How to set wholesale prices for each kind of buyer.
Wholesale pricing goes wrong in two ways: prices so low you lose money on a product, or so high your buyers cannot resell at a profit. Work from the bottom up, and check every product.
By GateVentory · October 21, 2026
Start from what a product really costs you
Your cost is more than the price on the invoice. Add what it costs to get the product to you and to sell it: shipping in, packaging, payment processing and anything else you pay on every unit. Price below that and every sale loses money, however many you sell.
Set the retail price
Your retail price is what anyone pays. Many sellers set it first, because a wholesale buyer usually needs to resell at about that price and still make a living. A common rule of thumb, called keystone, sets retail at about twice the wholesale price. It is a starting point, not a rule: what your market pays matters more.
Price each kind of buyer
- 1Name your groupsWholesale accounts, members, licensed professionals, staff: each group that should pay its own price.
- 2Give each a priceEither its own price for every product, or a percentage off another price, such as 40% off retail.
- 3Check the margin of eachFor every group, the price less your cost is what you keep. If it is nothing, or less, change the price or leave that product out for that group.
An example, with a made-up product that costs you $16.00:
| Group | Price | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | $48.00 | $32.00 |
| Wholesale | $29.00 | $13.00 |
| Member | $24.00 | $8.00 |
Decide who pays for shipping
Shipping can quietly eat a wholesale margin. Choose for each supplier: free shipping, a flat amount, or free over an order size that is worth it to you. Say it plainly before buyers pay.
How GateVentory holds it
- Each vendor has its own price categories, such as Retail, Wholesale and Member, and each product a price in each.
- A price category can be worked out from another, such as 40% off Retail.
- One price category can be marked as your cost. It is never shown to a buyer, and products sold for no more than it are flagged when a price sheet comes in.
- Reports show what you kept on each vendor.
Who sees which price is up to you: see Prices for each kind of buyer.
Read next
- Prices for each kind of buyerShow retail, wholesale and member prices in one online store. Each kind of buyer sees only the price category you approved them for, and the public sees retail.
- What to ask on a wholesale applicationThe questions worth asking on a wholesale account application, the documents to request, and what to leave out so good buyers finish the form and apply.
- PricingGateVentory is $59 a month plus 1% per order, never more than $1.50. One plan with every feature included, and no card is needed until you open your store.
Sell only to buyers you’ve approved.
Open your store, set up a gate and start reviewing applications.