Payment & Delivery
Deposit and balance, when each fee is collected, currencies, payment instruments and shipping options.
Working with us
Mould & Sample Fee Policy
Two fees, counted separately. Here is when each is charged, when it is free, when it is refunded, and what the refund counts against.
Fees
The two fees at a glance
| Question | Tooling fee (mould) | Sample fee |
|---|---|---|
| When it applies | A non-standard item that needs a new mould. | The official pre-production sampling, after the order is confirmed. |
| What it covers | Building the tooling the item needs. | Making the pre-production sample you test and approve. |
| When it is collected | Up front, with the 30% deposit and listed separately from it. | Separately, before sampling begins. |
| When it is free | Amortised or waived when the order volume is large enough. | Free at the enquiry stage, for existing standard items or items that already have a mould. A non-standard item that pays the tooling fee has the sample fee waived. |
| When it is refunded | Once the agreed cumulative volume for that tooled product is reached. | Once the agreed cumulative purchase of that product is reached. |
| How the refund is paid | Credit against later orders first; cash only if there is no later order. | Credit against later orders first; cash only if there is no later order. |
| What it counts against | Purchases of that tooled product. | Purchases of that product. |
| Counted with the other fee? | No. Each fee is counted separately, against its own threshold. | No. Each fee is counted separately, against its own threshold. |
| Freight on samples | Not applicable. | Paid by the customer. |
| Time limit and counting rule | Set in the contract. | Set in the contract. |
Both fees are collected up front, even when the expected volume will earn a refund later. Deposit, balance and shipping are on Payment & Delivery.
Questions
In plain language
When is a sample free?
At the enquiry stage, for existing standard items or items that already have a mould. You pay the freight.
A non-standard item that needs a new mould pays the tooling fee first, and the sample fee is waived.
How many free samples you can have is set in the contract.
When is the sample fee charged?
The official pre-production sampling is charged separately, before sampling begins.
That is a different case from an enquiry-stage sample.
When is the tooling fee charged?
Up front, with the 30% deposit, and listed separately from it.
It is collected even when the volume is large enough to amortise or waive it, and refunded once the agreed cumulative volume is reached.
When is a fee refunded?
The tooling fee: once the agreed cumulative volume for that tooled product is reached.
The sample fee: once the agreed cumulative purchase of that product is reached.
The time limit on each is set in the contract.
What does the refund count against?
Purchases of the product the fee belongs to: the tooled product for the tooling fee, the sampled product for the sample fee.
The two fees are counted separately, each against its own threshold.
How is the refund paid?
As a credit against your later orders, which is the preferred route. In cash only if there is no later order.
What happens on a small order?
A small volume is charged separately. Whether the tooling fee is refunded on it can be discussed case by case: the salesperson applies and management decides.
What if the sample is not accepted?
We analyse the cause first. If the fault is ours we re-sample at our cost. If it comes from a change you asked for, the cost is yours.
Counting
Why the two fees stay separate
The two fees are not one pot. Each is tied to the product it belongs to: the tooling fee to the tooled product, the sample fee to the sampled product. A purchase earns credit against the product it is for, so neither fee can be counted toward the other threshold.
The time limit on a refund, the exact counting rule, the free-sample limit and the way a refund is written into the contract are set per project, in the contract.
Amounts not published
- The amount of each fee is not a figure we publish. The tooling fee depends on the order volume, and both fees are quoted for your order.
Next steps
Related pages
How We Work
The full flow from enquiry to shipping, including the non-standard path that a tooled item takes.
Quality Control & Testing
What the sample and its test data become once you approve them in writing.
Ask what the fees would be on your item
Send the item you need and the volume you expect, and we will set out the tooling and sample fees, the refund point and the counting rule for your order.