A supplier raises a price and your first instinct is to push back. Fair enough, but it is worth checking the increase before you question it or accept it. A price change often is not what it looks like at a glance, because the pack, the quality, and the way the cost is charged can all shift at the same time.
The fair way to handle this is a like-for-like comparison: the same product, normalized to a comparable quantity and cost basis, with both purchase dates recorded. That is the checklist below, built for a UAE restaurant owner trying to protect food cost without damaging a good supplier relationship.
What a fair price check compares
For a like-for-like ingredient comparison, compare the amount paid per standard unit alongside the total order cost. To see that clearly, compare the old invoice and the new one on these points before anything else:
- Exact ingredient, quality grade, and brand. A change from one brand to a cheaper grade explains a price move without any wrongdoing.
- Pack net weight. A changed pack size can alter unit cost even when the case price falls.
- The same cost-inclusion basis. Confirm both prices include or exclude the same items (delivery, VAT).
- Purchase dates and applicable terms. Record both dates and confirm which agreement or quotation applied to each purchase.
- Agreed price terms and delivery charges. Confirm the credit terms and free-delivery threshold did not change.
When any one of these differs, you are not comparing the same thing yet.
Compare the price you actually pay per unit
In this hypothetical worked example, last month a branch bought a 10 kg case of an ingredient for AED 100. That is AED 10 per kg. In the next comparison period, the same supplier sends an 8 kg case for AED 88. That is AED 11 per kg.
| Previous order | New order | |
|---|---|---|
| Case size | 10 kg | 8 kg |
| Case price | AED 100 | AED 88 |
| Price per kg | AED 10 | AED 11 |
| Change vs previous | — | Case price down 12% |
| Normalized per kg | — | Up 10% |
The case price fell by 12%, which reads as a saving. But the per-kg cost rose by 10%. That single number - what you pay per kilogram of the same ingredient - is what matters for your food cost.
Note: this alone does not prove wrongdoing. A supplier can change a pack size for legitimate reasons. Your job is to notice the unit-price change, not to assume intent. If the per-unit price moved, ask the supplier what changed and verify the reason against the checklist.
The step-by-step checklist
- Pull both invoices and set them side by side.
- Confirm you are comparing the exact ingredient, quality, and brand.
- Confirm the pack net weight on both; convert to a per-kg (or per-unit) price.
- Confirm both prices use the same cost-inclusion basis (delivery, VAT).
- Record both purchase dates and confirm the agreed terms applicable to each purchase.
- Assign one reviewer by name - for example, your branch manager or purchasing lead - and write down the next action, such as "confirm the reason with the supplier by Friday."
Writing down who reviews it and what happens next is what turns a reaction into a controlled check.
How a purchasing workflow keeps this in reach
Settling a price argument is much easier when both sides can see the same records. A purchasing and supplier flow that supports a branch purchase order, partial receiving, a clear view of PO, GRN (goods-received note) and invoice differences, and staff approval gives you clean documents to compare instead of a stack of paper. You can review how invoice amounts line up with what was actually received at that branch before you pay.
That same principle applies to inventory: knowing whether you are tracking a raw ingredient versus a finished dish is exactly what ingredient vs. finished-goods inventory tracking helps you keep straight, so a supplier change flows through to your costs accurately.
Short FAQ
Why compare per kg instead of per case? Because pack sizes change. Per-unit cost is the only fair comparison of the ingredient you receive.
Does a case price drop mean the price went down? Not necessarily. As the example shows, the per-kg cost can move the opposite way.
Is a higher normalized price proof of bad faith? No. It only means the unit price changed. Confirm the reason with the supplier before drawing conclusions.
Who should do this check? One named person, such as a branch manager or purchasing lead, so the record stays consistent.
Next step
A consistent review can help you identify changes before using an outdated cost in purchasing decisions. If you want to see this exact workflow - comparing two of your own supplier invoices and their pack specifications step by step - ask us for a walkthrough. We can show you how a cleaner purchasing record makes the check simple.
For related guidance, read ingredient and finished-goods inventory units. Explore TajerGo Purchasing & Suppliers and request a walkthrough using two invoices and their pack specifications.