What to send a supplier to get an accurate merch quote

A quote is only as accurate as the brief behind it. Send “how much for custom keychains?” and you’ll get a number designed to start a conversation — not one anyone can hold. Send the brief below and suppliers can actually commit, which is what makes quotes comparable between suppliers.

I sent hundreds of these on the buying side. The fields that matter, in order.

The 7-line brief

1. Product — the product and construction, not just the category. “Acrylic keychain, single layer” vs “Acrylic keychain, double layer (printed base + clear face)” are different quotes.

2. Size and spec — finished size, thickness if you know it, material/finish, attachment. “50 mm, ~3 mm cast acrylic, single-sided print, epoxy dome, ball chain.” If you don’t know a value, say so — a good supplier will propose one and put it on the spec sheet.

3. Quantity — at three points. A single quantity gets you a single price; three quantities reveal the cost curve and each supplier’s volume breaks. 100 / 300 / 500 is a normal spread for small-batch merch.

4. Number of designs and pieces per design. “3 designs, 100 pcs each, mixed in one order.” This changes tooling, plate and setup assumptions — it’s the field buyers forget most, and the reason quotes come back wrong.

5. Destination country and region. Freight options, shipping cost and delivery expectations all hang on this. A quote without a destination is missing its third act.

6. Deadline — real, with context. “Needed in hand by 15 November (convention on the 22nd).” Suppliers can tell you honestly whether production plus freight fits. A fake urgent deadline gets you a fake fast promise.

7. Artwork, in whatever state it’s in. A rough file is enough to quote; it is not enough to produce. Say which stage you’re at so the supplier knows what they’re looking at.

Why each line changes the price

Field	What it moves
Size	Material usage — the biggest single cost driver on acrylic and vinyl.
Thickness / construction	Material cost and process steps (double layer ≈ double the acrylic).
Finish (dome / holographic / glitter)	Added process, added days.
Quantity curve	Where setup costs amortize; where price breaks land.
Design count	Setup per design; whether MOQ applies per design or per order.
Destination	Freight mode options and cost, sometimes packaging (heat, humidity).
Deadline	Whether sea freight is possible — often the largest cost swing of all.

What a good supplier does with your brief

• Asks a question if a value is missing, instead of assuming.
• Returns a written spec sheet with the quote, so you can check they quoted what you asked.
• Quotes all three quantities.
• Flags artwork problems before payment, not after.

If any of those don’t happen, discount the quote accordingly — the number was never real.

One template, many suppliers

The same brief goes to your current supplier and any new one. That’s what makes the answers comparable — and benchmarking your incumbent is the cheapest way to find out what your options are.

Our quote form asks for exactly these fields — product, quantity, design count, destination, deadline, artwork — because that’s what a real answer requires. Send the same list anywhere else; that’s rather the point.