Co-packing cost per accepted unit

Purpose and output set

The Co-packing cost per accepted unit calculator turns your entered copacker charges into four result rows. It reports expected accepted units, total entered processing cost, cost per input unit and cost per accepted unit. The accepted-unit row is the main comparison figure because it accounts for output lost to rejection. The calculator does not supply supplier rates, market benchmarks or a quote. Every cost comes from the amounts you enter.

Quantity and processing fee

Quantity is the number of input units sent into the copacking run. Processing fee per input unit is the charge your supplier quotes for each input unit. The fee portion of total cost rises in direct proportion to quantity, so doubling input units doubles that portion when the per-unit fee is unchanged. Setup and handling do not scale this way. Keep quantity in the same unit basis as the fee sheet, typically individual sellable units rather than cases, unless your quote explicitly states otherwise.

Setup, handling and monthly storage

Setup per run and handling charges per run are entered as amounts for the run, not per unit. They add once regardless of quantity, so a larger run spreads them across more units. Storage per month is multiplied by storage months. If months is zero, the storage amount contributes nothing even when a monthly figure is present. If storage applies for part of a month, enter the months value your fee sheet supports; the tool uses the number you provide without prorating beyond that multiplication.

Rejected output and accepted units

Rejected or lost output is entered as a percentage of input quantity. Expected accepted units are calculated from input quantity after that percentage and then rounded down to a whole unit. A higher rejection percentage can lower whole-unit accepted output. When the count falls and total entered processing cost is positive, unrounded cost per accepted unit rises. The cost per input unit does not change with rejection because its denominator remains input quantity. If the accepted result falls below one unit, the tool stops with an error rather than returning a per-unit figure.

Reading the four result rows

Expected accepted units shows the whole-unit output available after the entered loss. Total entered processing cost combines only the charges you supplied. Cost per input unit divides that total by input quantity. Cost per accepted unit divides the same total by accepted output, so the gap between the two per-unit rows reflects rejection. Currency results are displayed to cents, so a value such as 0.4082 appears as 0.41. Use the accepted-unit row when comparing scenarios with different loss assumptions.

Worked case: zero-cost starting point

The starting scenario uses 1,000 input units and the default 3 percent rejection, with all cost fields left at zero. Expected accepted units are 970. Total entered processing cost is $0.00, and both per-unit rows show $0.00. That result means no amounts have been entered, not that copacking is free. Replace the zero defaults with values from your supplier fee sheet before treating the output as a cost estimate. The accepted-unit count still changes when you alter rejection.

Worked case: fee and setup with loss

In a synthetic scenario, 10,000 input units carry a $0.35 processing fee per input unit and a $500 setup charge, with handling and storage left at zero. Total entered processing cost is $4,000.00. At 2 percent rejected output, expected accepted units are 9,800. Cost per input unit is $0.40. Cost per accepted unit is $0.41 when displayed to cents, from an exact division of about $0.4082. If rejection rises enough to lower the whole-unit accepted count, the fixed total is spread over fewer accepted units.

Scope and charges outside the entered total

Use your supplier fee sheet as the source for every amount. Zero cost defaults mean no amount has been entered. Product ingredients, packaging, freight, rework and tax must be added if absent from the entered charges. The output is arithmetic on your inputs, not a certification, guarantee or market rate. Review the fee sheet for charges that sit outside processing, setup, handling and storage before you rely on the accepted-unit figure for a sourcing decision.

Questions about co-packing cost per accepted unit