Start with a comparable specification
A lower unit price is useful only if both offers supply the packaging you need. Film thickness, material structure, web width, printing, usable quantity and delivery terms can change what you receive for the quoted amount. Record these alongside the price before doing any conversion.
Keep an unresolved specification difference visible. A thinner film may cost less per square metre while having a higher price per kilogram. That does not establish whether it performs adequately on your line. Cost comparison and technical qualification are separate decisions.
- Match the material or layer structure and required dimensions.
- Confirm whether the quantity is net material, gross shipment weight or finished pieces.
- Record the currency, quote validity, minimum order and quantity tier.
- List tooling, setup, freight and other separately billed charges.
Choose one common unit
Compare films on price per square metre when the same area does the same job, or price per kilogram when evaluating an equivalent mass specification. For finished packaging, use a common number of accepted pieces. A running-metre quote needs the web width before it can be compared with an area quote.
For illustration, film at €3.20/kg and 60 GSM costs €0.192/m²: 3.20 × 60 ÷ 1,000. At a 0.8 m web width, that is €0.1536 per running metre. A quote of €0.15/m for that same width equals €0.1875/m². These numbers are comparable only after confirming the same material and thickness.
Compare an actual order, not an isolated price
At an order of 10,000 m², the first offer above has a €1,920 material subtotal. Add €120 freight and its delivered amount is €2,040, or €0.204/m². The second offer has a €1,875 subtotal; with €200 freight it becomes €2,075, or €0.2075/m². The lower quoted unit price therefore produces the higher delivered total in this example.
Repeat the comparison at the quantity you actually plan to purchase. Fixed charges dilute over larger orders, but a larger minimum order can tie up cash and create surplus inventory. Enter each tier explicitly rather than applying a volume discount to a smaller order.
Turn the result into a purchasing decision
Use the normalized result to identify the price difference and its cause. Then review lead time, payment terms, production compatibility and the cost of any supplier change. Keep assumptions with the calculation so a colleague can reproduce it.
Estimate recurring savings over a stated number of equivalent deliveries. Twelve deliveries are not automatically a year: use a yearly label only when the delivery frequency is known. If demand changes, recalculate the quantity and charges rather than multiplying a single unusually large shipment.
Case: the lower quoted unit price costs more to buy
Offer A supplies 10,000 accepted packs at EUR 0.20 with EUR 150 freight and no separately charged setup: total EUR 2,150. Offer B quotes EUR 0.19 but adds EUR 300 setup and EUR 100 freight: total EUR 2,300.
The EUR 100 variable-price advantage is outweighed by EUR 250 additional fixed charges. Request those exclusions explicitly, confirm the same specification and compare the actual order. These are illustrative offers, not customer results.
Common questions
Should I always compare price per kilogram?
No. Choose the unit that represents the same useful output. For film coverage, area is often more informative; for finished packs, compare accepted pieces. Match specifications first.
Can I compare different currencies?
Use one explicit exchange rate and date, convert all relevant charges, and keep that assumption with the result. The calculators do not supply live exchange rates.