You asked three suppliers for a quote. You got three PDFs, three currencies, and three different ideas of what "unit price" means. Congratulations, you're now doing procurement. Here's a checklist so the comparison is actually apples to apples.
1. Send the same brief to everyone
Quotes can only be compared if the question was identical. Write one spec sheet: materials, dimensions, tolerances, colours, finishing, packaging, labelling, and the quantity (or quantity tiers) you want priced. Send that same document to every supplier. If one supplier "improves" your spec, ask them to quote your original too, and the improvement as an option.
2. Normalise the price basis
Check what each unit price actually includes:
- Currency, and the date the price is valid until
- Incoterm (EXW, FOB, DDP and so on): who pays for what, and where the risk shifts
- Tooling, mould or setup costs: one-off or built into the unit price?
- Packaging: individual packs, cartons, pallets, or loose?
- Taxes and duties: included or not?
Put everything in one spreadsheet, one column per supplier, one row per cost line. Empty cells are your questions for the supplier, not zeros.
3. Compare quantities and MOQs honestly
A great price at a quantity you can't afford to hold isn't a great price. Compare the price at the quantity you'd actually order, and note each supplier's MOQ and what happens to the price if you order more or less.
4. Add the cost of time
Note the production lead time, the shipping time, and when the sample can be ready. A cheaper quote that arrives after your selling season is just an expensive decoration for your warehouse.
5. Compare payment terms
Deposit, balance, and when each is due. Ask what happens if the goods don't match the spec. Terms you can live with are part of the price.
6. Look at the unglamorous signals
How fast and how clearly did they answer? Did they ask good questions about your spec, or just say "no problem" to everything? A supplier who says yes to everything is either very good or hasn't read your brief. Ask for company registration details, references, and photos or documents from similar past orders, and check them independently.
7. Sample before you decide
Order a sample from your top two and judge it against your spec sheet, not against the charm of the emails.
8. Ask follow-ups in writing
Every clarification goes into an email, and the final agreed terms go into the purchase order. Chat messages are lovely, but they're not a contract.
The short version
Same brief, same price basis, same quantity, full cost lines, real lead times, clear payment terms, and a sample. Do that and the cheapest quote will either still be the cheapest or reveal itself as the one with the sneaky extras.
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