What sampling actually costs, and when the fee comes back
Sampling is the part of a supplier conversation where money is smallest and misunderstanding is largest. Here is exactly how we charge it, what comes back, and what does not.
The four numbers, up front
| Item | How it works |
|---|---|
| Sample charge | Depends on the product type, and is normally the material cost only. We do not charge for the time it takes to make one. |
| Sample lead time | About seven days from the point the artwork or reference is confirmed. |
| Credit against the bulk order | The sample charge is credited back when the bulk order is placed. |
| Sample freight | Paid by you. Couriers charge by weight and destination, and we do not mark it up. |
What is not refundable, and why
Two things sit outside the credit: tooling and plate charges, where those are needed.
A plate charge is what it costs to prepare a print plate for your artwork. A tooling charge is what it costs to cut a die or make a mould. Neither is a sample fee in the ordinary sense: they are one-off production setup that exists whether you order one sample or ten thousand pieces, and it stays with the factory after your order ships. That is why they are quoted separately and not credited back.
Most items in this category need neither. They need a colourway and a carton, not a mould. If a SKU does need tooling, we will say so before any money changes hands, with the amount separately stated.
Why seven days, and when it is longer
Seven days covers a sample made with existing materials and a print or finish change. It is a realistic figure, not a marketing one.
It takes longer when the sample needs something that does not exist yet: a new fabric, a new colour matched to a Pantone reference, a carton size that has to be made. In those cases the delay is usually the material lead time, not the assembly. We will tell you which one you are in before we start, rather than after the seventh day.
How the credit works
The sample charge is credited against your bulk order. It is not a coupon you can keep and spend later, and it is not a discount on top of the order value. It is the sample fee coming back once the order is real.
Because how that credit is applied depends on the product and the order, tell us at sampling which SKUs you are seriously considering. It is a two-line email and it removes the only part of this process that ever causes an argument.
How to get a useful sample the first time
Most second samples are caused by the first request being too vague. Four things remove almost all of that:
- A reference image — of the item, the colour, or the market you are selling into. A photo of a competitor's shelf is more useful than a paragraph.
- A colour reference — a Pantone number, or a physical swatch you can describe. "Gold" covers a very wide range.
- The pack you intend to sell — 1 pc, 4 pcs, 12 pcs. It changes the header card, the carton, and sometimes the product itself.
- Where it is going — the destination market affects labelling and, for some items, the applicable test standard. See which test standard applies.
What a sample does not tell you
A sample is one piece, often made by hand, often made by the person who will supervise the run. It is a check on design and material, not a statistical guarantee of production. If your order depends on a tight tolerance, say so at sampling and ask for the tolerance in writing. That is a different conversation from "does it look right", and it is better had before the order than after.