Wholesale
Wholesale Minimum Order Calculator
Find the smallest wholesale order, in units and dollars, that covers order costs and hits your profit target.
Formula
Contribution per unit = wholesale price − unit cost. Minimum units = (fixed costs per order + desired profit) ÷ contribution per unit, rounded up to a whole unit. Minimum order value = minimum units × wholesale price. Rounding up matters: the exact division usually gives a fraction of a unit, and you cannot sell part of a unit.
How it works
Enter the fixed costs of handling one order, your cost per unit, your wholesale price per unit and the profit you want from the order. The calculator works out how many units must sell before fixed costs are covered and the profit target is reached, then converts that to an order value.
Worked example
Fixed costs $150.00, unit cost $12.00, wholesale price $20.00, desired profit $200.00. Contribution per unit is $20.00 − $12.00 = $8.00. Minimum units are ($150.00 + $200.00) ÷ $8.00 = 43.75, rounded up to 44 units. Minimum order value is 44 × $20.00 = $880.00. At 44 units, profit is 44 × $8.00 − $150.00 = $202.00, which meets the $200.00 target. Interpretation: a minimum order below $880.00 cannot hit this profit target at these costs, so set the minimum at 44 units or $880.00, not at the unrounded 43.75 units.
FAQs
What counts as a fixed cost per order?
Costs that do not change with the number of units in that order, such as order handling, account setup time and any flat packing or admin charge you assign to the order.
Why round the unit count up?
You cannot sell a fraction of a unit, and rounding down would leave the order short of its target. Rounding up gives the smallest whole-unit order that reaches the target.
What if my wholesale price is below my unit cost?
Then every unit loses money and no order size can reach a profit target. The calculator flags this: raise the price or lower the unit cost first.
Is the minimum order value the same as a retailer minimum?
Not always. This result is the minimum that meets your profit target. A retailer minimum can also reflect stock, packing or service reasons, so use the higher of the two if they differ.
Does this include marketplace or platform charges?
No. If a platform takes a share of the order, add that expected charge to your fixed or per-unit costs before you trust the result.
Stand: October 2026. Pure arithmetic — no platform rate is used; enter your own figures.
Disclaimer: Results are estimates and general information only, not financial advice. Check your supplier agreement and platform terms before you set a price.
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