Types of acceptance

There are three main types of acceptance when it comes to contracts:

1. Express
2. Conditional
3. Implied

Let's go through them one by one.

Express acceptance:

Express acceptance occurs when someone explicitly agrees, either verbally or in writing, to

accept the offer you’ve made them. 

This one’s nice and straightforward – it’s when you clearly say “yes” to an offer, exactly as it
is. So, for example, if someone offers to buy your house for Taka 500,000 and you send them
an email saying “yes, you can buy my house for Taka 500,000”, you’ve expressly accepted
their offer.

This type of acceptance should be clear and shouldn’t involve requesting any changes to the
original offer. Otherwise, it isn’t a form of express acceptance. 

Conditional acceptance:

Sometimes called “qualified acceptance”, conditional acceptance is when you say you’re
willing to agree to the original offer but only with some changes. This is also called a
counteroffer. 

Imagine you’re signing a rental agreement for a flat. You say you’ll sign the agreement as
long as the owner fixes the leaky window before you move in. That’s an example of
conditional acceptance.

Implied acceptance:
Implied acceptance is when you don’t directly say “yes” to an offer verbally or in writing,
but you do something which implies you will. Implied acceptance can create an implied
contract.

If your actions clearly indicate that you have accepted their offer, but you haven’t vocalized
this acceptance, it still counts. 

Let’s look at an example. If you buy a cake from a supermarket, paying for it implies you’re
happy to accept the price (i.e. the offer) that the supermarket’s charging for that chocolate
gateau. You don’t necessarily have to voice to the cashier that you accept the offer, picking it
up, taking it to the till, and then paying for it makes this acceptance clear enough.