QUOTES, SETUP FEES & PRICING
Branded merchandise pricing has a few moving parts that catch first-time buyers by surprise, and the setup fee is usually the big one. We’d rather explain everything upfront than have you squinting at a quote wondering what a setup fee is, so here is exactly what you’re paying for, before you commit a cent.
What goes into your quote
Every quote is built from three things: the product cost (which drops per unit as quantity rises), the branding cost (which depends on the technique, the size of the branding area and the number of colours), and the setup fee for each branding process. Quotes are personalised, our procurement team checks live stock and sources the best product at the best price for your specific job.
What is a setup fee?
Before a single item can be branded, our workshop has to prepare for *your* job specifically: creating templates, configuring machines, sourcing materials and the skilled labour of setting up the branding process. Setup takes roughly 45 to 60 minutes per process, and for screen printing and pad printing, that’s per colour, since each colour needs its own screen or plate. The setup fee covers this preparation, and it’s what guarantees the precision of the finished product.
"Why do I pay setup again on a repeat order?"
The most common pricing question we get, and a fair one. Even with your artwork on file, each new order requires the machines to be physically reconfigured and set up for your specific items again. The 45 to 60 minutes of skilled setup happens every time, so the fee does too.
The exception is embroidery. Because your logo is already digitised from the first order, embroidery repeats carry a reduced fee covering labour only.
Other setup scenarios, decoded
- Same logo, same logo colour, different item colours (e.g. your white logo on red *and* blue t-shirts) → one setup fee.
- Same logo, different print colours → separate setups, because the machine must be cleaned and reconfigured (screens washed and reset) for each ink change.
- Same logo, same technique, different products (e.g. the same print on mugs *and* bottles) → separate setups, because each product needs its own jig to hold it in position, its own placement calibration, and often its own artwork size (a mug screen won’t fit a bottle).
How quantity changes your price
There’s no minimum order quantity or spend at Fancy Inc, you can order exactly what you need. But because the setup fee is fixed per process, it spreads across your units: branding 10 items costs noticeably more per unit than branding 50 with the same setup. If your quantity is flexible, ask your consultant where the next price break sits, sometimes 20 extra units barely moves the total.
Want certainty before committing to a big run? We offer pre-production sample branding at reduced rates.
How payment works
- Deposit: 70% confirms your order and starts the process.
- Balance: due after artwork approval, before your order is dispatched.
- Method: EFT for all orders, secure and straightforward. Cash and cheques aren’t accepted, but company purchase orders can be arranged with our sales team in advance. Banking details come on your invoice, direct from your Sales Executive.
- Payment plans: we don’t offer 12-month terms, but larger orders can discuss arrangements with their Sales Executive.
Your order moves as soon as payment reflects in our account.
Cancellations: the honest version
Life happens, so here’s exactly where you stand. Cancellation depends on your order’s stage, and fees may apply. Once items are branded, or if it’s a custom gift set, cancellation, returns and refunds aren’t possible, for the obvious reason that products carrying your logo can’t be resold. Unpaid invoiced orders that are cancelled or not collected carry a 15% handling fee, covering the warehouse work of pulling, packing, and then restocking reserved items. The simple protection: confirm your requirements before invoicing, and remember nothing is branded until you’ve approved the artwork.
Want a real number instead of theory?
Quotes are free, fast and obligation-free, most are answered within hours.