Three suppliers send back three prices for the same order of custom paper mailers. It’s tempting to line them up and pick the lowest, but three prices are not automatically three comparable quotes. Each figure answers the question that supplier thought you were asking, and unless every supplier received the same question, the answers don’t measure the same thing.
If one quote is for a slightly larger size, another for a heavier GSM, and a third for one-sided printing at double the quantity with delivery only to the port, the lowest unit price tells you very little. It may be the cheapest simply because it covers less: less paper, less print, more volume or a shorter delivery scope.
The fix happens before the quotes arrive. Lock the RFQ scope first, send it to every supplier, and compare price only after that. The table below lists the fields every supplier should quote against.
What a Comparable Paper Mailer Quote Actually Needs
| RFQ Field | What to Specify |
|---|---|
| Mailer type | Exact paper mailer construction |
| Size | Same measurement basis |
| Material | Paper type and GSM |
| Closure | Required closure configuration |
| Printing | Artwork status and print requirements |
| Quantity | Same quote quantity |
| MOQ | Applicable MOQ |
| Proof / Sample | Required approval stage |
| Timing | Production and shipping separately |
| Delivery | Same destination and shipping basis |
| Quote scope | Included and excluded items |
The table has two halves. The upper rows fix the product: what is being made. The lower rows fix the commercial scope: what the price covers and how the order reaches you. A comparable quote needs both. Many quote mismatches happen because the buyer aligned the product and assumed the commercial terms would follow, so treat this as the working rule: do not compare prices until every supplier is quoting the same specification and delivery scope.
Fix the Product Before You Compare the Price
An RFQ is only as comparable as the specification behind it. Before you contact anyone, settle on one baseline mailer and write it down in enough detail that two suppliers reading it would picture the same product.
Size and Measurement Basis
Size is the field most likely to drift between quotes, because the same mailer can be described in different ways: width first or length first, outside dimensions or usable inside dimensions, with or without the flap. Choose one basis, state it in the RFQ, and ask every supplier to quote to it. If a supplier comes back with its “closest standard size,” record that as a different size, not the same one.
If you haven’t finalized the dimensions yet, settle them first with the paper mailer size guide, then carry the final figures and their measurement basis into the RFQ unchanged.
Paper Type and GSM
Write the paper type and the GSM into the RFQ as fixed values, not as “kraft paper, standard weight.” A loose description invites each supplier to quote its own default, and two defaults rarely match. Paper type and GSM affect both cost and how the mailer performs, so a quote on a different paper or weight is a quote on a different product. If a supplier proposes another paper or GSM, that is an alternative specification and needs its own price line, separate from the baseline.
Construction and Closure
State the construction elements the mailer must have:
- Closure: the closure configuration, for example a self-seal adhesive strip, and whether a tear strip is required
- Return feature: a second adhesive strip or similar, if your returns process needs one
- Gusset or other structure: only if the mailer requires it
Specify what the mailer actually needs, nothing more. The aim isn’t to describe every possible option, but to make sure no supplier quotes a simpler construction than the one you plan to order.
Printing and Artwork Status
Tell every supplier the same thing about your artwork, because it shapes what they include and how they plan the timeline. State which of these applies:
- Artwork ready: print-ready files will be supplied as they are
- Artwork needs adjustment: files exist but need setup or changes before production
- Proof required: you expect to review and approve a proof before production
Describe the print requirements in the same message: which sides are printed, how many colors, and whether the design runs to the edges. If you’re not sure your files are ready, check them against the custom mailer artwork requirements before sending the RFQ, so the artwork status you give suppliers is accurate.
Quantity
A unit price belongs to the quantity it was quoted at. If Supplier A quotes 5,000 pieces, Supplier B quotes 10,000 and Supplier C quotes 20,000, the three unit prices reflect three different order sizes. Putting them in one row compares volume, not suppliers. Name the quote quantity in the RFQ and ask every supplier to price exactly that quantity. If you want to see how price changes with volume, ask for quantity tiers, but give every supplier the same tiers.
Make Every Supplier Quote the Same Job
A fixed specification only helps if every supplier actually receives it. In practice, RFQs drift: a call with one supplier adds a detail, an email to another leaves one out, and a third works from an older version of the spec. Each conversation quietly produces its own version of the job, and the quotes that come back reflect those differences.
One Baseline RFQ
Keep one written RFQ document, mark it with a version or date, and send that same version to every supplier. It carries the same baseline specification, the same quote quantity and the same artwork status for everyone. When a supplier’s question leads you to clarify or change something, send the answer to all suppliers, not only the one who asked. A detail that reaches one supplier and not the others is enough to make their quotes describe different products.
Alternatives Should Be Quoted Separately
Suppliers sometimes suggest an alternative, such as a different GSM, a standard size close to yours or a simpler print layout. That input can be useful, but treat it as a second option next to the baseline quote, never as a replacement for it. Ask for the baseline first and the alternative as a separately priced line. Otherwise one supplier’s suggestion quietly becomes the only number you have from them, and it no longer lines up with anyone else’s.
Then Normalize the Commercial Scope
Two suppliers can quote exactly the same paper mailer and still give you prices that can’t be compared directly. One price includes delivery to your warehouse while the other ends at the factory. One includes a physical sample while the other covers a digital proof only. One builds setup items into the unit price while the other lists them separately. The product matches, but the deal doesn’t. Aligning the specification is necessary, but it isn’t enough; the commercial terms need the same discipline.
