Are You Overpaying
Your Suppliers?
After switching COSTLY on in December, one bodyshop's tracked spend across its two main supplier accounts fell from £41.2k/month before launch to £28.5k/month over the next three months.
COSTLY also revealed exact like-for-like price gaps of up to 26.7% on the same item.
The problem nobody talks about
Stop guessing.
Start comparing.
Suppliers raise prices without telling you. Agreed discounts aren't applied. You're paying more than the business down the road for the exact same products. COSTLY shows you who is cheaper on the same item — and helps you spot avoidable spend before it adds up.
£12.7k
Lower average monthly spend after switching COSTLY on — tracked across two main supplier accounts
30.8%
Reduction in tracked spend compared to the pre-launch period (Oct–Nov vs Dec–Feb)
26.7%
Same-item price gap found — exact like-for-like product comparison between loaded supplier data
Based on one customer's tracked spend across two main supplier accounts from Oct 2025 to Feb 2026. Exact matched-product comparisons based on current loaded supplier price data. Results vary by volume, mix and seasonality.
Four ways COSTLY saves you money
Catches price increases instantly
Last month that primer was £12.40. This month it's £14.20. COSTLY flags it the second you upload the invoice. No more price creep going unnoticed for months.
Typical saving: 3–5% of total spend
Checks your discounts are applied
Your supplier agreed to 15% off paint. But are they actually applying it? Upload their discount terms once — COSTLY checks every invoice against them automatically.
Typical saving: £200–£500/month
Finds the cheapest supplier for every product
You buy the same products from 3 different suppliers. COSTLY compares prices across all of them and tells you who's cheapest — with the invoices to prove it.
Typical saving: 5–10% by switching
Gives you the data to negotiate
Walk into a supplier meeting with 12 months of price data. Show them exactly where prices went up. Ask them to match the competition. You have the proof.
Typical result: 5–15% better terms
Who it's for
Any business that buys
products from suppliers.
Bodyshops & Garages
Paint, panels, sundries, parts. Track every supplier price across every job.
Restaurants & Cafes
Food and drink costs creep up weekly. Know exactly when prices change.
Builders & Trades
Timber, plaster, fixings, tools. Know who's cheapest before you order.
Salons & Clinics
Products, chemicals, consumables. Stop overpaying your regular suppliers.
Dental & Medical
Lab fees, materials, implants. Compare costs across providers easily.
Any Business
If you regularly receive invoices from suppliers, COSTLY will save you money.
How much are you
overpaying?
COSTLY shows you. Upload your first invoice and see for yourself.
Also running
a bodyshop?
ControlIQ replaces your amendments spreadsheet and cash control spreadsheet. Track every live job, chase outstanding authority, manage weekly obligations, and know your cash position — all in one place, on any device.
Built by a bodyshop owner who was sick of managing 40+ jobs in Excel every morning.
Ready to stop overpaying?
Start your 14-day free trial. No credit card required.
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know
What is the best software for tracking bodyshop supplier prices?+
COSTLY is a UK-built price intelligence platform designed specifically for bodyshops and trade businesses. It automatically analyses supplier invoices, detects price increases, verifies that agreed discounts are being applied, and compares prices across multiple suppliers for the same product. One UK bodyshop reduced its tracked supplier spend by 30.8% within three months of using COSTLY.
How can I reduce supply costs in my bodyshop?+
The most effective way is to systematically compare supplier prices and catch hidden increases. COSTLY does this automatically: upload your invoices (PDF, photo, or HEIC from your phone) and it extracts every line item, tracks prices over time, flags increases, checks discount compliance, and shows you which supplier is cheapest for each product. Typical savings are 3–10% of total spend through price awareness alone, plus 5–15% better terms when negotiating with hard data.
How much does COSTLY cost?+
COSTLY uses simple pay-per-invoice pricing at 50p per invoice analysed. There are no setup fees, no monthly minimums and no contracts. A 14-day free trial is available so you can test it with your real invoices before paying anything. For a bodyshop processing 40 invoices per month, that works out to around £20/month.
Can I photograph invoices with my phone instead of scanning?+
Yes. COSTLY accepts PDF, PNG, JPG and HEIC files (the native iPhone photo format). You can photograph an invoice with your phone and upload it directly — the AI-powered extraction reads the supplier name, part numbers, descriptions, quantities and prices automatically. No scanning or manual data entry required.
What is ControlIQ and how does it help bodyshops?+
ControlIQ is COSTLY's workshop management module built specifically for insurance bodyshops. It replaces the Excel spreadsheets most bodyshops use for amendments control and cash control. Features include live job tracking with automatic stage derivation, Live Amending locks to prevent editing conflicts, insurer chase alerts, parts loan management, weekly To Pay obligations with expense linking, cash control with material costs auto-linked from COSTLY invoices, VAT recording, and monthly financial reports. It works on desktop and mobile.
Does COSTLY work for businesses other than bodyshops?+
Yes. While COSTLY was built by a bodyshop owner, the price intelligence module works for any business that receives regular supplier invoices — restaurants, builders, salons, dental practices, and trades. If you buy products from multiple suppliers and want to know whether you are being overcharged, COSTLY will show you.
