The carrier cost analysis feature allows you to automatically process and compare shipping costs with the prices you charge your customers. This provides clear information about your margins for individual shipments and carriers.
Import Methods for Cost Data
The system offers three ways to import cost data:
Automatic processing of email invoices - for carriers that support email invoices
Automatic download via API - for carriers with direct API connection
Manual CSV import - for other carriers or to supplement data
Automatic Processing of Email Invoices
Basic Function Principle
The system automatically processes invoices from carriers that you forward to a special email address. After processing the invoice, individual items are compared with your shipments, and cost records are created for analysis.
Setting Up the Email for Invoices
Use a special email address for processing invoices from carriers, which you can find in the Settings > Cost Analysis section.
Important Information. Simply forward emails with invoices to this address. You can set up automatic forwarding in your email client or manually forward each invoice you receive from the carrier.
Supported Carriers for Automatic Processing
Currently, we support automatic cost processing for the following carriers:
Email Invoices
GLS (CZ, SK, HU)
PPL
InPost Paczkomat
TopTrans
DPD
Automatic Download via API
Zásilkovna (Packeta) - automatic invoice download based on your credentials
Invoice Processing
After receiving an invoice or automatically downloading it, the system:
Automatically detects the carrier based on the email subject or API source
Processes the invoice and extracts individual items
Compares items with your shipments based on the shipment number
Creates cost records with margin information
CSV Import of Cost Data
For carriers not supported for automatic processing or for importing historical data, you can use manual CSV import.
CSV Import. This feature allows you to upload cost data in a standardized CSV format directly into the system. Ideal for carriers without automatic processing or for supplementing missing data.
CSV import supports:
Importing costs from any carrier
Supplementing customer prices if not present in the order feed
Importing historical data for analysis
Flexible format with optional fields
Detailed instructions on preparing and uploading the CSV file are available in the CSV Import of Shipping Cost Data article.
Display of Processed Invoices
All processed invoices are available in the Settings > Cost Analysis section. For each invoice, you can see:
Carrier (invoice issuer)
Processing status (processed, pending, error, not detected)
Invoice receipt date
Invoice processing date
Number of matched items
Total number of items on the invoice
Cost Analysis
For each shipment, the system tracks:
Original customer price (price the customer paid for shipping)
Original carrier price (price the carrier charges you)
Exchange rates for accurate conversion
Margin calculation in percentages and absolute values
Additional information such as shipment weight or number of packages
Requirements for Proper Functionality
For full use of the cost analysis feature, it is important to:
Forward invoices from carriers to the dedicated email address or have the access credentials for automatic download set up
Have shipments in the system with the same shipment numbers as those on the carrier invoices
Have the correct shipping price paid by the customer correctly recorded in your orders - your integration provider (Settings > Orders) must support the transfer of shipping price information
Processing Statistics
In the Cost Analysis section, you'll find clear statistics on:
Total number of processed invoices
Total number of items on invoices
Number of successfully matched shipments
Ratio of matched shipments to the total number (matching success rate)
Overview of Unmatched Items
Using the "View Unmatched Invoices" button at the top of the screen, you can view a list of items from invoices that could not be matched with existing shipments in the system. This helps identify potential problems with shipment records or with the format of shipment numbers.
Cost Calculation and Required Data
For accurate margin calculation for shipments, it is essential that the order integration provides complete pricing data for shipping. In the XML feed (or via API), some of the following data must be available for shipping items:
In the
UNIT_PRICEorTOTAL_PRICEelement:The
WITHOUT_VATelement containing the shipping price without VAT, orA combination of the
WITH_VAT(price with VAT) andVAT_RATE(VAT rate in %) elements, which allows for the recalculation of the price without VAT
Complete documentation on the XML feed structure is available in the Retino XML feed article.
Note. If your order integration does not provide sufficient pricing data for shipping items, a warning will be displayed in the cost analysis settings. In this case, it will be impossible to calculate profit margins because the customer-paid shipping price information is missing. The system will still record carrier costs, but without the ability to compare them to customer revenue. Alternatively, you can use CSV import with customer price data.
Tips for Optimal Use
Regularly check the invoice processing statistics
Pay attention to shipments that could not be matched
Analyze margins for individual carriers and shipment types
Use the data to optimize your pricing policy
Ensure your integration provider transmits complete shipping price information, including VAT information
Use CSV import of cost data for unsupported carriers
For Zásilkovna (Packeta), ensure correct credentials for automatic invoice download are set