Two per-unit prices were quoted for the same charger at the same quantity, and they differed by eighteen per cent. One included the accessory cable and a two-language carton; the other quoted the charger alone with a single-language carton and priced the cable separately. Neither number was wrong, and comparing them was.
Charger price per unit: what has to match before comparing
Five items: the configuration, the packaging version, the accessory set, the delivery term and the quantity.
A per-unit figure is a ratio, and a ratio only means something when both sides are defined. The five items above are the denominator: change any one of them and the price describes a different product. The practical approach is to write the five into the comparison table and mark any quotation that does not state one of them.
Quantity deserves its own line because it interacts with the fixed charges rather than with the material cost, and the effect is larger at small volumes.
Item 1: the configuration
Ports, profiles, plug arrangement and cable rating.
Two chargers with the same wattage headline can differ in port count, profile support and the plug kit supplied. Each of those changes the material line, and the profile support changes the test matrix as well. Where a quotation does not state the configuration, the comparison is between a product and a description.
Item 2: the packaging version
One language or six, and which carton construction.
The print setup is charged per artwork version, so the packaging version is a fixed charge rather than a per-unit variable. At a thousand pieces the difference between one language and six can be visible in the per-unit price; at ten thousand it almost disappears. That is also why packaging is the item most likely to explain a gap between two quotations at low volume.
Item 3: the accessory set
Cable, pouch, documentation and the adapter where one is included.
Accessories are assembled by hand in most factories, so they add both material and station time. A quotation that excludes the cable and one that includes it describe two different retail boxes, and the difference is often larger than the negotiation range on the charger itself. The accessory list belongs in the specification, not in a note on the quotation.
Item 4: the delivery term
Ex works, FOB or delivered, and who pays the freight.
A per-unit price quoted ex works and one quoted delivered are not comparable, because the second includes freight and an element of risk transfer. Converting them requires the carton dimensions, the weight and the route, which is why the term should be stated at the quotation stage rather than discovered when the shipping quote arrives.
Item 5: the quantity and its thresholds
The quantity decides how the fixed charges are spread.
At the same quantity, two suppliers can differ simply because one is amortising tooling and the other is not. At different quantities, the comparison requires the fixed charges to be separated and added back at the buyer’s real volume. The most common mistake in this comparison is accepting a per-unit figure at the supplier’s preferred quantity and ordering at a different one.
| Item | What to check | Effect on the per-unit figure | Common gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Configuration | Ports, profiles, plugs, cable rating | Material and test matrix | An unstated port count |
| Packaging version | Languages and carton construction | A fixed charge per version | Two languages versus one |
| Accessories | Cable, pouch, documentation, adapter | Material and station time | The cable priced separately |
| Delivery term | Where responsibility transfers | Freight and risk | Ex works compared with delivered |
| Quantity | The actual order quantity | The spread of fixed charges | Quoted at a different tier |
Building the comparison table
Five rows, one column per supplier, and a note where an item is unstated.
The table holds the five items, then the per-unit price, then the fixed charges separated, then the total at the buyer’s quantity. Anything unstated is marked rather than estimated, because an estimate in a comparison table becomes a fact in the decision. The table also becomes the document that explains the choice six months later.
When the per-unit figure is the wrong metric
Three situations where a different number decides.
Where tooling is involved, the total programme cost over the first year decides rather than the unit price. Where several markets are served, the landed cost per market decides. And where the product carries a certification dependency, the cost of a re-test after a change belongs in the calculation. In each case the per-unit figure is one input, and the decision is made on the total.
FAQ
Can per-unit prices be compared at different quantities?
Only after separating the fixed charges and adding them back at the buyer’s real quantity. The material and process lines scale differently from the fixed ones, so a direct comparison across quantities mixes two effects. Separate the fixed charges and add them back at the buyer’s real quantity, because the material and process lines scale differently from the fixed ones in the comparison.
Why is one supplier’s packaging apparently free?
It is usually inside the unit price rather than free, which compresses the visible discount between tiers. Asking for the packaging setup as a separate line shows where it is. Ask for the packaging setup as a separate line, because it is usually inside the unit price and that is what compresses the visible discount between tiers rather than being free.
Should the adapter be included in the comparison?
It should be defined either way, because the adapter is a separate product with its own records and its own conformity. Where it is in the box, it belongs in the specification and the price. Define it either way, because the adapter is a separate product with its own records and its own conformity, and where it is in the box it belongs in the specification.
What if a supplier will not state the delivery term?
Then the price is ex-works in practice, and the freight and risk sit with the buyer. Ask for the term in writing and price the freight for the actual carton dimensions before comparing. Ask for the term in writing and price the freight for the actual carton dimensions, because without a term the price is ex-works in practice and the risk sits with the buyer.
Next step
Send the configuration, the packaging version, the accessory list and the delivery requirement to Wecent Group through the contact page. The reply states the per-unit price with its scope, the fixed charges separately and the total at the order quantity you intend to place. Related reading: OEM and ODM charger manufacturing, charger manufacturing services and the factory floor. External references: ICC Incoterms rules, International Trade Centre Trade Map, IEC standards, EU CE marking rules, UL standards and certification and Intertek testing services.
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