Print-on-Demand Pricing and Margin
Set product pricing and margin for POD products on ArtInStack.
Your retail price minus the provider base cost is margin. Price high enough to cover Stripe fees, occasional discounts, and your time—not only the print itself.
Prerequisites
Dashboard → Products → Product Catalog → POD product → pricing fields
What you're looking at
Pricing fields: provider base cost (often read-only), retail price, estimated margin display per variant.
Real-world example: one product, several catalog variants
When you add a print product from the platform catalog (Products → Product Catalog → add print product), you select one or more variants. Each variant is a provider SKU with its own base cost—what the print partner charges for that size and material. The figures below are examples; use the base cost shown in your dashboard when you set retail prices.
Scenario: You create a single storefront product called “Studio wall prints” and attach these variants so buyers pick a size and material at checkout.
Fine art — Enhanced Matte (GLOBAL-FAP-*)
- 8×10 — SKU
GLOBAL-FAP-8X10— base cost $9.00 - 16×20 — SKU
GLOBAL-FAP-16X20— base cost $13.00
Stretched canvas (GLOBAL-CAN-*)
- 8×10 — SKU
GLOBAL-CAN-8X10— base cost $17.00 - 16×20 — SKU
GLOBAL-CAN-16X20— base cost $42.00
Lab lustre — C-Type (GLOBAL-PHO-*-PRO)
- 8×10 — SKU
GLOBAL-PHO-8X10-PRO— base cost $2.50
Sample retail prices (print margin only)
Price each variant separately—canvas costs more to produce than fine art at the same size. Example retails aimed at healthy margin on the print itself (before Stripe card fees and any platform fee on your plan):
| Variant | Base cost | Example retail | Print margin (retail − base) |
|---|---|---|---|
| FAP 8×10 | $9.00 | $29.00 | $20.00 |
| FAP 16×20 | $13.00 | $45.00 | $32.00 |
| CAN 8×10 | $17.00 | $59.00 | $42.00 |
| CAN 16×20 | $42.00 | $109.00 | $67.00 |
| PHO 8×10 PRO | $2.50 | $19.00 | $16.50 |
Stripe sanity check: On a $29.00 fine-art sale, card processing is roughly $1.14 (2.9% + $0.30). Your $20.00 print margin still covers that fee with room left for discounts or tax.
Minimum price: The catalog may block retail prices below a platform floor (derived from base cost and your plan’s platform fee). If a variant won’t save, raise retail until margin stays positive.
Related catalog: wall calendar
Calendars use different SKUs—for example A4 dated CALENDAR-A4-L-DATED at base cost $9.95. Price them on their own product; don’t copy fine-art 8×10 retail onto a calendar without checking base cost.
Implementation steps
- Open your POD product in Product Catalog.
- Note the provider base cost for the default size (compare variants in the table above if you use the same catalog SKUs).
- Research competitor retail prices for similar prints.
- Set retail price so margin remains positive after Stripe fees (often around 3%).
- Preview customer-facing price on the public product page.
- Adjust each size variant when base costs differ (for example CAN 16×20 base $42 vs FAP 16×20 base $13).
- Document your margin rule for future SKUs.
What you'll see
Profitable retail prices on every variant before you promote the product.
Provider price changes
Partners update base costs occasionally—revisit retail prices when you receive cost change notices.
Sales tax
Tax rules vary by region; consult a tax advisor for nexus and collection obligations.
Verifying your setup
- Base cost and retail price are set for your POD SKU.
- Margin is calculated and documented.
- Public storefront shows the intended price.