If you've never purchased wholesale green coffee before, or if you've done it a few times but feel like you're still figuring out the process, this guide is for you. The wholesale green coffee market has its own language, its own rhythms, and its own unwritten rules. Understanding how it works before you make your first call or send your first email will save you time, help you ask the right questions, and make you a more confident buyer from day one.

This is a practical walkthrough of the entire process, from the moment you decide you need a new green coffee to the moment it arrives at your roastery door and everything that happens in between (spoiler: it’s not just placing an order).

Step 1  Know what you're looking for before you reach out

The first thing any serious importer or green coffee trader will ask you is what you're looking for. The more specific your answer, the faster and more useful the conversation will be. Before you contact anyone, get clear on the following— your future self (and your inbox) will thank you.

• Origin: Are you looking for a specific country, region, or even a named producer? Or are you open and looking for recommendations?
• Processing method: Washed, natural, honey, anaerobic. Do you have a preference, or does your customer base?
• Flavor profile: What kind of cup are you aiming for? (e.g., fruity and bright, chocolatey and nutty, floral and complex). This helps traders quickly match you with suitable lots.
• Volume: How many kilograms per month do you realistically need right now? Be honest, not aspirational.
• Budget: What price range per kilogram are you working with? Specialty green coffee spans a wide range, and knowing your ceiling helps narrow the conversation.
• Timeline: Do you need coffee in two weeks, or are you planning two months out? Availability and lead times vary significantly by lot.

You don't need a formal brief. A short email or a five-minute phone call is enough. But roasters who come to a supplier with a clear picture of their needs get better service, faster,  and usually better recommendations too.

Step 2  Request samples: Always, before any order

This is the step most new wholesale buyers skip or feel awkward about. Don't. Requesting samples before placing a wholesale order is completely standard in the green coffee industry. Every coffee importer expects it, if anything, we’d be surprised if you didn’t ask.

A 100g sample is enough to run a test roast and cup the coffee properly. When you receive it, treat it seriously, roast it on a profile close to what you'd use for production, let it rest the appropriate number of days, and cup it against your current offering or a reference coffee you know well.

What to look for when cupping a green sample

• Does the cup match the spec sheet? If the importer described it as bright and floral but you're getting flat and woody, that's a mismatch worth flagging.
• Is the roast development consistent? A well-prepared green coffee should roast evenly and predictably, uneven development in a sample can indicate moisture issues or inconsistent density.
• What does the physical bean quality look like? Before even cupping, take a moment to assess the green. Look for consistency in size, color, and density. Are there visible defects, broken beans, or uneven drying? A clean, well-prepared lot usually translates to a more consistent roast and cup.
• How does it perform at your target roast level? Some coffees open up beautifully, others need more development. Know where this one lands before you commit to volume.
• How does it taste after 7 days of rest? And after 14? Some greens evolve significantly off-roast worth knowing before you plan your retail timing.

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At JA Coffee, samples are available on any lot in our catalog. We send samples to registered roasters: cup it, test your profile, and decide with confidence before committing to a bag or barrel. Larger sample sizes are also available upon request.

Request a sample

Step 3  Understand how green coffee is priced

Green coffee pricing can feel opaque the first time you encounter it. Here's how it works.

Fixed pricing vs. differential pricing

Specialty green coffee lots are mostly sold at a fixed price per kilogram, the importer has paid a premium for the lot based on quality and relationship, and that price is passed to the buyer directly. This is the most common model for the kinds of coffees quality-focused roasters work with.

Commercial-grade coffees are often times priced as a differential above the C price — the New York commodity coffee futures benchmark. You'll see this written as something like '+35 cents over C.' This model is more common in high-volume commodity trading and less relevant for specialty purchasing.

If you’re buying specialty coffee, you’ll usually be working with fixed prices — not watching the C market every morning.

What's included in the price

Always clarify what the quoted price covers. Typical inclusions and exclusions:

• Usually included: the green coffee, GrainPro or jute bag packaging, lot documentation and traceability information
• Rarely included: domestic freight to your door (ask specifically)
• Usually excluded: international freight (if the lot is still at origin), import duties, if any (for cross-border shipments), customs brokerage fees

Crop year and pricing

Green coffee is a seasonal agricultural product. Pricing fluctuates between harvest cycles, and a lot that was available at a certain price in January may be priced differently, or unavailable by June. If you find a lot you love at a price that works, it's worth asking your importer, hopefully us, about forward purchasing or lot reservation to lock it in for the season.

