MOQ Tooling and Sample Costs Explained
Why a 100-piece MOQ is not one number, and how to read a quote that has tooling hidden in the unit price.
MOQ is a batch question
Minimum order quantity is not a commercial preference, it is the size of the smallest batch a process can run economically. A coating batch, a fabric roll and a panel decor order each have their own minimum.
That is why a 100-piece MOQ is usually per model per colour. Two colours is two batches.
Tooling is either a line in the quote or hidden in the price
If a product needs a new bending die or a new press tool, someone pays for it. A quote with no tooling line has amortised it into the unit price, which means you pay for it again on the reorder.
Ask for tooling to be stated separately, and ask who owns it afterwards.
Sample cost is information not revenue
A paid pre-production sample is the cheapest specification document you will ever buy. It is built on production tooling and it becomes the reference for every later run.
A free sample pulled off a shelf tells you the factory can make something. It does not tell you they can make yours.
Reading a quote properly
A complete quote has five things: unit price, tooling, sample cost, carton specification and MOQ basis. If any one of those is missing, the landed cost you calculate is not the one you will pay.
Products This Guide Applies To
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Questions on This Topic
Can we order below the MOQ for a trial?
Usually yes, at a higher unit price. Ask for the trial price and the production price side by side.
Is tooling reusable across models?
Often partly. Ask which parts of your product sit on existing tooling before you finalise the design.
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