# Will Call > Will Call means the time of a prearranged pick-up or delivery, determined by a communication from the party ready for pick-up or requesting delivery **Term:** Will Call **Last updated:** 2026-07-29 ## Definition ## What Will Call Means in a Contract Will Call is a contractual mechanism used to describe timing that is not fixed on a calendar but instead triggered by a notice from one of the parties. Rather than stating that goods must be delivered on a specific date, a Will Call clause allows the party who becomes ready, whether that is a seller with completed goods or a buyer needing delivery, to communicate readiness and thereby set the operative pick-up or delivery time. This structure is common in supply and logistics arrangements where production schedules, storage capacity, or downstream demand make a fixed date impractical. The term originates from retail and warehousing practice, where a customer is told that an order is being held and will be released once the customer calls or arrives to claim it. In a commercial contract, the same idea is formalized into a defined term so that obligations tied to delivery, risk transfer, or invoicing can reference a precise, if variable, moment in time. Understanding Will Call as a contract concept matters because it shifts the initiative for triggering performance to a specific party. This is a departure from schedules that are agreed upfront, and it changes how disputes about lateness, storage costs, or spoilage are analyzed. ## How Will Call Is Defined or Measured A Will Call provision is typically measured by reference to a communication event rather than a date on a calendar. The contract will usually specify who must give notice, what form that notice must take (written, electronic, or verbal followed by written confirmation), and how much advance warning is required before the pick-up or delivery must actually occur. Because the triggering event is a notice rather than a date, contracts often build in a buffer period, such as requiring pick-up within a set number of business days of the notice being given. This avoids indefinite holding obligations and gives both parties a practical window to arrange logistics. - Who is entitled to issue the Will Call notice - The permitted method of communication and any confirmation requirement - The maximum period the goods or service slot will be held before the notice is required - What happens if no notice is given within an agreed timeframe ## Where Will Call Appears in Agreements Will Call language most commonly appears in supply agreements, warehousing and storage contracts, and distribution arrangements where goods are manufactured or stocked ahead of an exact demand date. It is also seen in service contexts, such as maintenance or installation work, where a customer calls to request that a scheduled task be performed once conditions on their end are ready. The concept can surface in industries such as