Planning ahead or looking to secure a lot? Get in touch with our team to review availability.

Step 4  Place your order and confirm the details

Once you've cupped the sample, confirmed the pricing, and decided to move forward, placing a wholesale order is straightforward, usually because the coffee spoke for itself.

There are just a few details worth confirming before you commit.

Minimum order quantities

At JA Coffee, we offer flexible purchasing options depending on the coffee and availability.

For most origins, we work with full bags (typically 30–70kg). For certain coffees, we also offer smaller formats (10kg or 24kg boxes), allowing roasters to test a coffee in their lineup before committing to larger volumes.

For higher-end or limited coffees, such as Jamaica Blue Mountain or Finca El Paraiso, formats may vary depending on the lot.

If you're a growing roastery, we can help you start with smaller quantities and scale up once you've confirmed the coffee works for your menu. No need to commit to a full bag on day one, unless you’ve already cupped it and can’t stop thinking about it.

Payment terms

For new accounts, we typically require payment at the time of order.

Once a relationship is established and after a few successful transactions, we may offer net terms, depending on volume and account history.

We recommend confirming payment terms early in the process.

Wire transfers are standard for most orders, and we can also support card payments for smaller quantities.

No surprises here. Just clear terms and good coffee.

Step 5  Track your shipment and receive your coffee

Green coffee doesn't always arrive as quickly as ordering from a domestic warehouse. Depending on where the lot is in the supply chain when you order, lead times can range from a few days to several weeks.

What to check when your green arrives

When your order arrives, inspect it before signing off with the freight carrier. Check that:

• Bag count matches the order: Confirm the number of bags or units against your order confirmation.
• Packaging is intact: GrainPro bags should be sealed with no visible damage or puncture. Jute bags should show no signs of moisture exposure.
• Lot labels match: Verify the origin, grade, and lot name on each bag against your order documentation.
• No obvious moisture or smell issues: Open one bag and check, green coffee should smell clean and vegetal, not musty or fermented.
• Cup Your New Coffee: It's super important to cup the coffee at arrival. A slight difference in cup profile is acceptable due to changes in chemical composition during transit, but the general taste should match. Any flavor mismatch from the original sample should be reported immediately. I.E. The cup profile expected is fruity and winey and you taste cacao and nutty.

If anything doesn't match or appears damaged, photograph it immediately and contact your importer before moving the coffee. Most importers have a claims process for transit damage, but it requires documentation from the moment of receipt.

Step 6  Store your green coffee properly

Green coffee is far more stable than roasted coffee, but it still requires proper storage to maintain cup quality over time. The enemies of green coffee are moisture, heat, and odour contamination.

• Temperature: Store between 15–25°C. Avoid storing near roasting equipment where ambient temperatures fluctuate significantly.
• Humidity: Target relative humidity of 50–60%. GrainPro bags provide excellent protection keep them sealed until you're ready to roast.
• Away from strong odours: Green coffee is highly absorbent. Don't store near cleaning products, fuel, or other aromatic materials.
• Off the floor: Pallets or shelving keep bags off concrete, which can introduce moisture from below.
• FIFO rotation: First in, first out. Rotate your stock so older lots are used before newer arrivals.

Well-stored green coffee in GrainPro bags can maintain cup quality for 12–18 months past the harvest date. Most specialty roasters aim to use their lots within 9–12 months for peak performance.

Step 7  Build the relationship over time

The mechanics of importing and buying wholesale green coffee are learnable in an afternoon. The part that takes longer and matters more is the relationship you build with your importer over time.

The best supplier relationships work both ways. Your importer learns your flavor direction, your volume patterns, and the profile your customers respond to. In return, you get early access to new arrivals, proactive recommendations when a lot comes in that matches your needs, and the kind of responsive service that makes a real difference when you're in a pinch.

That relationship starts with the first order but compounds with every interaction. Give honest feedback on coffees you've cupped, including the ones that didn't work for you. Pay on time. Communicate early when your volume needs are changing. These habits build the trust that turns a transactional vendor relationship into a genuine sourcing partnership.

At JA Coffee, we work with roasters at every stage, from first-time wholesale buyers placing a 15kg order to established programs moving full containers. Every account starts with a conversation and a sample. If you're ready to explore what we carry, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply for a wholesale account.

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Quick reference: the wholesale green coffee process at a glance