MOQ and Quantity Basis
MOQ is the supplier’s minimum requirement. Target quantity is the number you actually intend to buy. Keep them as two separate fields in the RFQ and in the comparison. Merging them leads to two kinds of error: requesting quotes at the MOQ when you plan to order more, or assuming a supplier can accept your quantity without checking it against their minimum.
Also check which minimum you’re looking at. A supplier’s headline MOQ, the one on its website or in its first reply, may not apply to every specification, since a custom size, material or print requirement can change it. Ask each supplier to confirm the MOQ for the exact specification in your RFQ.
Proof and Sample Scope
Approval steps differ between suppliers, and so does what each quote includes. Ask every supplier to confirm separately:
- Whether a digital proof is included
- Whether a physical sample is included, available as an option, or not offered for this order
- Any other approval steps before production starts
A quote that includes a physical sample and one that covers a digital proof only are not offering the same pre-production check. Artwork also often changes after the first proof, so ask each supplier whether a revision requires a new proof and whether it affects the price or the timeline. You don’t need to estimate those costs yourself; the goal is to have each supplier’s answer in writing, so a revision doesn’t change the deal later without warning.
Keep proof and sample costs in their own rows. They are one-time items, while the unit price is the per-piece cost of the production run. If a one-time cost is folded into one supplier’s unit price but listed separately by another, the comparison tilts without anyone noticing.
Production and Delivery Timing
Ask every supplier to state timing in three parts:
- Production: from production start to goods ready
- Shipping: from goods ready to arrival at your destination
- Total turnaround: from order confirmation to goods in hand
Instead of asking “how long does it take?”, give every supplier the date the mailers need to be at your warehouse or 3PL, and ask whether their timeline meets it. Working back from one fixed in-hand date makes the answers comparable and puts any timing gap on the table before you choose a supplier, not after.
Single figures need the most care. If two suppliers both write “4 weeks,” the figures can still describe different things. Before comparing, confirm when the clock starts (order confirmation, payment or proof approval), whether it covers production only or includes shipping, and where it ends: at the factory, at the port or at your door. Two identical numbers with different start and end points are not the same lead time.
Shipping Basis and Destination
Where the supplier’s responsibility ends changes what the price covers. An EXW quote, an FOB quote and a DDP quote do not cover the same delivery scope, so they can’t be ranked by unit price alone. Destination works the same way: a quote to a port and a quote to your warehouse describe different jobs.
Specify one destination and one shipping basis in the RFQ. Same destination + same shipping basis = meaningful comparison. If a supplier can only quote on a different basis, note that clearly in the comparison so the difference isn’t hidden inside the unit price.
Included and Excluded Costs
Don’t assume “unit price” means the same thing on every quote. One supplier may bundle items into the unit price that another itemizes, and the only way to know is to ask each one the same question: what is included in the unit price, what is quoted separately, such as one-time setup items or proofs, and what is excluded entirely.
A cost that doesn’t appear on a quote isn’t a cost of zero. It’s a cost you don’t know yet. Treat every missing item as a follow-up question for that supplier, and keep it open until the supplier confirms whether it’s included, charged separately or not applicable.
Put the Quotes Into One Comparison Sheet
When the quotes arrive, put them into one grid with the same rows for every supplier. Fill in only what each supplier actually stated, not what you expect the answer to be.
| Quote Field | Supplier A | Supplier B | Supplier C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size basis | |||
| Material / GSM | |||
| Construction / closure | |||
| Printing scope | |||
| Quantity | |||
| MOQ | |||
| Proof / sample | |||
| Unit price basis | |||
| Production timing | |||
| Shipping timing | |||
| Shipping basis | |||
| Destination | |||
| Included costs | |||
| Excluded costs |
Blank cells are follow-up questions, not zeros. Each empty cell is something a supplier hasn’t confirmed, and it goes back to that supplier before the quote is ranked.
Then read the sheet in two passes. First, check the product rows: size, material, GSM, construction, printing and quantity. If they don’t match across suppliers yet, hold off on deciding who is cheaper, because the price rows are still comparing different products. Second, check the commercial rows: MOQ, proof and sample, timing, shipping basis, destination, and included and excluded costs. Only when both layers line up does the unit price tell you which supplier is actually cheaper.
When a Quote Looks Cheaper, Check Why
If one quote comes in noticeably below the others, the first question is whether it covers the same job. Three gaps are worth checking first.
The Material Is Different
A quote on a different paper type or GSM is a quote on a different product. It belongs in its own row as an alternative, not in the same comparison as the baseline.
The Quantity Is Different
A unit price quoted at a higher quantity tier isn’t comparable with one quoted at your target quantity. Ask for the same tier before drawing any conclusion.
The Delivery Scope Is Different
A factory-level price and a delivered price cover different scopes. Placed side by side, the factory price will usually look cheaper simply because it covers less.
Before You Send the RFQ
Have these ready before you contact any supplier:
- Final size and measurement basis
- Paper type / GSM
- Construction / closure
- Artwork status
- Printing requirements
- Target quantity
- Delivery destination
- Required in-hand date
- Proof / sample requirement
Send the same RFQ version to every supplier. If the specification changes partway through, send the revised RFQ to all of them and ask each one to requote. Updating only one supplier’s quote puts you back to comparing different specifications.
Ready to request pricing for custom paper mailers? Prepare your size, material, artwork, quantity and delivery requirements, then request a quote using the same specification you plan to compare.