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MOQ Break-Even Calculator

October 2026 12 min read

Calculate break-even units against fixed sourcing costs at MOQ economics. Free, instant, no sign-up.

Cover costs on the minimum

Enter fixed, price and variable — get break-even units.

Free foreverInstant resultsNo sign-up
Typical China-to-US duty range for consumer goods (varies by HTS)
15%
Source: USITC tariff schedule
Freight share of landed cost on small first orders
30–40%
Source: Forwarder benchmarks
Healthy net-margin target after landed cost and fees
25–40%
Source: Seller benchmarks
Sample-to-bulk inspection multiple pros budget per SKU
3×
Source: Sourcing practice

Interactive Calculator

Enter your numbers — every result below updates instantly. No sign-up, free forever.

Inputs

Fixed costs ($)
Price per unit ($)
Variable per unit ($)

Results

Contribution$9.00
Break-even units445

Visual Cost & Profit Breakdown

See exactly where every dollar of your selling price goes — costs, fees, and the profit you keep.

Bars are proportional to the headline figure — cost segments vs profit.

E-commerce Statistics That Shape Smart Pricing

Benchmarks from widely-cited industry research. Use them to sanity-check your margins, fees, and conversion assumptions.

Typical China-to-US duty range for consumer goods (varies by HTS)
15%
Source: USITC tariff schedule
Freight share of landed cost on small first orders
30–40%
Source: Forwarder benchmarks
Healthy net-margin target after landed cost and fees
25–40%
Source: Seller benchmarks
Sample-to-bulk inspection multiple pros budget per SKU
3×
Source: Sourcing practice
Typical China sea-freight door-to-door window
30–60 days
Source: Freight benchmarks
Quote spread between comparable vetted suppliers
10–15%
Source: Sourcing studies

Pricing Plans Compared: Which Strategy Fits Your Store?

Three proven pricing plans for online sellers. Match the plan to your stage, then plug its margin target into the calculator above.

Starter Plan — Lean Source

Best for: new sellers testing demand

  • Price rule: Small MOQ lots with landed cost tracked per unit
  • Margin target: 25–30% net margin
  • Fees: One supplier plus forwarder quote
Most popular

Growth Plan — Balanced

Best for: scaling stores with repeat orders

  • Price rule: Dual-supplier quotes with inspection and duty modeled
  • Margin target: 35–45% net margin
  • Fees: Full landed stack plus MOQ-break-even per SKU

Scale Plan — Direct

Best for: brands and private label

  • Price rule: Factory-direct contracts with freight consolidation
  • Margin target: 45%+ blended margin
  • Fees: Landed cost plus agent, compliance and buffer stock

Formulas & How to Use This Calculator

Core formula

BE = Fixed ÷ (Price − Variable)

Supporting formula

Below supplier MOQ means the MOQ must clear BE

How to use — step by step

  1. Enter your fixed costs ($) and price per unit ($) — use last-90-day carrier or supplier figures, not quotes.
  2. Add the remaining cost lines honestly, including the fixed payment slice and a 3–5% returns reserve.
  3. Set monthly volume to unlock break-even and monthly totals.
  4. Read the headline result, then check the proportional breakdown bars for the biggest cost slice.
  5. Compare the Growth-plan target against your margin and adjust packaging, zones or threshold.
  6. Copy or print the breakdown for your pricing sheet and re-check monthly.

Worked Examples

Real numbers, fully worked — copy the pattern for your own products.

Example 1 — $4k fixed, $9 contrib

Inputs

4,000 ÷ 9 = 445 units

Math

445 to break even

Result

1k MOQ clears it 2×

Example 2 — $4k fixed, $4 contrib

Inputs

1,000 units exactly

Math

Thin margin needs volume

Result

Raise price or cut cost

Example 3 — Channel comparison

Inputs

Same costs on two channels with a 5–12% fee gap

Math

Fee gap on identical price flows straight to profit — model each channel separately

Result

List at the highest channel-safe price or split fulfillment

Advanced Education: Master E-commerce Pricing

Beyond the basics — the concepts professionals use to price for profit across channels, seasons, and competitors.

Landed cost is the only cost that matters

Factory quotes mislead: product price plus international freight, duties, insurance, customs clearance, inland delivery and inspection is the real unit cost. A $5 item with $2 freight, $1 duty and $0.50 clearance lands at $8.50 — 70% above quote. Professionals compare suppliers on landed cost per unit, never on EXW quotes, because freight and duty structures differ wildly between offers.

