Should you accept a single hat, or require a dozen? Minimum order quantities (MOQs) protect your time on setup-heavy jobs, but set them wrong and you turn away easy money. Here is how to think it through.
Why MOQs Help
- •Setup time (hooping, threading, digitizing) is fixed per design
- •Bulk orders are far more efficient per piece
- •They filter out low-value, high-effort requests
- •They make corporate and team work predictable
Why MOQs Can Hurt
Rigid minimums turn away personalization and gift buyers who want just one item — often your highest-margin work. A monogram on a single towel can be very profitable.
A Balanced Approach
- 1No minimum on quick personalization (names, monograms)
- 2A small setup fee instead of a hard minimum for one-offs
- 3Real minimums for custom-logo bulk apparel
- 4Tiered pricing that rewards larger orders
Match the Policy to the Product
Set minimums where setup dominates (custom logo runs) and stay flexible where production is quick (personalization). One policy rarely fits every product.
Keep setup cheap — digitize designs for free:
Open the Converter →Use Fees, Not Walls
Instead of refusing small orders, charge a small setup fee. You keep the sale and still cover your time.
MOQs are a tool, not a rule. Require minimums where setup is heavy, stay flexible on quick personalization, and use setup fees to keep small but profitable orders.