90 mm vs 98 mm PET cups: lid compatibility guide

Why 90 mm and 98 mm are not interchangeable

A 90 mm cup and a 98 mm cup belong to different rim families. The eight-millimetre difference changes the sealing interface, so a lid chosen only by drink capacity can fail to fit. Specify the cup SKU, rim diameter and lid style together.

The supplied 90 mm range covers seven straight-wall cup sizes plus five 90U variants. The 98 mm range covers six cup capacities. Both ranges publish flat, dome and drink-lid codes, but each lid stays within its own rim family.

How to approve a lid

Request the exact cup-and-lid combination, not separate generic samples. Fill the cup with the intended beverage, close the lid using the real service method, then check seating, removal force, leakage, stacking and transport handling.

If a straw slot, dome clearance or sip opening matters, include it in the written specification and artwork approval. The quotation and approved physical sample control the final fit.

Build a compatibility sheet for your beverage program

A useful buyer sheet has one row for every approved cup-and-lid pair. Record the cup SKU, capacity, top diameter, bottom diameter, height, lid code, closure style, straw or sip opening, cup color, print artwork revision and the result of the fit test. Add a photo of the approved combination and label the physical retention sample with the same revision. This avoids a common purchasing error in which a familiar size such as 16 oz is treated as the compatibility key even though different 16 oz cups can use different rims.

If several capacities share one rim, a distributor can reduce lid inventory by selecting one approved lid family across those cup sizes. That benefit should be confirmed from the actual data and sample rather than assumed. The 90 mm and 98 mm tables on this page make the initial comparison easier, while the downloadable CSV gives procurement teams a file they can add to an internal ERP or assortment sheet.

Include packing and freight in the lid decision

Cup and lid compatibility is only one part of the landed-cost calculation. Cups and lids are packed separately, and their carton dimensions, pieces per carton, gross weight and net weight can change how efficiently a mixed order loads. Use the published carton data to build an initial consolidation plan, then ask ECONOVAPACK to confirm the current packing version, pallet requirement and container-loading assumptions for the selected combination.

For a mixed-SKU quotation, send the target quantity for each cup and lid rather than one total number. State whether extra lids are required, because service operations sometimes keep a lid overage to cover handling loss. The final order should identify cup and lid codes independently, even when they share a rim number.

PET cup and lid RFQ checklist

A complete inquiry should include the cup SKU or target capacity, rim family, required lid style, beverage type, fill temperature, ice or topping allowance, straw or sip requirement, cup color, print artwork, print colors, quantity by SKU, lid ratio, destination and desired delivery date. If you already use a cup holder, sealing machine or dispenser, include its critical fit dimensions. Ask the quotation to repeat every selected code and packing quantity so the reply can be compared with your internal assortment sheet. Before production, approve a labeled cup-and-lid sample, final artwork, carton marks and the written compatibility record. This sequence gives purchasing, operations and quality teams one shared reference and reduces the risk of ordering the correct cup capacity with the wrong closure.