§33. CERTAINTY

(1) Even though a manifestation of intention is intended to be understood as an offer, it cannot be accepted so as to form a contract unless the terms of the contract are reasonably certain.

(2) The terms of a contract are reasonably certain if they provide a basis for determining the existence of a breach and for giving an appropriate remedy.

(3) The fact that one or more terms of a proposed bargain are left open or uncertain may show that a manifestation of intention is not intended to be understood as an offer or as an acceptance.

Comment:

a. Certainty of terms. It is sometimes said that the agreement must be capable of being given an exact meaning and that all the performances to be rendered must be certain. Such statements may  be appropriate in determining whether a manifestation of intention is intended to be understood as an offer. But the actions of the parties may show conclusively that they have intended to conclude a binding agreement, even though one or more terms are missing or are left to be agreed upon. In such cases courts endeavor, if possible, to attach a sufficiently definite meaning to the bargain.

An offer which appears to be indefinite may be given precision by usage of trade or by course of dealing between the parties. Terms may be supplied by factual implication, and in recurring situations the law often supplies a term in the absence of agreement to the contrary.... Where the parties have intended to conclude a bargain, uncertainty as to incidental or collateral matters is seldom fatal to the existence of the contract. If the essential terms are so uncertain that there is no basis for deciding whether the agreement has been kept or broken, there is no contract. But even in such cases partial performance or other action in reliance on the agreement may reinforce it under §34.

c. Preliminary negotiations....Incompleteness of terms is one of the principal reasons why advertisements and price quotations are ordinarily not interpreted as offers. Similarly, if the parties to negotiations for sale manifest an intention not to be bound until the price is fixed or agreed, the law gives effect to that intention. Uniform Commercial Code §2-305(4). The more terms the parties leave open, the less likely it is that they have intended to conclude a binding agreement. See Uniform Commercial Code §2-204 and Comment.

f. Other indefinite terms. Promises may be indefinite in other aspects than time and price. The more important the uncertainty, the stronger the indication is that the parties do not intend to be bound; minor items are more likely to be left to the option of one of the parties or to what is customary or reasonable. Even when the parties intend to enter into a contract, uncertainty may be so great as to frustrate their intention. Thus a promise by A to give B employment, even though consideration is paid for it, does not provide a basis for any remedy if neither the character of the employment nor the compensation therefor is stated.