Frequently Asked Questions

There are several ways to place an order.

• Call the sales office at 410-272-0090.
• Call your local distributor for smaller quantities.
• Contact our sales office via email salesdept@independentcan.com.

MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express, ACH or check in advance if no account is established.

Download or request a credit application, fill out all pages and fax back to us. It takes about 2 weeks for us to hear from all of your references and determine credit standing and limits.

$1000.00 minimum, full pallet of each SKU that is selected for all locked seam, decorative cans. Full pallet does not apply to seamless tins but the $1,000.00 does.

Depending on the size and shape of the tin the quantity range is 5,000 – 25,000 pieces. Items requiring a new tool will require a larger minimum and a longer lead-time. Please complete a custom tin inquiry us or call a sales representative for specific information on our minimum orders. Please contact us for details regarding your specific inquiry.

Yes. Independent Can prints custom lithography on metal, in-house, using a state-of-the-art 6 color printing line. We have a fully integrated Art Services and Prepress department to guide customers through the steps. We also have digital printing capabilities for smaller quantities.

Depending on the construction of the tin we can modify the height of most round or fancy shaped tins easily with existing tooling for a custom order. Seamless or drawn tins will require new tooling for any size adjustment. We are constantly innovating and investing in the latest technology that will provide more options for our customers. Refer to our size reference charts for available tooling in the US.

Independent Can’s Engineering team can design a new shape for a domestic plant given time and the investment necessary to facilitate automated production. We also source new items from overseas facilities when it is the best solution for the customer Independent Can will evaluate the project to determine the best way to insure delivery of a high quality product in a reasonable amount of time.

6-8 weeks with existing tooling and your artwork approval. With all processes under one roof from concept to completion, we can offer control as well as flexibility and timely delivery for our customers.

We encourage you to plan ahead as much as possible. Communication is key! If there are deadlines that need to be met for a custom order, let our sales representative know the time frame. We can work back from the delivery date and provide a timeline for receipt of purchase order, artwork and proof approval. As with all custom projects, changes may delay the final shipment of your order. For current lead times contact us or call 410.272.0090 and speak with a Sales Representative.

Decorative tins are an accepted package for food products. We can recommend interior coatings for those products that are acidic. We use FDA approved inks and coating and can provide documentation from our suppliers. We are audited annually by many Fortune 500 customers and certified for meeting the high standards for food-contact packaging manufacturers. All of our facilities are SQF Certified by the Safe Quality Food Institute.

Decorative tins are an accepted package for food products. We can recommend interior coatings for those products that are acidic. We use FDA approved inks and coating and can provide documentation from our suppliers. We are audited annually by many fortune 500 customers and certified for meeting the high standards for food-contact packaging manufacturers. All of our facilities are SQF2 Certified by the Safe Quality Food Institute. We have completed the process of converting our entire stock decorative tin program to BPA NI. This means that our inks, coatings and tinplated steel have not have BPA (Bisphenol A) intentionally added. Material Safety Data Sheets are available from our ink and coating suppliers.

2-3 weeks depending on the season and availability at the time of your order. Being committed to a true year-round stock program for all featured items, we often do better than our stated lead-time.

We encourage you to order in the summer for the fall & winter holiday season. However, if you do not order by the end of summer, this does not mean you will not get your tins.  We work to constantly replenish our floor stock. For information on specific inventory contact us or call 410.272.0090.

As stated in our literature, we do not accept returned merchandise except for shipment of incorrect product against your written order. Our standing as an SQF certified company prohibits the return of goods that may contain possible contaminants.

We encourage you to call your local distributor regarding our stock line as they are well positioned to service your needs with stock and lower minimum orders.

You can fill out a credit application and fax it to us. The application process normally takes about two weeks depending on how quickly your references respond.

Download a credit application, Fill out all three (3) pages completely, and fax the application back to 410-272-3159. If you can not download the Credit Application, call 410-272-0090 to speak to a sales representative, and they will provide one.

Open Terms can normally be re-established, however you will need to speak with your Sales Representative for details on your specific account.

Independent Can Ships through Common Carriers (LTL / TL). We also ship by UPS, and FEDEX when requested by our customers, however this is not always the best choice. Our standard cartons are not UPS approved.

Independent Can Co. cannot normally ship out next day, due to the current shipping schedule. Independent Can’s normal lead-time is 2 weeks. We will, when possible, try to ship out sooner if stock is available and the shipping schedule allows. In some cases our distributors can ship out more quickly.

If you have received cans that you feel have manufacturing defects, take the following steps.

1. Call your sales representative.
2. Send samples of the tins. These will be shown to our QA department for analysis.
3. Once our QA department has investigated the damage, your sales representative will call to discuss the findings.

If you have received cans that you feel have freight damage, take the following steps.

1. Make notes of all damage directly on the Bill of Lading or on a damage form from UPS or FEDEX. If you do not make these notes you may not be able to place a claim for the damage.
2. Call the delivering carrier to file a claim. They should fax you a copy of the claim form to be filled out and faxed back.

Depending on the time of year, all the designs or sizes you have ordered may or may not be in stock. If you did not receive all the tins on your order:

1. Check the packing list to see if the tins have been back ordered.
2. If the missing items have been back ordered, the rest of your tins will be shipped to you as soon as they are available. If you do not wish to receive the back ordered tins, you will need to call your sales representative to cancel the balance.
3. If the packing list does not show these items back ordered, call your sales representative and they will be happy to find out why you have not received your complete order.

Below are the differences between pre-paid and collect shipments.

• Collect Shipments: Payment for the freight is due when the freight is delivered. A check will need to be given to the driver prior to unloading your order.
• Pre-paid Freight: Independent Can Company will add the cost of the freight to your invoice or charge your credit card. There is a handling fee applied to the order.
• Independent Can ships both Collect and Pre-paid Freight FOB Factory, with no exceptions.

FOB means Freight On Board. This means that the freight becomes the property of the customer at the time it leaves the FOB point. All Claims for freight damage must be filled with the delivering carrier, with no exceptions.

Independent Can does not ship COD.

You can buy specialty tins sourced through Independent Can qualified partners around the world. Our logistics services provide you the same superior communications and quality Independent Can is known for, when sourcing your specialty packaging. Trust your project from any of our strategic international partners with the experts in can making for more than 90 years. We manage your order in your time zone and take the headaches out of the logistics.

Independent Can has spent over 15 years sourcing specialty packaging around the world. We have developed relationships with these manufacturers and are uniquely positioned to provide the packaging you need, where you need it, at a competitive price and without the headaches. We are expert can makers so there is no company better to shepherd your project through to completion?

Independent Can is not an ASI member, however we do support a number of ASI distributors. Please call us if you have specific questions regarding our ASI Distributors.

Yes, cans are one of the most recyclable forms of packaging today. They are 100% infinitely recyclable without loss of quality.

Steel packaging is North America’s #1 most recycled product. You can find the details and resource about the infinite recyclability of steel in the sustainability section of our web site.