F3PL invoice audit
Every 3PL invoice, audited in minutes before it's paid.
3PL bills are long lists of storage, handling, pick-and-pack, and freight charges, and most get paid without a line-by-line check. West Atlas automates the whole audit, and each invoice is done in minutes: data collected automatically, every charge validated against your contract terms and rates, variances reported line by line, and each invoice submitted to your team for final review before anything is paid. Built for consumer brands, wholesalers, and e-commerce sellers.
Automated from invoice to approval
Four steps run on their own in minutes. Your team only makes the final call.
- 1. Automated data collection
- Invoices are pulled from email or your 3PL portal as they arrive, along with order, receiving, and inventory activity from Shopify, Extensiv, NetSuite, or portal exports. No one downloads or retypes anything.
- 2. Validation against contract terms and rates
- Every line is checked against your rate card, minimums, surcharges, and billing terms, and against what actually shipped, arrived, and sat in storage.
- 3. Variance reports
- Each mismatch is reported with the billed amount, the contracted amount, the difference, and the backup behind it, totaled by charge type and by invoice.
- 4. Submission for final review
- The audited invoice and variance report go to your team as one package. Approve payment, dispute the variances, or both, in a single sitting.
From an ongoing engagement with a consumer brand. Client name withheld under confidentiality.
Read the resultsWhat the audit checks
Every line, on every invoice, against the contract you signed.
- Storage
- Pallet, bin, and cubic-foot storage checked against on-hand inventory and the billing cycle in your agreement, including long-term storage fees.
- Receiving and putaway
- Unloading, receiving, and putaway fees matched to the containers, cartons, and pallets that actually arrived.
- Pick, pack, and handling
- Order, unit, and line fees matched to shipped orders, with duplicate charges and misapplied minimums flagged.
- Outbound freight and surcharges
- Carrier charges, fuel, residential, and accessorial fees checked against zone, weight, and the markup in your rate card.
- Projects and one-off fees
- Kitting, relabeling, returns, and ad hoc charges flagged when there's no approved work order behind them.
- Dispute package
- One summary per invoice: what to pay, what to dispute, and the backup for each line, ready to send to the 3PL.
You probably need this if
- 3PL invoices get paid on trust, or after a glance at the total.
- Nobody has compared the bill to the contract since onboarding.
- Storage and handling costs are rising faster than order volume.
- Disputes take days to assemble, so small overcharges never get chased.
Questions about 3PL invoice audits
How does an automated 3PL invoice audit work?
It runs in four automated steps and finishes each invoice in minutes. Invoice and activity data are collected automatically, every charge is validated against your contract terms and rates, variances are reported line by line with the backup, and the audited invoice is submitted to your team for final review. People approve payment and disputes; the software does the checking.
What are the most common 3PL billing errors?
Storage billed on more pallets than are on hand, duplicate pick or order fees, minimums applied when volume exceeded them, surcharges that aren't in the contract, and freight markups above the agreed rate. Each is small on a single invoice and adds up over a year.
Which 3PLs and systems does it work with?
Any 3PL that sends an itemized invoice. The audit reads PDF, CSV, and spreadsheet invoices and pulls activity from systems such as Shopify, Extensiv, NetSuite, and SPS Commerce, or from your 3PL's portal exports.
How long does an automated 3PL audit take?
The automated audit finishes each invoice in minutes. In one ongoing engagement, that saves four to five hours per invoice, covering both the line-by-line check and the team review that leads to a payment decision. It also found $50K in overcharges.
Does this only work for CPG brands?
No. West Atlas grew out of CPG, but the same work shows up anywhere physical products move: wholesale, distribution, e-commerce, and light manufacturing. If your team handles purchase orders, freight, inventory, or channel reporting, it fits.
What does it cost?
Fixed scope and a fixed fee, agreed before work starts. Most brands start with one 3PL, then add carriers and forwarders once the first audit is running.
Find out what your 3PL is really charging.
Book 30 minutes and bring one recent 3PL invoice and your rate card. You'll get an honest read on whether an audit is worth it and roughly what it would cost.
or email patrickmetz@westatlas.io