Checklist preview
- Product cost or landed cost is known.
- Packaging cost is included.
- Seller-paid shipping or shipping subsidy is included.
- Platform fee and payment fee assumptions are checked.
- Fixed payment fee is included for low-ticket products.
- Return, refund, replacement, or remake allowance is included.
- Ad cost or target CAC is included when paid traffic is used.
- Monthly fixed costs are allocated across expected order volume.
- Margin and markup are not treated as the same number.
- Official fee pages and account settings are checked before launch.
How to use the checklist
- Start with landed product cost. Include the item, inbound freight, duties, inspection, labeling, and other costs required to make one unit ready to sell.
- Build the complete order revenue. Use the selling price after discounts and add customer-paid shipping when it is paid to the seller. Keep pass-through taxes separate unless they are part of a fee base.
- Subtract order-level costs. Include fulfillment, postage, packaging, platform fees, payment processing, advertising, and a realistic returns allowance.
- Allocate recurring costs. Divide relevant monthly software, marketplace, storage, and operating costs by a conservative expected order count.
- Check both dollars and percentages. Review profit per order, margin on revenue, markup on cost, and the break-even price before approving a listing or promotion.
Minimum margin review
Estimated profit = order revenue − product cost − fulfillment − fees − returns allowance − advertising − allocated overhead. Estimated margin is that profit divided by order revenue. A positive dollar result can still be too small to absorb volatility, replacements, or fee changes.
Run a base case, a conservative case with higher returns and ad cost, and a discount case. If the product falls below the required margin in a modest downside scenario, revise the price, cost structure, shipping policy, or acquisition plan before reordering.
When to repeat the review
Repeat the checklist after a marketplace fee change, carrier-rate update, supplier change, packaging change, new advertising campaign, discount, or material shift in the return rate. Record the assumptions and date so future comparisons use the same cost definition.
Request the checklist
The complete checklist is available above without signup. If you want an email-friendly copy, request it and include the marketplace you use so the response can point you to the most relevant calculator.
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