How to check a freight invoice against the quote

Short answer

1. Match the invoice to the quote and the delivery by consignment number.
2. Check weight, size, zone and base rate.
3. Check every surcharge against the quote or rate card.
4. Check GST and duplicates, then approve or dispute the one line.

Before you start

Have the quote, the booking, the proof of delivery and the carrier’s rate card. If you ship often, the rate card matters most. A quote covers one job. The rate card covers every job in the contract.

The manual way

1. Open the invoice. List each line: base freight, fuel levy, and every extra.
2. Open the quote. Tick each invoice line that appears on it. Circle the rest.
3. Check weight and size. A carrier’s invoice often shows the weight it measured. If it is higher than your booking, ask for the scan or weigh data.
4. Check the base rate. Work it as weight times rate, plus any minimum charge.
5. Check the fuel surcharge. It is usually a percentage of the base rate. Use the free fuel surcharge calculator to check the maths.
6. Check each extra. Residential delivery, tail lift, waiting time and redelivery are common. If one is not in the quote, ask why.
7. Check the GST. A domestic carrier invoice normally carries 10% GST. Check it is a valid tax invoice. See How to check a tax invoice has what the ATO needs.

In Xero or MYOB there is no quote field on a bill. Most teams keep a spreadsheet or attach the quote to the bill.

The Pulsify way

1. Enter the agreed freight rate. Either raise the quote as a purchase order in Xero, or upload the carrier’s rate card as a supplier price list. A price list is a CSV with an item code or description and a unit price excluding GST.
2. Forward the carrier’s invoice to your Pulsify address. Pulsify reads each line, and codes it with an account and GST from past bills.
3. Pulsify flags lines where quantity or unit price differs from the PO, or where the unit price differs from the price list. Price list differences show as warnings and never block approval.
4. Pulsify also flags a possible duplicate and a changed bank account.
5. You query the flagged lines with the carrier, then approve.

Pulsify does not read the weight or zone from a carrier’s system. It compares what is printed on the invoice with what you agreed.

Worked example

Example Freight Co quotes $380.00 plus GST for a pallet from Sydney to Brisbane. The quote lists a 6% fuel levy.

The invoice shows:

Line	Invoice	Quote
Base freight	$380.00	$380.00
Fuel levy 12%	$45.60	$22.80 (6%)
Residential delivery	$35.00	Not listed
Total ex GST	$460.60	$402.80

The fuel levy is double the quote and the residential charge was never quoted. Ask Example Freight Co about both lines. Paying $460.60 plus GST without checking costs $57.80 more than the quote.

Common mistakes

• Checking only the total. Two wrong lines can net out to look fine.
• Using the quote for a recurring lane when a newer rate card applies.
• Paying first and disputing later. Dispute before approval.

Next step

Try an invoice at app.pulsify.tech/sign-up. Or book a call to find out how customers have saved hours per week after switching.

Read the PO matching guide and the price lists guide. Free tools: freight cost per unit calculator and fuel surcharge calculator. For more depth, see the blog post on freight invoice reconciliation.