In the law of contact, a counter offer operates as

A counter offer operates as a rejection. In the law of contract, a counter offer is a response to an original offer that changes the terms of the agreement. It acts as a rejection of the original offer and a new offer from the person making the counter offer. Until the new offer is accepted, there is no contract. So, if you receive a counter offer, it means that the person you made the original offer to is not accepting it as it is, but instead, they are proposing new terms for the agreement.