A fulfilment invoice can add up correctly while containing charges that do not match the agreement. These seven checks are a practical review list, not a claim about how often providers make mistakes. Each needs the right evidence.
Seven checks for your next invoice
- Incorrect pick fees. Compare the agreed first and additional pick rates with fulfilled units. If bundles are billed by component, use the bundle catalogue rather than assuming one sale equals one pick.
- Duplicate charges. Compare invoice references, charge types, shipment events and credit notes. Repeated order numbers can be valid when an order ships in parts.
- Wrong quantities. Reconcile billed picks, receipts or returns with the actual activity. Ordered quantity may differ from fulfilled quantity after cancellations or split shipments.
- Unexpected surcharges. Find the code in the agreed terms, then check whether its conditions were met. A permitted handling surcharge may still require parcel measurements.
- Incorrect carrier fees. Check service, destination, effective date and the applicable weight band. Product weight does not establish the packed parcel weight.
- Storage discrepancies. Check the unit being charged: pallet-day, bin, cubic metre or another agreed basis. Confirm occupancy and the complete billed period, including any peak-rate window.
- Missing or repeated credits. Link credit notes to the original invoice row. A valid credit should not be treated as a new charge or deducted twice.
Worked example: a quantity difference
Suppose the agreement charges £0.40 per received unit. An invoice bills 120 units, but the receiving record confirms 100. The comparison is £48 billed against £40 expected: an £8 difference. Before raising a query, check whether the missing 20 units were recorded on a separate receipt covered by the same invoice line. This is an illustrative calculation, not a customer result.
What to investigate first
Start with differences supported by both a rate and an activity record. Keep missing-evidence charges separate. An unfamiliar surcharge code can be a valid contractual fee; ask what it means rather than labelling it a billing error immediately. The hidden fees guide explains how to check the scope of those terms.
Which checks can the app perform?
This checklist is broader than WarehouseAudit’s automated scope. The Shopify flow checks supported picks and contractual surcharges, and can use explicitly linked receiving or return evidence for supported rules. It does not automatically verify every duplicate, storage charge or carrier charge. The public trial has a different supported scope, shown before upload. Run a free 3PL invoice audit to review supported comparisons and unresolved evidence.
Ready to check your own invoice?
See the 3PL invoice audit workflow for supported inputs, a charge comparison and the route to running your first check.