Compare Branded Merchandise Quotes: A Worksheet
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To compare custom merchandise quotes, give every option the same specification, quantity, decoration, packaging, delivery scope, and approval path. Then identify which costs are separately priced, already included, not applicable, or still unknown. Compare the complete quoted scope before using a unit price to choose a supplier.
This worksheet is for business and agency buyers who already have options to evaluate. It is not a price list or a quote from openXpromo. For an introduction to cost drivers, start with corporate gift and branded merchandise costs.
Define the comparison boundary first
“Landed cost” can be used differently by different people. In this worksheet, a complete delivered-project comparison means all agreed merchandise and required project services through the named delivery point. State explicitly whether the budget also includes agency services or other buyer-side costs. Do not assume a supplier's use of “delivered” matches your definition.
Record the currency, quote version, expiry, intended recipients, ordered quantities, finished units needed, destination pattern, and required in-hand date. Use the same brief for all suppliers. If one quote offers a different item or configuration, label it as an alternative and describe the difference instead of pretending the specifications match.
Assess feasibility separately from price, and put these questions above the cost table so they stay visible during the decision. A lower total is not a useful choice while an essential decoration requirement, usable quantity, client document, or delivery condition remains unresolved.
Use four states for every cost line
| State | How to record it |
|---|---|
| Priced | Enter the stated amount, its calculation basis, and the quote reference. A confirmed no-charge item can be priced at zero. |
| Included | Name the priced line that already covers it. Do not add the charge again. |
| Not applicable | Record why the activity is outside this project's scope. |
| Unknown | Ask for clarification. Do not enter zero or present the subtotal as complete. |
An “included” line is only resolved if the covering line has a known price and includes the required scope. A blank field is not evidence of free service. If sample charges are credited against a later order, show the credit only when its amount and conditions have been confirmed, and deduct it once.
Do not add a deposit to the total as another expense if it is a payment toward that same total. Keep the payment schedule beside the cost model, not inside the list of incremental charges.
Copy this quote-comparison worksheet
Make one copy for each option. Store real supplier terms and commercial information privately. For each cost family below, enter the state, amount if known, covering line if included, and any exclusions or assumptions.
Scope record
- Option label, quote version, issue date, and expiry:
- Currency and any agreed conversion basis:
- Exact product, configuration, color/size mix, and decoration:
- Ordered quantity and quantity billed:
- Intended recipient count:
- Minimum complete units or kits needed at the destination:
- Packaging, inserts, assembly, and proof/sample path:
- Delivery destination count, type, and named delivery point:
- In-hand requirement and supplier's stated schedule conditions:
- Mandatory documents and unresolved feasibility questions:
Cost record
| Cost family | State, amount, inclusions, and questions |
|---|---|
| Goods or kit components | Record each item and quantity; do not assume the displayed catalog price applies. |
| Decoration run charges | Check method, number of locations, colors, or other quoted basis. |
| Setup and artwork work | Distinguish one-time setup from per-unit work and revision charges. |
| Proofs and samples | Include the selected review path, related shipping, and confirmed credit conditions. |
| Packaging and inserts | Separate gift presentation from protective shipping materials where necessary. |
| Receiving and assembly | Check component receiving, kit assembly, pack-out review, and any agreed inspection scope. |
| Freight and delivery | Cover every required leg, destination type, and separately charged handling service. |
| Storage or individual fulfillment | Include only when required; confirm duration, picking, packing, and exception charges. |
| Taxes, duties, and import-related costs | Establish the applicable treatment and which party pays; a blank is unknown. |
| Other required services | Identify applicable rush work, payment/service fees, or documentation costs. |
| Discounts and credits | Record the confirmed amount and qualifying conditions; subtract once. |
Below the table, record the known-price subtotal, unresolved items, confirmed quoted-scope total if complete, possible adjustments, and budget comparison. An estimated or uncapped charge can leave the maximum project cost unknown even when the known subtotal is within budget.
