Guide
Wholesale Order Minimums and Case Packs, Explained
Minimums protect your margin and your packing time. Stated badly, they also generate the most back-and-forth emails in wholesale. Here's how to set them so buyers get them right the first time.
By the Cloud Catalogue team ·
Three different minimums
- Per-SKU minimum (MOQ): the fewest units of one item. "MOQ 6" on a candle means at least six of that candle.
- Case pack: how many units come in one sealed case. If you only ship whole cases, quantities must be multiples of it.
- Minimum order value: a dollar floor for the whole order, such as "$250 opening order". It's about the total, not any one item.
Buyers mix these up when a sheet says "Min 2" without saying two of what. Always write the unit: units, cases, or dollars.
Units vs cases
Pick one way to count and use it everywhere. Counting in units is usually clearer, because the price is per unit and the buyer is thinking about shelf quantities. Then the case pack tells them the step size: "Wholesale $4.00 per unit, sold in cases of 6, MOQ 12 units."
If you count in cases instead, state the price per case or the units per case right next to it, so nobody multiplies twice.
When MOQ and case pack disagree
A common setup error is a minimum that can't be ordered in whole cases. Say your MOQ is 10 units and the case pack is 6. Ten isn't a multiple of six, so the smallest order that meets both is the next multiple of six that's at least ten: 12. After that, valid quantities go up in steps of six.
| MOQ (units) | Case pack | Smallest valid order | Then |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 6 | 12 | 18, 24, 30… |
| 12 | 6 | 12 | 18, 24, 30… |
| 1 | 4 | 4 | 8, 12, 16… |
| 6 | none | 6 | 7, 8, 9… |
The simplest fix is to make your MOQ a multiple of the case pack, so the number on the sheet is the number the buyer can actually order. The values in this table come from the same function Cloud Catalogue uses to check orders.
Minimum order value is a separate rule
A $250 opening minimum and a per-SKU MOQ of 6 do different jobs. The first makes a whole order worth packing. The second stops single units of one item. A buyer can meet every MOQ and still be under your dollar minimum, or the reverse. If you use both, state both, close together, near the top of the sheet.
How Cloud Catalogue handles minimums
Each product can have an MOQ and a case pack, both counted in units. On a private order link, the quantity box steps by the case pack and starts at the smallest valid quantity. When the buyer submits, the server checks every line again and rejects anything below the MOQ or not a whole number of cases.
Cloud Catalogue does not currently enforce a minimum order value. If you have one, put it in your catalog's contact or description text, and check it when you review the request. A submitted request is unpaid and not a confirmed order until you accept it.
Quick checklist
- Every minimum says units, cases or dollars.
- Each MOQ is a multiple of its case pack.
- Prices are per unit, or clearly marked per case.
- Opening and reorder minimums, if different, are both written down.
You can set MOQ and case pack per row when you import a CSV, and see how they appear in each of the catalog templates. For the full picture, read how to make a wholesale line sheet.