A listing price does not tell you what a batch will cost by the time it arrives. Use one cost table to compare offers and distinguish confirmed amounts from estimates.
Break down the quotation
Check whether these items apply to your order:
- Goods, separated by SKU and variant.
- Transport from suppliers to the Chinese warehouse.
- Purchasing services and payment costs.
- Inspection, storage, additional packaging or consolidation.
- International transport.
- Destination charges and final delivery, where excluded from the quote.
Not every item is necessarily charged separately. Ask what is included in a package so that you do not count the same service twice.
Compare equivalent offers
Check quantities, currency, route, delivery endpoint and included services in every quotation. Record its date and validity period. If packaging is not yet confirmed, mark transport as an estimate and ask which measurements are needed to update it.
Separate sourcing cost from selling expenses
For a uniform batch, divide total sourcing and receiving costs by the number of saleable units. With multiple SKUs, first allocate shared costs using a stated method—for example, allocating freight by the relevant chargeable weight. Record the allocation method in your table.
Marketplace fees, advertising, returns and customer service belong in the later profitability calculation. Keep them separate from the purchasing calculation so that both remain visible.
An illustrative calculation
Suppose a uniform batch costs 1,000 hypothetical currency units to purchase and receive. With 100 saleable products, the cost is 10 per unit. With only 95 saleable products, it is approximately 10.53. This is arithmetic, not a shipping rate or a predicted defect rate. It excludes any reimbursement or repair.
Questions before paying
Which amounts are final? Which depend on packaging? Are any delivery stages excluded? How are additional charges approved? Keep the answers with the quote.
Request an individual quotation · Explore delivery and consolidation.
