Two programmes accepted quotations on the same day. One invoice matched its quotation to within a rounding item; the other came in nine per cent higher. The difference was not the supplier’s honesty but whether the quotation had stated its assumptions, and whether anyone had read them before signing.
Quotation cost versus invoice: four causes of the gap
An unstated assumption, a component change under supply pressure, a quantity that fell below a threshold, and a scope item added after approval.
Three of the four are visible in the quotation if it was written well, and the fourth is a decision the buyer made after signing. Sorting a gap into one of the four causes takes minutes and determines who carries it, which is why the classification belongs at the start of the conversation rather than at the end.
Cause 1: an assumption that was never stated
Most gaps begin in silence.
A quotation that does not state the packaging version, the accessory set, the delivery term or the component grade has assumed one of each. The invoice then reflects what was actually built rather than what was assumed. The remedy is structural: a quotation acceptance that lists the assumptions and confirms them, so that the two documents describe the same product.
Cause 2: a component that changed under supply pressure
A substitution made to protect a date can change the price and the tested construction.
The change is usually justified and rarely documented in time to be priced. Where the approved component list names the part and the substitution procedure is agreed, the change is assessed before it is made and the price effect is known. Where it is not, the invoice carries both the material difference and the cost of an assessment that has to be done afterwards.
Cause 3: a quantity that fell below a threshold
The quotation was priced at a tier the order did not reach.
Fixed charges spread across the quoted quantity; the smaller order spreads them across fewer units. This cause is easy to identify because the arithmetic is visible: the gap divided by the fixed charges usually reproduces the difference between the two quantities. The practical fix is to state the quantity range in the acceptance, or to price the fixed charges separately so the effect is explicit.
Cause 4: a scope item added after approval
An extra language version, an additional plug variant, a different carton or a late accessory.
Each is a legitimate request and each carries a fixed charge or a material difference. The gap here is not a pricing failure but a change-control failure: the request was made to a person rather than recorded against the quotation. A change note, priced before it is accepted, prevents the invoice from being the first place the cost appears.
| Cause | How to identify it | Who carries it | Prevention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unstated assumption | The quotation is silent on scope items | Whichever side assumed | Assumptions listed in the acceptance |
| Component change | A substitution with an associated cost | Shared, if the procedure exists | Approved list and substitution procedure |
| Quantity below a threshold | The arithmetic reproduces the quantity gap | The buyer | Fixed charges priced separately |
| Scope added later | A change request with no priced note | The buyer | A priced change note per request |
What to write into the quotation acceptance
Six lines, and each closes one source of gap.
The configuration and packaging version; the accessory set; the quantity and the tier it falls in; the fixed charges and which are included; the delivery term; and the component list with the substitution procedure. An acceptance containing those six lines is a short document and it converts the quotation from an indication into a specification of the transaction.
Handling a gap after the fact
Classify it, then decide, then record it.
Classify the gap into one of the four causes, using the quotation and the change records rather than recollection. Decide who carries it according to what the documents say, and where the documents are silent, agree the split explicitly rather than by concession. Then record the outcome in the criteria or the supply terms, because a cause that is not closed in writing returns on the next order.
FAQ
Who should pay when the invoice exceeds the quotation?
It follows the cause. An unstated assumption is settled by what the documents support; a substitution made to protect a date is shared if the procedure was agreed; a scope addition or a quantity change falls to whoever changed it. Record which assumption the difference belongs to, because an unstated assumption is settled by the documents while a scope addition falls to whoever changed it.
How long should a quotation be held?
Long enough to cover the approval and payment of the deposit, with the components that could move the price named. Where the validity is shorter than the approval cycle, ask for a hold to a stated date. Ask for a hold to a stated date where the validity is shorter than the approval cycle, and name the components that could move the price.
Should change requests be priced before or after the work?
Before. A change note with its price and its effect on the schedule lets both sides decide with the information in hand, and it prevents a retrospective discussion about what the change should have cost. Issue the change note with its price and its effect on the schedule before the work starts, because a retrospective discussion has no reference point.
Is a quotation with assumptions a bad quotation?
No. Every quotation has assumptions; a good one states them. The risk sits in the ones that are not written, because they are discovered at the invoice rather than at the acceptance. State the assumptions in the quotation, because the risk sits in the ones that are not written and are discovered at the invoice rather than at the acceptance.
What if the gap is not attributable?
Then agree a split explicitly and record it, and add the missing assumption to the acceptance template. An unrecorded settlement becomes a precedent that both sides remember differently. Agree the split explicitly, record it, and add the missing assumption to the acceptance template, because an unrecorded settlement becomes a precedent both sides remember differently. and put the assumption into the template before the next order.
Next step
Send the configuration, the packaging version and the volume to Wecent Group through the contact page. The reply quotes the five cost lines with the assumptions stated, names the components that could move the price and provides a priced change-note format. 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.
{“@context”:”https://schema.org”,”@type”:”FAQPage”,”mainEntity”:[{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”Who should pay when the invoice exceeds the quotation?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”It follows the cause. An unstated assumption is settled by what the documents support; a substitution made to protect a date is shared if the procedure was agreed; a scope addition or a quantity change falls to whoever changed it.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”How long should a quotation be held?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”Long enough to cover the approval and payment of the deposit, with the components that could move the price named. Where the validity is shorter than the approval cycle, ask for a hold to a stated date.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”Should change requests be priced before or after the work?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”Before. A change note with its price and its effect on the schedule lets both sides decide with the information in hand, and it prevents a retrospective discussion about what the change should have cost.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”Is a quotation with assumptions a bad quotation?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”No. Every quotation has assumptions; a good one states them. The risk sits in the ones that are not written, because they are discovered at the invoice rather than at the acceptance.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”What if the gap is not attributable?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”Then agree a split explicitly and record it, and add the missing assumption to the acceptance template. An unrecorded settlement becomes a precedent that both sides remember differently.”}}]}