MOQ math: the discount must beat the drag

Suppliers reward bigger orders with lower unit prices, but extra units sit in storage at 20–30% annual carrying cost. A 10% discount for tripling the order loses money if the stock takes a year to sell. MOQ break-even divides fixed sourcing costs by per-unit contribution; MOQ ROI divides expected profit by cash locked. Order the quantity where discount beats drag.

Duties depend on classification, not vibes

Import duty equals customs value times the HTS rate for your exact product classification — 0% for some goods, 25%+ for others, plus Section 301 surcharges on many China-origin lines. Misclassified entries trigger back-duties plus penalties. Look up the HTS code before costing, and model the China-to-USA landed stack (product, sea freight, duty, MPF/HMF, customs, inland) line by line.

Two quotes beat one negotiation

Comparable suppliers typically spread 10–15% on identical specs. Dual-sourcing quotes exposes padding, validates MOQs, and gives walk-away leverage without bluffing. Compare on total landed terms including tooling amortization, defect allowances and payment terms — a 2% cheaper unit with 100% upfront payment and 8% defect rate is the expensive option.

Samples and inspections are margin insurance

A $50 sample plus $300 pre-shipment inspection on a $10,000 order costs 3.5% and catches wrong materials, short counts and labeling errors before goods sail. Skipping inspection to save 3% risks 100% of the order value plus stockouts. Budget samples, first-article approval and AQL inspection into every new-supplier landed cost.

Platform Playbooks: Amazon, Shopify, Etsy & eBay

Fee structures differ by channel — here is how to adapt one base price per marketplace without losing margin.

Amazon

FBA sellers must land under strict carton, labeling and appointment rules — chargebacks for violations come out of landed margin. Model inbound placement fees and keep 60–90 days cover to dodge both stockouts and aged-inventory surcharges.

Shopify

DTC sellers control packaging and inserts, so landed cost can include branded boxes and inserts amortized per unit. Consolidate freight across SKUs from one origin to cut per-unit freight sharply.

Etsy

Small-batch makers source materials, not finished goods — MOQs on components gate production. Safety stock on bottleneck materials matters more than finished-goods cover.

eBay

Mixed wholesale lots and refurbished lines carry grading risk. Inspect inbound lots and model defect allowances into unit cost before listing, not after returns arrive.

Glossary: Pricing Terms Explained

Landed cost
True unit cost delivered: product plus freight, duties, insurance, clearance and inspection.
MOQ
Minimum order quantity the supplier accepts — unit price usually falls as quantity rises.
Import duty
Tax on imported goods: customs value times the HTS rate for the classification.
EXW vs FOB vs DDP
Price terms: EXW is factory-gate, FOB adds export loading, DDP includes everything to your door.
Customs clearance
Brokerage process releasing goods: entry filing, MPF/HMF fees, exams and handling.
Unit economics
Per-unit profit math: price minus all variable costs including landed and fees.
Wholesale margin
Profit share on wholesale price: (wholesale minus cost) divided by wholesale.
Sourcing ROI
Return on sourcing spend: annual savings or profit divided by sourcing investment.

Common Pricing Mistakes & Pro Tips

Mistakes that kill margin

  • Comparing suppliers on EXW quotes instead of landed cost per unit.
  • Chasing MOQ discounts that take a year to sell through at 25% carrying cost.
  • Guessing duty rates instead of looking up the HTS classification first.
  • Skipping pre-shipment inspection to save 3% while risking 100% of order value.
  • Single-sourcing with no backup — one delay becomes a stockout plus rank loss.
  • Forgetting tooling, samples and compliance amortized into early units.

Pro tips to grow profit

  • Always compare landed cost per unit, never factory quotes.
  • Dual-quote every SKU over $5,000 annual spend.
  • Look up HTS codes before costing — duties range 0–25%+.
  • Budget $300 inspection on every new-supplier bulk order.
  • Consolidate freight across SKUs from one origin to cut per-unit rates.
  • Amortize tooling and samples over realistic first-year volume.

Who Should Use This Calculator?

  • ▸ New sellers costing their first Alibaba order truthfully
  • ▸ Shopify brands comparing two suppliers on landed terms
  • ▸ Amazon sellers modeling China-to-USA landed cost per unit
  • ▸ Etsy makers sourcing components at MOQ without overbuying
  • ▸ eBay sellers wholesaling lots with margin intact
  • ▸ Operators deciding MOQ size from break-even and ROI math
  • ▸ Private-label sellers validating unit economics before tooling
  • ▸ Agencies producing client sourcing sheets with copy-ready breakdowns

Related E-commerce Calculators

Keep optimizing — every tool below links directly into this pricing workflow.

