How to Price Custom Merch for Profit (Without Losing Customers)

You’ve got the designs. You’ve got the hats. Maybe even some shirts and stickers in the mix.

Now comes the question that stops a lot of small businesses in their tracks:

“What should I charge for this stuff?”

You want to make a profit — but you also don’t want to price yourself out of the sale. You want it to feel fair. Professional. Worth it.

Here’s how to price your merch so that it actually works — for you and your customers.

💰 Start with Your Cost Per Item

You can’t price right if you don’t know what each item actually costs you. We make this easy by offering transparent pricing, no hidden fees and no setup costs. 

Let’s say you’re doing a run of custom 100 leather patch hats and 100 shirts:

• Hat cost: $17.00 per hat

• Shirt Cost: $12.50
  

• Bags/Marketing Material: $.65
  
  

• Shipping & packaging: Local Pickup

• Total cost: $17.65 per hat and $13.15 per shirt.

Now you’ve got your baseline.

📈 Understand Industry Standard Markups

For retail or merch sales, the sweet spot is usually 2x–3x your total cost.

• A $17 hat? Sell it for $35–$45

• A $13 tee? Price it between $24–$30

If that feels high, remember:
✔️ You’re not just selling fabric — you’re selling brand visibility
✔️ High-quality leather patches, in-house engraving, and design = premium product
✔️ Price too low and people assume it’s cheap or generic

🧠 Think About the Customer Experience

Your pricing should also depend on how your merch is used:

• Promo or giveaway? Break-even or low margin is fine

• Crew or staff gear? Keep it affordable but professional

• Retail drop or limited run? Go premium — your brand deserves it

• Client gift packs? Bake it into your overall service price

Match your pricing to the intended impact.

📦 Pro Tip: Offer Bundles & Tiered Options

Want to increase perceived value and average order value? Offer simple bundles.

Example:

• 1 Hat = $30

• Hat + Tee Combo = $50

• 3-Pack of Hats = $80

• “Rep the Brand” Bundle: Hat + Shirt + Stickers = $60

People love value. Bundles help them justify the spend while boosting your margins.

🔢 Keep It Simple

Pricing should be clean, rounded, and confidence-driven.

• ✅ $30 = feels premium, easy to process

• ❌ $28.74 = feels random, cheapens the offer

If you want to test, A/B your pricing at events or online drops and see what sticks — just don’t lowball yourself out of profit.

🔨 Include the Value Behind the Price

If you’re charging $35 for a custom hat, show them why it’s worth it:

• We only use premium hats from trusted manufacturers that have been tested in the real world for countless hours.

• High quality engraving.

• Lifetime guarantee on ALL hat patches. If the patch ever falls off we'll replace it for free. 

• Designed and built by real people in a small-town shop

You’re not selling fast fashion — you’re selling crafted identity.

Show that. Talk about it. Post behind-the-scenes.
That’s what makes the price not just acceptable — but appreciated.

Ready to Price Like a Pro?

You’ve built a brand worth repping. Now let’s make sure your merch doesn’t just look good — it makes money, too.

We’ll help you build smart bundles, test pricing strategies, and make your first (or next) merch drop a success.

Let’s build something together.