Formula:
invoice amount = total actual pounds × price per pound. Estimated amount = cases × nominal pounds per case × price per pound.
Catch-weight calculator
Catch-weight price calculator: estimate vs actual-weight invoice
Variable-weight itemCase of ribeyeEntered in cases. Billed on actual pounds.
Inventory unitCase, box, piece, pallet
Pricing unitPound or kilogram
OrderedEstimated weight
PickedActual weight captured
InvoicedActual pounds × price per pound
If a step drops the weight, margin leaks one case at a time.
Short answer: This free catch-weight price calculator shows what a variable-weight case will cost at the actual weight, and how far the invoice moves from the price quoted at the nominal weight. Enter the price per pound, the nominal case weight, the actual weights and the number of cases. It runs in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere.
Updated
Catch-weight price calculator
Estimated at nominal weight: $780.00 (120 lb)
Invoiced at actual weight: $797.55 (122.70 lb across 3 cases)
Difference: $17.55
How catch-weight pricing works
A catch-weight item is ordered and stocked by the case but priced by the pound. The customer sees an estimated price at the nominal weight when they order; the invoice bills the weight actually shipped (catch weight). If the actual weight is not captured at picking, the distributor either bills the nominal weight and gives away margin on heavy cases, or corrects invoices by hand (catch weight invoicing guide).
Worked example
Ten cases of bone-in ribeye at $6.40 a pound, nominal 60 lb a case, are quoted at 10 × 60 × $6.40 = $3,840.00. The picked cases weigh 612 lb in total, so the invoice is 612 × $6.40 = $3,916.80, $76.80 more than the quote. On a light pick of 588 lb it would be $3,763.20. Over a week of protein orders those swings add up, which is why the weight has to be captured at the scale and printed on the invoice, not estimated afterwards.
Three numbers, not one
The clean way to run catch weight is to carry three weights on every line: ordered (nominal), shipped (scaled at picking) and invoiced (what the customer is billed). When the three agree, the pick was right. When shipped and invoiced differ, someone corrected an invoice by hand and the margin report is already off (catch weight software).
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate a catch-weight price?
Multiply the total actual pounds shipped by the price per pound. The estimate at order time uses the nominal case weight instead.
Why does the invoice differ from the order?
Because the actual weight of each case differs from the nominal weight used for the estimate.
Is the calculator free?
Yes. It runs in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere.
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