A qualified acceptance is considered what?

A qualified acceptance introduces additional terms or conditions to the acceptance of an offer, which means it effectively alters the original offer instead of simply agreeing to its terms. This type of acceptance constitutes a counter-offer because it rejects the original offer and proposes a modified version that must then be accepted by the original offeror.

In contract law, an acceptance must generally be unconditional and mirror the terms of the offer to constitute a valid acceptance. Since a qualified acceptance does not meet these requirements, it cannot be viewed as unconditional or complete acceptance. Similarly, it would not fall under the category of implied acceptance, which occurs when acceptance is demonstrated through actions rather than explicit agreement. Therefore, the nature of a qualified acceptance as a modification of the initial offer categorizes it as a counter-offer.