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How to specify a Coin Cell

What to put on an RFQ for Coin Cell: the ratings, documents, and constraints that change the quote.

25 Oct 2026 · 3 min read · Tradinor Desk

Specification points for Coin CellTRADINOR · FIGUREWhat to lock for Coin CellVoltage and capacityCurrentTemperatureManagement
Put these on the RFQ for Coin Cell before you compare prices.

A buyer searching for Coin Cell is usually trying to stop a bad substitute. A battery is specified by chemistry, voltage, capacity at a stated discharge, and the management or charger that must match it. The notes below are selection criteria for a Coin Cell. They are not a catalog promise. Confirm every rating on the current datasheet, drawing, or test report for the revision you will receive.

What has to be true of Coin Cell

A battery is specified by chemistry, voltage, capacity at a stated discharge, and the management or charger that must match it. For a Coin Cell, start from the duty, then the interface to the rest of the machine or the room, then the document that proves the claim. A lower price that leaves one of those blank is a different product.

Coin Cell is easy to confuse with Battery Analyzer. If the quote could be read as either, add the line that separates them: the rating, the fitment, or the standard named below. Link the drawing number to that line so receiving inspection can reject the wrong one.

Numbers that change the quote

Line What to write for Coin Cell
Voltage and capacity Nominal voltage and amp-hours at a stated discharge rate.
Current Continuous and peak discharge, and maximum charge current.
Temperature Operating and charging limits. Cold charging can destroy some lithium cells.
Management Who supplies the BMS, and which charger profile is allowed.
Transport Lithium shipments follow dangerous-goods rules. Include that in the cost.
Chemistry Lead-acid, LiFePO4, or another lithium family. Lithium is not one part.

How to compare two offers

Lay both quotes for Coin Cell on one sheet and line up voltage and capacity, current, and temperature. If a cell is empty, the offer is not finished. Ask for the missing line in writing. When those match, the honest difference is lead time, the test evidence, and who carries the warranty. Do not average a fully specified Coin Cell with a cheaper line that omitted voltage and capacity.

Documents worth having before the deposit

UN 38.3 is the usual transport test for lithium cells and batteries. Ask for the pack, not only the cell. The file should name Coin Cell and the revision, not only the supplier’s homepage. A factory quality certificate such as ISO 9001 can sit beside that file. It does not replace it.

Failures that show up after delivery

  • Reading capacity at a gentle lab discharge and expecting it at a high current.
  • Charging lithium on a lead-acid profile.
  • Using a starter battery for a deep daily cycle.

On a Coin Cell, the expensive version of the first mistake is discovering it after the goods are in the crate. Put the rejection condition in the purchase order while the supplier can still restate the offer.

A worked RFQ line

Use this shape, then replace the brackets with your duty: “Coin Cell — Name chemistry, voltage, amp-hours, continuous current, temperature, and BMS.” That sentence is a template, not a rating of any brand. If a supplier’s datasheet uses different units, convert them onto this sheet so the next offer can be compared.

Where words like automotive grade belong

Searches often add a constraint to Coin Cell: automotive grade, or IP67. Keep those on this page. Automotive grade is a temperature, vibration, and documentation claim. Ask which AEC or customer spec is actually met, and for which part number. IP67 is dust-tight plus a defined temporary immersion. It is not a rating for living underwater, and it says nothing about sunlight or salt. If you need a third constraint, add it as another line on the same drawing. A second URL that only swaps the adjective does not give a buyer a second fact.

Related in this section: how to specify Battery Analyzer.

Questions buyers actually ask

What should an RFQ for Coin Cell include?

Name chemistry, voltage, amp-hours, continuous current, temperature, and BMS.

Is a cheaper Coin Cell the same part?

Only if voltage and capacity, current, and the documents match. A missing line is a different offer.

Do waterproof, OEM, or IP words need their own page?

No. For Coin Cell they are extra lines on this specification. Ask for the test or the drawing that gives the word a value.