Pricing Settings: How to manage Price, Profit, and Fees

This article explains how to set up your pricing settings on AutoDS, allowing the system to automatically calculate your selling prices based on your preferred profit margins and expected fees.

Understanding and correctly configuring these fields ensures you reach your desired profitability while covering transaction costs and platform fees. 

 

Benefits

• Save Time: Automatically adjust prices based on rules you define.

• Stay Competitive: Maintain competitive pricing even when supplier prices change.

• Ensure Profitability: Avoid losses by applying minimum profit margins.

• Customization: Apply different settings per supplier, platform, or store.
  
  

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Step-by-Step Guide

1. Go to the Settings menu in the AutoDS platform.

2. In the Supplier Settings section, choose the store and supplier you want to update.

3. Select the ‘Pricing’ tab.

Note: Changes made in the Settings will only apply to new uploads and future orders. If you want to update the prices of products that are already listed, you’ll need to make those changes in bulk from the Products page.

Configure your price

First, check the field explanations here to help you better understand:

Field	Description
Buy Price	The cost you pay to purchase the product from the supplier. If “Include Shipping Price” is enabled, the supplier’s shipping cost will be added to the Buy Price. See the “Include Shipping Price” section below for more details.
% Profit	Your target profit margin as a percentage of the buy price. Include supplier taxes or fees. Example: 30% → Covers 10% tax + 20% net profit
$ Profit	Fixed amount you want to earn per sale. Can be combined with % Profit to ensure a minimum return.
% Fees	All percentage-based charges, such as: selling channel commissions, payment processor fees, and advertising costs.
$ Fees	Fixed charges per transaction (e.g., Stripe fees, shipping charges, etc).
Dynamic Profit	Set profit rules based on product price ranges. Only applies to new listings and does not have the option to apply in bulk on the Products page.
Set Price Cents Value	Round final prices to end in specific cents for consistency. It may slightly affect profit. Example: Round $16.47 to $16.99
Compare Price (Shopify only)	Show a discounted price by displaying the original price crossed out. Example: Was $15 → Now $10 (33% off)
Include Shipping Price (Not supported for “Worldwide”, Print On Demand, and Sourcing Requests from outside China)	This option adds the supplier’s shipping fee to the product cost before calculating your profit. Example: If the product costs $10 and shipping is $2, the Buy Price becomes $12. ⚠️ If you’re using Print On Demand, Sourcing Requests, or select Ship To > Worldwide, shipping won’t be included automatically. In these cases, either: Add the shipping cost manually under $ Fees, or Increase your % Profit to cover it. Note: For China Sourcing, the shipping price is always included in the product cost.
Default Automation	Choose whether to apply your predefined automation rules to new listings. [Learn more about how automation works here.]

 

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Calculation Formula

AutoDS calculates your sell price using the values you define. The calculation uses this formula:

Subtotal = Buy Price + (Buy Price × % Profit) + $ Profit  
After Fees = Subtotal ÷ ($ Profit - % Fees)  
Final Sell Price = After Fees + $ Fees

This ensures that your final sell price covers your profit goals and any selling platform fees.

Here is an example:

Buy Price = $10
% Profit = 30%
$ Profit = $1
% Fees = 15%
$ Fees = $0.50

Step	Formula	Example (Values)	Result
Subtotal	Buy Price + (Buy Price × % Profit) + $ Profit	$10 + ($10 × 30%) + $1	$14.00
After Fees	Subtotal ÷ (1 - % Fees)	$14 ÷ (1 - 15%)	$16.47
Final Price	After Fees + $ Fees	$16.47 + $0.50	$16.97

 

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Estimating Fees and Profits

To ensure accurate and profitable pricing, it’s important to include all recurring costs per sale. These typically include:

• Selling channel fees (e.g., 2.5%)

• International transaction fees (e.g., +1.5%)

• Payment gateway commissions (e.g., Stripe, PayPal)

• Advertising or marketing costs (calculated as a percentage of the sale)

• Subscription or domain costs (converted into a per-sale percentage)

 

How Dynamic Profit Works

Dynamic Profit lets you set different profit rules depending on how much a product costs.

You create price ranges based on the supplier’s cost, and for each range, you choose how much profit you want to make.

• Minimum Price (cost from supplier)

• Maximum Price (cost from supplier)

• Desired Profit (fixed amount or %)

For example:

Supplier Cost	Profit You’ll Make
$0–$20	$5
$20.01–$50	$8
$50.01–$100	$12

 

 

Preventing Sales at a Loss

Due to how marketplaces work and how frequently product data is scanned, it’s possible for your product to be sold at a price that no longer reflects the latest cost from your supplier. This can result in a sale with zero or negative profit.

Here’s how you can reduce the risk using your pricing settings:

Why It Happens

• AutoDS scans product prices and stock multiple times per day.

• A sale can happen between scans, meaning the item is sold at the last known price, even if the supplier increased the price afterward.

• This is a common limitation across all dropshipping tools — no system updates prices in real-time.

How to Reduce the Risk

1. Enable the Price and Stock Monitoring
   Make sure price and stock updates are automatically tracked by enabling this feature (available only for subscription plans above Importer 200). This helps keep your listings aligned with supplier changes.

2. Increase % Profit or add $ Profit
   Give yourself a buffer to absorb price increases or changes due to temporary deals ending.

3. Use Dynamic Profit
   Set higher profits for lower-cost items to ensure a minimum return, especially where small price changes can wipe out your margin.

4. Include Shipping Costs
   If your supplier charges for shipping and it’s not added to the Buy Price, activate the Include Shipping Price option or add this manually in $ Fees.

5. Add Extra in % Fees or $ Fees
   Account for small unexpected costs by padding your settings with a small percentage or fixed fee.

6. Monitor High-Risk Products
   For fast-selling items or products with frequent price fluctuations, monitor them closely and consider manually adjusting their pricing.

7. Define a Safe Maximum Loss Limit
   On the Orders tab, use the “Maximum Loss” field to define how much you’re willing to cover if a product’s price increases unexpectedly after a scan but before a sale.

    

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Will my pricing settings apply to existing products?
A: No. Pricing settings only apply to newly imported products. If you want to update the prices of existing products, you’ll need to make those changes in bulk from the Products page.

Q: Can I set different rules for different suppliers or stores?
A: Yes. You can configure settings per supplier, store, or platform using custom Settings.

Q: What happens if the supplier increases the price?
A: AutoDS will update your product price (if price monitoring is enabled) according to your pricing rules, helping you keep your desired profit. Products are scanned several times a day, but not in real time — no tool in the market can track and update prices instantly.

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