For a unilateral offer, when is acceptance deemed complete?

• A. Upon performing the requested act
• B. Upon posting of the performance
• C. Upon performing the requested act and notifying the offeror
• D. Upon receipt of the performance

Answer: (C)

In a unilateral offer, acceptance happens by completing the act requested, not by promising to do it. But to seal the deal, many approaches treat acceptance as complete only when the act is performed and the offeror is notified of that performance. The act shows you accepted, and the notification tells the offeror to expect payment and identify who performed. Without that notice, the offeror might not even know the act has been completed, so the promise to pay isn’t triggered.

So this option captures both elements: you must perform the requested act and you must tell the offeror that you’ve done so. Simply performing without informing may leave the contract unsettled in some contexts, and posting the performance or merely waiting to see if the offeror notices it would not complete acceptance. Receiving the performance isn’t the moment of acceptance, because you must be aware of the completed act to form the contract as the offeror’s obligation arises from that knowledge.