How to compare catalog prices for a CRM migration

You have a product catalog in one system and a CRM import file in another. Before you migrate, you need to know whether each product still has the right price, currency, and identifier. A mismatch can lead to a wrong quote or an import that updates the wrong item.

Start by checking that both exports use the same product identifiers and price rules. The CSV Editor can help you inspect, find, edit, and sort rows in your files in the browser. It does not automatically compare two files or calculate price differences, so use it to prepare and check the data, then use a spreadsheet lookup or your CRM's migration report for a full catalog comparison.

Compare the catalog exports

Make a working copy of each export. Keep the original source catalog and the file intended for the CRM unchanged. Give the working copies clear names, such as catalog-before.csv and crm-import.csv.
Open the CSV Editor and inspect the source export. Find the columns for product ID or SKU, price, currency, and any price type such as regular or sale price. Check a few rows near the top and bottom to make sure the values appear in the right columns.
Open the CRM import file and check that the same fields are present. Note any changed column names, such as item_code instead of SKU, and confirm which CRM field will receive each price.
Match products using a stable, unique identifier, usually a SKU or product ID. For a small catalog, find a few identifiers in each file and compare their prices. For a larger catalog, use a spreadsheet lookup or the CRM's migration validation report to match all rows, rather than comparing them one at a time.
For each matched product, compare the numeric price and its meaning. Record the source price, target price, currency, and difference. A difference is only meaningful if both values use the same currency and pricing basis.

For example, a source value of 19.99 and a target value of 1999 may mean dollars in one file and cents in the other. They are not necessarily a 1,979.01 price increase. Check the export settings or field documentation before treating different-looking numbers as a real change.

What the comparison means

The identifier and price match

The product appears to have carried over as expected. Check that the currency and price type match too. Two values of 25.00 are not equivalent if one is a sale price and the other is a regular price, or if one is in a different currency.

The identifier matches but the price differs

First check whether the difference is expected, such as a planned price update, a tax-inclusive value, a currency conversion, or a change from dollars to cents. If the source and target should use the same price basis, correct the import data or mapping before loading the catalog.

A product appears in only one file

A missing target row may mean the product was filtered out, marked inactive, or left out of the export. A target-only row may be a new CRM product or an unintended duplicate. Confirm whether the migration should create, update, or omit that item.

An identifier appears more than once

Do not assume repeated SKUs are accidental duplicates. A catalog can have separate rows for product variants, regions, price lists, or packaging sizes. Check the other identifying columns before removing or combining any rows.

How to fix price mismatches

Check the price format. Look for currency symbols, commas, decimal points, and values stored as text. A value such as 1,299 can be interpreted differently depending on the export's number format and the receiving system.
Confirm the currency and tax basis. Make sure both files use the same currency and both prices are either tax-inclusive or tax-exclusive. Do not change the number until you know what the field represents.
Verify the product mapping. Check that the source SKU or product ID maps to the correct CRM field. Preserve leading zeros in identifiers, since 00124 may not match 124 in the destination.
Check for duplicates and variants. Sort by the identifier in the CSV Editor to bring matching values together, then inspect related columns such as size, color, region, or price list. Remove a row only after confirming it is truly redundant.
Correct the working import file. Edit only the intended fields and keep a separate record of the source value, corrected value, and reason. Recheck a sample of edited rows in the CSV Editor before importing.
Run a small test import. If your CRM supports a test, preview, or limited import, use a small set of products that includes a regular price, a sale price, a decimal value, and a product with a leading-zero identifier. Confirm the resulting records before importing the full catalog.

Make a full-catalog comparison safely

For a large catalog, compare the files by joining rows on a unique product ID in a spreadsheet or by using the CRM's migration validation tools. A lookup can bring the target price beside the source price, and a separate calculation can show the difference. Check the unmatched identifiers and duplicates as well as the price differences: a price comparison is unreliable if a row was matched to the wrong product.

Keep the original exports until the migration is complete and verified. The CSV Editor runs in your browser, and the files you open stay on your device.