A buyer asks for 20 units and your minimum is 48. You can refuse, accept, or offer something in between. This guide covers the options, the arithmetic for a small-order price, and how to reply without losing the account.
Know why the minimum exists
Your minimum is there because a small order costs nearly as much to handle as a large one. Before you bend it, be clear about what it protects.
- Handling: Picking, packing and invoicing take similar time at any size
- Margin: Wholesale prices assume volume
- Stock: Splitting a case can leave units you cannot sell
If none of these apply to the request in front of you, the minimum may be stricter than it needs to be.
Your four options
There is no single right answer. Pick by how much the account could be worth and how much the small order costs you.
| Option | When it fits |
|---|---|
| Hold the minimum | The order would lose money at any price you can offer |
| Offer the round-up | The buyer is close to the minimum |
| Accept at a higher unit price | The buyer is testing your product |
| Accept once as a first order | You expect larger reorders |
Price the small order
If you accept, charge for the extra cost instead of absorbing it. Here is the arithmetic with example numbers. Your wholesale price is $16.00 at a 48 unit minimum, and you estimate $40 of handling per order.
- At the minimum: $40 ÷ 48 units = $0.83 of handling per unit
- At 20 units: $40 ÷ 20 units = $2.00 of handling per unit
- Difference: $1.17 per unit
- Small-order price: $16.00 + $1.17 = $17.17, so about $17.25 each
You can also keep the unit price and add a flat small-order fee. Use your own costs. These numbers only show the method.
Show the round-up
Some buyers under the minimum will order more if the comparison is clear. Put both totals in the reply and let them choose.
- As requested: 20 units × $17.25 = $345.00
- At the minimum: 48 units × $16.00 = $768.00
- Reply line: At 48 units the price drops to $16.00 each. Would you like me to quote that instead?
For setting the tiers, see wholesale price breaks and MOQ.
Where Shopify enforces minimums
If you use Shopify B2B catalogs, quantity rules can set a minimum, a maximum and an increment. Shopify applies them per variant, so a buyer cannot combine variants to reach the minimum. Check your plan for catalog availability and limits.
For an exception, a draft order lets you build the order yourself and set a custom price on any line item. That price applies only to that draft order, so your standard price list is unchanged.
Doing this at scale
QuoteWeaver prices each line of a buyer's request against your B2B list, including volume breaks, MOQ and the next-break upsell. It builds the Shopify draft order and a drafted reply, and flags low-confidence lines for you to review. See QuoteWeaver.