Procurement · Free tool
Volume Price Break Calculator
Which price tier does your order qualify for? Suppliers often quote volume breaks, such as one price from 1 unit and a lower price from 20 or 100. This calculator takes your quantity and the supplier's tiers and shows the tier that applies, the unit price, and the extended price. Buyers and operations managers use it to read a price list correctly.
- OutputThe tier and the extended price
- No sign-up
- Copy or print the result
- How it works ↓
Your entries stay in this browser. Use Fill example to see a finished page first.
What this procurement tool gives you
The output lists the tier minimum, unit price, and extended price, then a table of all tiers sorted by minimum quantity with the one that applies marked Yes. It makes it easy to see how close you are to the next break before deciding how much to order.
What you enter
- Currency: USD by default, or EUR or GBP
- Quantity you plan to order
- For each tier: the minimum quantity and the unit price at that tier, in your currency
Worked example
The tool's example orders 50 units against three tiers: from 1 unit at $10, from 20 units at $8, and from 100 units at $6. The highest minimum that 50 reaches is 20, so the unit price is $8 and the extended price is 50 × $8 = $400. Ordering 100 units instead would reach the $6 tier, for $600.
How does a volume price break work?
The tool picks the tier with the highest minimum quantity that is still less than or equal to your quantity. That tier's unit price applies to every unit in the order.
Extended price = quantity × the chosen tier's unit price. If your quantity is below every tier minimum, no price applies and the tool says so. Minimums and prices cannot be negative.
Tips before you use the result
- Check whether the supplier applies the tier price to all units, as this tool does, or only to units above each break; incremental pricing gives a different total.
- When you are just below a break, compare the extended price at the next minimum; sometimes buying more costs about the same or less.
- Weigh extra units against storage, cash tied up, and the risk that they expire or become obsolete.
- Enter the tiers exactly as quoted, including the lowest one, so small orders do not come back with no price.
Frequently asked questions
What is a price break in purchasing?
A price break is a quantity at which a supplier lowers the unit price. A price list might charge $10 per unit from 1 unit, $8 from 20, and $6 from 100. Your order quantity decides which tier you fall into, and in this tool that tier's price applies to the whole order.
Is it cheaper to order more to reach the next price break?
Sometimes the total barely changes. If you need 90 units and the next break is at 100 with a much lower price, 100 units can cost less than 90 at the higher tier. Run the tool with both quantities and compare the extended prices, then factor in whether you can use or store the extra units.
What happens if my quantity is below the lowest tier?
The tool will not show a price, because no tier applies. It tells you that the quantity sits below every tier minimum. Either add the supplier's lowest tier, often starting at 1 unit, or confirm the minimum order quantity with the supplier.
Can I keep a supplier's price tiers loaded?
Yes. The tiers and quantity are remembered by your browser on this device, with no login needed, so you can change the quantity later and see the new tier right away. Clear resets the tiers to blank rows when you switch to another supplier's price list.
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