What is a pre-shipment sample (PSS)?

A pre-shipment sample is drawn from a specific lot after it has been processed, milled, and prepared for export - typically the last quality checkpoint before the coffee ships. Approving a PSS is generally considered the point of no return: you're confirming the coffee meets your standards and authorising it to proceed.

The PSS may be drawn from the actual export bags, or from coffee prepared to the same specification in advance of final dry milling. Either way, it should be representative of what will arrive in the container.

In most green coffee contracts, PSS approval is a formal step. If you approve it and the landed coffee differs materially in quality - higher defect count, different sensory profile - you have grounds for a quality claim. If you skip or rush PSS evaluation, you lose much of that protection. For any significant forward contract, taking the time to cup the PSS carefully before signing off is simply good buying practice.