PRACTICAL GUIDES · 3PLWOW
How to Check Your Fulfilment Invoice
A useful invoice check follows the warehouse work: orders handled, additional items, packaging, postage, storage and extras. It should also explain the period and quantities behind the totals. Use this checklist to reconcile your fulfilment invoice without relying only on the headline amount due.
Confirm the period and order basis
Check which event assigns an order to the invoice month: dispatch, fulfilment or another agreed record. A customer purchase late in one month can be dispatched in the next. Compare the invoice with the report using the same dates and statuses. Separate cancelled, held and replacement orders so a simple count does not mix different activities.
Check quantities before unit rates
Review base pick-and-pack quantities, additional items and any kits or manual work. Confirm how the included-item allowance operates. Then inspect packaging and delivery counts, including international orders and service changes. A correct unit price multiplied by the wrong quantity still produces an incorrect total, so reconcile the order profiles as well as the rate card.
Review storage and extra work separately
Compare storage quantities with the agreed basis and period. Check returns, assembly, inserts, resends and other additional services against their records. Keep credits and manual adjustments identifiable. Distinguish amounts before VAT from the tax and invoice total. If something is unclear, send a specific order or line reference to the account contact rather than only querying the grand total.
A WORKED EXAMPLE
Make the brief practical
Example check: ten manual resends may create ten additional fulfilment charges and ten postage charges. Those are two kinds of work but only ten extra dispatches. Confirm they have not also been counted as the same ten imported customer orders.
What to prepare
- Same invoice period and status filters
- Quantities matched to order reports
- Rate-card version and manual additions
- Subtotal, VAT and total kept distinct
A starting template for your team
Copy these fields into your working brief and use the checklist above to add the details for this task. Agree any required file format with your fulfilment contact before sending the final version.
Brief / delivery / review name: Brand and contact: Relevant SKUs / order profiles: Quantities and units: Required date / invoice period: Instructions and exceptions: Approver and version:
Questions to settle before go-live
Should the number of orders match the number of picks?
Not always. Additional items, kits and separately agreed work can create different quantities. Compare each invoice line with the definition in your pricing agreement.
What is the best way to query a charge?
Provide the client, invoice month, line description and a small set of order references showing the issue. That makes the question traceable and easier to resolve.
Bring your order profile to 3PLWOW
Our team in Blyth, Northumberland can discuss the products, stock, order volumes and packing work involved. Send examples of your typical orders, delivery destinations and any special requirements so the service and pricing can be agreed around your business.
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