

To copy an RFQ: Select "View Active RFQs." Click on the ID of the RFQ you want to copy. With the RFQ displayed, go down the screen and click on the "Copy RFQ" button. A new Request for Quote screen will be displayed, prepopulated with the same data as the original RFQ. Make any changes you wish and click the "Add" button when done. The modified RFQ will be posted to the Exchange within 24 hours under a new RFQ ID.

Sending a Message to All Bidders
The Buyer can add a message to bidders regarding any RFQ once it is posted. To do this, select "View Active RFQs" from the menu, then click on the RFQ ID of the request you want to add a message to. Go down the screen and click on the "Send a Message to Bidders" button. Key in your text (100-character limit) and click "Send." This message will be available to bidders within 24 hours.

Negotiating a Bid
The Buyer can send a private message to a single bidder. Your anonyminity is protected . To do this, select "View Active RFQs" from the menu, then click on the RFQ ID to access the RFQ Details. From the list of active bids, click on the Bid ID to access the Bid Details. Go down the screen and click on the "Send a Message to the Seller" button to initiate a private negotiation (e.g., "Can you accelerate delivery by two weeks?"). Key in your text (100-character limit) and click "Send." This message will be available to the selected bidder within 24 hours.

Accepting a Bid
If you are satisfied with the bid and want to accept it, click on the "Accept Bid" button at the bottom of the Bid Details screen. You will be asked to confirm your acceptance. By confirming you are committing to the terms and conditions specified in the User Agreement. You will also be asked if you want to continue your RFQ posting until its expiration date. If you do not click yes, your posted RFQ will be removed from Active Trading when you confirm your acceptance of the bid.

After you click on the Confirm button, Chemfinet Customer Service will contact both buyer and seller to complete the Transaction. Customer Service will issue an email Transaction Confirmation document to both buyer and seller. In it will appear the details of the RFQ and bid and the name and address of the buyer and seller.

Because your use of the "Accept Bid" button affirms your commitment to enter into a transaction with the bidding member, please be absolutely sure that the bid meets all your requirements. "Accept Bid" means you accept all the details as listed in the bid including negotiated details. If you are uncertain of some details or want some changes made, use the Negotiation tool (described above) to contact the bidder.

Viewing & Copying Inactive RFQs
Expired and completed RFQs are stored for Members indefinitely. This is very handy if you would like to repost one of your expired RFQs (you can't access other member's expired RFQs, of course!) Click on "View Inactive RFQs" to display them. They appear in a summary table, with the most recent shown first. Clicking on the ID opens the detail screen. From here, you can click on the "Copy RFQ" button to copy the entire screen for use as a new RFQ. Modify all fields as needed and click on "Add." The new RFQ will be posted to the Exchange within 24 hours but appears immediately on the Buyer’s list of Active RFQs.

For Sellers:
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Viewing and Bidding on RFQs
You may have only one active bid per RFQ, although you may bid on any number of RFQ postings simultaneously. Remember that each bid is reviewed by Chemfinet staff prior to it appearing on the Exchange. If you are registered as both a Buyer and Seller, submitting a bid against your own posted RFQ is not allowed. All members are expected to adhere to the posting guidelines. Failure to do so can result in the loss of privileges or cancellation of membership. Bids are posted to the Exchange as soon as Chemfinet Customer Service reviews them for conformance to the posting guidelines.

Click on "View Available RFQs." The top drop-down box gives you the choice of viewing all RFQs available to you or only those in a certain class (if you are registered for more than one class of compound).

A summary table of current RFQs is displayed, with the last column showing how many bids have been submitted on any one. Click on the RFQ ID to see the detailed screen. At the bottom of the screen, click on the "Add Bid" button to bid on that RFQ. Key in your offer in each field of the Your Bid table. When finished, click the "Submit Bid" button, and your offer will be posted to the Exchange within 24hours. However, it appears immediately on your list of Active Bids.

Modifying a Bid, Adding a Message
Select "View Active Bids" from the menu. The screen displays a summary of your bids, with the most recent shown first. If you have several pages of bids, at the bottom of the screen you can specify which page you want displayed; clicking the double arrow buttons takes you to the beginning or end of the list.

Click on the Bid ID you wish to modify. Change any specifications in the Your Bid table. At the bottom of the screen, click on "Update Bid." Bid will immediately be updated on your list of active bids and will be updated on the Exchange within 24 hours.

To send a message to the Buyer, click on the button in the Negotiations table. Messages are limited to 100 characters. A Negotiation message can only be seen by the Buyer—it does not appear in your RFQ posting as viewed by other Members. The Buyer will be able to see your message within 24 hours. Any information submitted in the Negotiations feature becomes part of your offer and is binding.

Chemfinet Customer Service will review all messages before posting them to ensure that no identifying information is revealed (name, phone number, email address, etc.).

Canceling a Bid
If you need to withdraw a bid, select "View Active Bids." Click on the appropriate Bid ID. On the Bid Detail screen, go to the bottom and click on "Cancel Bid." The bid is immediately removed from your list of Active Bids and from the Exchange.

Viewing Inactive Bids
Bids that have expired or been accepted are stored for the Member indefinitely. Select "View Inactive Bids" from the menu and a summary table is displayed.