Frequently Asked Questions (15)

Long-tail answers: each question targets a real Google search about moq break-even calculator — click to expand.

What is the moq break-even and how does it work?
The moq break-even computes your true sourcing economics from quotes, freight, duty and fee inputs. Enter your numbers once and every result updates instantly — per-unit figures, totals and margin. It uses BE = Fixed ÷ (Price − Variable) so the number you see reflects landed reality, not factory-quote fantasy.
How do I calculate moq break-even?
To calculate moq break-even, enter your supplier quote lines, freight and duty figures, order quantities and any fixed sourcing costs. The calculator applies BE = Fixed ÷ (Price − Variable) and divides by units where relevant. Use written quotes and real HTS rates — not guesses — and re-run every time a supplier revises terms.
What is a good result for moq break-even?
A healthy moq break-even leaves 30–40% net margin after landed cost plus channel fees, with MOQ break-even well below your realistic first-year volume and ROI above 100% on test orders. Thinner than 20% means one freight spike or duty change erases the business case.
What inputs does the moq break-even need?
You need unit quotes, order quantity, freight and insurance, duty rate and value basis, clearance and inspection fees, plus any tooling or fixed costs. Defaults mirror typical moq break-even economics so first-time users get a sane answer in seconds, then refine with actual forwarder and broker quotes.
How accurate is this moq break-even?
Math is exact for the inputs you give; accuracy depends on honest inputs. Confirm the HTS classification, use forwarder quotes for your actual weight and volume, include MPF/HMF and brokerage, and amortize tooling over realistic volume. Re-check quarterly — freight and duty tables move.
Should beginners use the moq break-even?
Yes — beginners benefit most, because a first order costed on factory quotes alone arrives 30–70% over budget. Run the calculator before paying the deposit: if landed margin is under 20% at a competitive price, renegotiate, redesign, or pick another product. It takes 60 seconds and prevents a container-sized mistake.
How do landed costs change the answer?
Landed cost adds freight, duties, insurance and clearance to the factory quote — often 30–70% on small orders. A supplier $1 cheaper per unit with $2 higher freight per unit is the expensive option. Always compare moq break-even on landed terms before deciding.
What duty rate applies to my product?
Duty equals customs value times your exact HTS classification rate — 0% for some goods, 25% or more for others, plus Section 301 surcharges on many China-origin lines. Look up the code at USITC before costing, and re-check when specifications change what the product is classified as.
How do MOQs affect profitability?
MOQs force volume: bigger lots cut unit price but lock cash in stock at 20–30% annual carrying cost. The MOQ is profitable when per-unit savings exceed holding drag over the sell-through period. The calculator shows break-even units and ROI so you order the quantity where discount beats drag.
Should I get a second supplier quote?
Yes for anything over $5,000 annual spend — comparable suppliers spread 10–15% on identical specs. Dual quotes expose padding, validate MOQs and create walk-away leverage. Compare total landed terms including tooling, defects and payment timing, not headline unit price.
Do I need pre-shipment inspection?
On every new-supplier bulk order: ~$300 catches wrong materials, short counts and labeling errors before goods sail. Skipping it to save 3% risks 100% of order value plus stockouts. Budget samples, first-article approval and AQL inspection into landed cost from the start.
How often should I re-run the moq break-even?
Per quote for sourcing decisions, quarterly for freight and duty tables, and immediately when suppliers change prices, freight spikes, or HTS rates move. Store a dated snapshot each run with the copy button so you can prove which assumptions changed when landed cost moves.
Does this handle China-to-USA shipments?
Yes — model product cost, sea or air freight, duty at your HTS rate, MPF/HMF, customs brokerage, and inland delivery as separate lines. The China-to-USA landed calculator sums the full stack and divides by units for a per-unit figure you can price from.
What is the biggest mistake with moq break-even?
Comparing factory quotes instead of landed cost, then ordering the biggest MOQ for the discount while the stock takes a year to sell at 25% carrying cost. The second mistake is skipping inspection on the first bulk order.
How do I compare wholesale vs direct with moq break-even?
Run identical annual volume through domestic wholesale (higher unit, zero freight/duty, fast lead) versus direct import (lower unit, freight plus duty, 30–60 day lead with bigger buffers). Direct usually wins past a threshold volume — the calculator finds exactly where.

Resources & Authoritative References

Further reading

Authoritative sources

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Last updated: October 2026 · Free forever · No sign-up · Part of E-commerce Calculators at Atlascalcs.com