You can leave an order form unpriced, add simple quantity-based pricing, or use an advanced method for products with more pricing variables. If you use the E-Commerce Suite add-on, your website can also calculate sales tax based on your tax settings.

Meet The Pricing Methods

There are several ways to apply pricing to your order forms. Here is a brief overview of those options:

• No Pricing: Allows you to offer an item without showing a price.
• Basic Pricing: Allows you to set a per-piece price or prices for specific quantity breaks. It is available on all websites.

Advanced Pricing: Calculator: lets you price choices on the order form, such as single- or double-sided printing or the number of grommets on a banner. You can combine charges, use subtotals, and set different rates at different quantities. It is available with the E-Commerce Suite add-on.

Advanced Pricing: Tables: This one's for all you spreadsheet wizards out there. Tables pricing allows you to set up pricing for two or more entries from your order form, and enter the price. The system can even interpolate the prices for any combinations you leave unpriced. This option is available through the E-Commerce Suite add-on. You can also import pricing from a spreadsheet.

Apply pricing to an order form

1. Locate the order form you want to price.
2. Select ‘edit’.
3. Choose ‘Pricing’ from the sidebar.

4. Select the pricing method you want to use.

Set up Advanced Pricing: Calculator

You can build and test Calculator pricing before making it available to Clients. Use Publish Pricing / Switch to Test Mode in the upper right to change its status.

Before entering prices, review these settings:

• Display TOTAL PER EACH with x decimal places controls how many decimal places appear in the per-piece price shown to the printbuyer.
• Number of pieces is determined by selects the field used to calculate the number of pieces. In most cases, this is Quantity, but you can select another field when needed.
• Pricing Method controls how quantity breaks are calculated:
  • Step Pricing: Every unit uses the rate for the quantity break reached.
  • Sum Pricing: Units in each quantity break use that break’s rate, and the amounts are added together.

For examples of Step and Sum Pricing, click Help beside the Pricing Method menu.

How to create a subtotal in Advanced Pricing: Calculator

Calculator pricing is organized into subtotals. You can use them to show printbuyers how their choices affect the price. Create at least one subtotal to use Online Pricing Subtotals.

1. Click the empty white box at the bottom of the Calculator editor.
2. Enter the subtotal label you want printbuyers to see.
3. Click ‘Add Subtotal’.

Add pricing to a subtotal

Now that you have at least one subtotal set up, it's time to fill in the pricing.

1. Open the subtotal, if needed, by clicking the triangle beside its name. Below it, you’ll see a menu and a green ‘Add Pricing’ button.

Note: if the pulldown menu is not visible, click the triangle to the left of the subtotal's name

2. From the menu, choose the order form field that should affect this subtotal.

• The pulldown list is automatically filled with the other question fields on the order form
• The pulldown list also includes every possible pairing of question fields, listed as Question 1/Question2
• Text input fields are not listed, unless their Input Format is set to "Numbers only"
• For pricing based on Quantity, choose “Basic Pricing”

3. Click the green "Add Pricing" button to the right.

4. If you selected a multiple-choice field, the editor lists its choices. Click the triangle beside a choice to open its pricing entry box. If you selected a user-input field, its pricing entry box opens directly.

Click the triangle next to the first option you'd like to price in order to view the main pricing entry box

5. Enter the charges and rates you need:

• Setup charges can be a flat amount, a percentage of previous subtotals, or both. You can enter a negative amount if needed. A percentage applies to previous subtotals, not to other pricing within the same subtotal.
• Quantity breaks begin with 1 and up. To add another break, enter the first quantity in that break. For example, to price quantities 1–500 and 501–1,000 separately, enter 501 as the next break.

Above: Example of a quantity break of 1 and up

Above example: If pricing breaks are for 1-500, and 501-1000, type "501"

Per-piece prices go in the boxes marked with a dollar sign. You can enter negative values when needed. If the price should be calculated per another unit instead of per quantity, choose that field from ‘Number of pieces determined by’.

6. When finished, click the "Update" button

Tips for Calculator pricing

It's often easiest to first establish a baseline price for a product. That is, what does it cost for the most common size, with no additional options or features? Then, add pricing for any of the other options for the additional cost of that option

Be transparent with your pricing. Instead of trying to cram it all into a single subtotal, break it out into as many subtotals as possible. This makes it easier for you to build your pricing -- and more importantly, it's easier to troubleshoot if your pricing isn't acting as you anticipated. Plus, it helps your customers get a very clear look at how their choices impact the cost of their project.

Determine the quantity pricing method to be used: Quantity Pricing Methods

Ask for help early. The instant pricing system is quite robust, and can handle several complex pricing scenarios. However, there are some pricing models that go beyond its capabilities. If you find you're having trouble figuring out how to price a product, please don't hesitate to contact Tech Support. We'll be happy to work through the details with you.

Setting the Tax Rate

Websites with the E-Commerce Suite Add-on include an automatic sales tax calculator. Select the states where your printshop needs to charge sales tax:

1. Choose "My Website" from the Control Center's top menu.

   

2. Choose "E-Commerce Settings" from the sidebar menu.

3. Select "Tax Calculations".

4. Place a check mark next to each state you are required to charge sales taxes for.

5. Select the green ‘Save’ button in the upper right.

The next step

Our next article explains how to set up the shipping options available through your website.