For cross-border deliveries using Incoterms® rules, ask the supplier to identify the rule, version, and named place, then explain the included delivery responsibilities. ICC describes its rules as clarifying delivery tasks, costs, and risks between buyers and sellers. The three-letter term should not replace a project-specific explanation of who pays which charges. ICC's introduction to Incoterms® rules
Calculate comparable totals without double counting
Use these calculation definitions:
- Known-price subtotal: sum of explicitly priced required lines, less confirmed applicable discounts and credits. Included lines are not added again.
- Complete quoted-scope total: the known-price subtotal only after all required cost families are resolved. If required costs remain unknown, label the result incomplete.
- Cost per complete delivered unit: complete quoted-scope total divided by the confirmed complete-unit quantity for that same scope.
- Project cost per intended recipient: the comparable project amount divided by intended recipients. This may differ from cost per unit when spare units are ordered; it is not the buyer's budget ceiling.
Do not calculate a final unit comparison with an unknown numerator or denominator, or with a quantity of zero. Keep estimates clearly labeled, including their validity and adjustment conditions. A supplier quote can be complete for its stated scope while still excluding a cost your overall project requires.
For a kit, count complete sets rather than adding component quantities. If a hypothetical kit needs one notebook and one bottle, 300 notebooks and 200 bottles can produce at most 200 complete kits before accounting for any unusable or reserved components. Confirm the minimum usable quantity and any allowed over- or under-delivery before treating the count as settled.
Worked example: the lower item price is not the lower project price
The following numbers are hypothetical arithmetic only. They are not supplier prices, market benchmarks, or openXpromo customer data. Assume both options satisfy the same specification and provide 250 complete, usable units for 240 recipients plus 10 spares. For this illustration only, all required charges, including applicable taxes and duties, are explicitly covered by the displayed lines, with no additional costs.
| Comparison line | Option A | Option B |
|---|---|---|
| Product line | 250 × $8 = $2,000 | 250 × $9 = $2,250 |
| Setup | $125 | Included in product line |
| Packaging and assembly | $250 | Included in product line |
| Delivery | $325 | $375 |
| Complete quoted-scope total | $2,700 | $2,625 |
| Per complete unit, using 250 | $10.80 | $10.50 |
| Per intended recipient, using 240 | $11.25 | $10.94, rounded |
Option B has the higher product-line unit price but a total that is $75 lower for the assumed equivalent scope. Adding another setup or packing allowance to Option B would double count an included cost. Dividing by 240 instead of 250 answers a different budget question; it does not change either project's payable total.
If freight, tax, a required sample, or the complete-unit quantity were unknown, this example would not support a final delivered-price ranking. Ask for the missing information instead of filling the gap with an industry average.
Check the non-price conditions before approval
Use a short decision note rather than a price-only ranking:
- Does this exact item and decoration meet the brief?
- What proof or sample is being approved, and what does it not establish?
- Which approvals, payments, stock checks, or other conditions start the schedule?
- Does the quoted delivery scope reach the required receiving point and window?
- What quantity variation, substitutions, or price adjustments are allowed?
- What happens if components are short, damaged, incorrect, or late under the agreed terms?
- Who must approve a changed cost, product, artwork, or date?
For agency projects, keep the supplier comparison separate from the client-facing proposal. State whether the client's approved budget includes agency services and how changes will be handled. Account for the agency's own service work and obligations when assessing project margin; the lowest supplier total alone may not preserve it.
Choose one clear outcome: suitable for commercial review, needs clarification, revise the scope, or unsuitable for this brief. A completed worksheet is not an order or permission to begin production.
Turn the comparison into an applicable quote request
Send the product links or sourcing direction, quantity tiers, budget basis, artwork and packaging requirements, destination pattern, and in-hand date. State the costs you need included and the questions that prevent a decision. You do not need to share confidential competitor pricing to explain your requirements.
openXpromo supports B2B product discovery and quote inquiries, with commercial terms confirmed by email. Request a project-specific merchandise quote using a consistent scope so the options can be reviewed on their actual differences.