How much do custom shoe charms cost? A price breakdown

Custom soft PVC shoe charms from our factory cost $0.30 to $0.10 per piece, depending on how many pieces you order of each design, plus a one-time mold fee of $30–80 per design. For a single design of 300 pieces, that comes to $120 to $170 before packing, freight and import duty. The rest of this guide shows where each part of the price comes from and how three typical orders add up.

The five parts of a charm price

Every quote for custom charms is built from the same parts.

Price per piece: set by each design, not by the order

Our tiers are $0.30 per piece for 100–499 pieces of a design, $0.20 for 500–1,999, $0.15 for 2,000–4,999 and $0.10 for 5,000 or more. The minimum is 100 pieces per design.

The tier is set by the quantity of each design, because every design needs its own mold, its own color setup and its own run on the machines. An order of 10 designs with 300 pieces each is priced at the 100–499 tier, even though it adds up to 3,000 pieces. To try your own mix of designs and quantities, use the budget calculator on the prices page.

These prices are for our standard charm: 25 to 35 mm, up to 6 colors, single-sided, with a black clog backing and bulk packing. The things that move a price up are more colors, a larger size, a second side, and fine text or gradients that have to be UV-printed on top. We confirm the final price after reviewing your artwork, so send it early. Our guide on how to brief a charm order lists what to include so the first quote is accurate.

Mold fee: once per design

Each new design needs a mold, $30–80 depending on the size and complexity of the artwork. You pay it once, and reorders of the same design have no mold fee. When a single design reaches 5,000 pieces, we waive it. On small orders the mold fee can be as large as the charms themselves, which is why it deserves its own look: how the mold fee works.

Samples

We make one sample of each design about 3 business days after you approve the artwork. Samples from our ready series are free; you pay the shipping. Custom samples carry the mold fee and the sample fee, and the sample fee is credited against your bulk order. For custom designs, the sample fee is small and quoted with your artwork, so if you go ahead with production it does not add to your total; the mold fee is not credited. Express shipping of custom samples is paid by the customer too. See how sampling works.

Packing

Bulk packing is included in the price per piece. One charm per clear bag, or charms attached to backing cards printed with your logo, is quoted with your order, based on the card size and the quantity.

Freight

Our prices are EXW Fujian, which means the price covers the charms ready for collection at our factory, and the buyer pays for transport from there. We can quote express, air or sea freight to your address. Air takes about 5–7 days and sea about 25–35 days. Send your city and postal code with your request and we quote the freight with the charms.

Import duty and taxes

Duties and taxes in your country are paid by the buyer. Three things decide them:

• The tariff classification: the code your customs authority assigns to the product. Charms could be classed in more than one way depending on what they are and how they are sold, so ask your customs broker which code applies.
• The country of origin: our charms are made in China. Some countries add extra duties on goods from China on top of the normal rate.
• The customs value: usually the price you paid for the goods, and in some countries the freight and insurance as well.

Look up the official rates here:

• United States: the Harmonized Tariff Schedule at hts.usitc.gov, published by the U.S. International Trade Commission. Additional duties on goods from China have changed often; U.S. Customs and Border Protection lists the measures in force on its trade remedies pages. Check them, or ask your customs broker, close to your shipping date.
• European Union: the European Commission's Access2Markets tool, which shows duty and import VAT for each product code.
• United Kingdom: the UK Trade Tariff on gov.uk.

Three worked examples

These are the charm and mold costs, EXW Fujian, using our published prices. The mold fee is shown as a range, from $30 to $80 per design, because it is set for each design after we see the artwork. Sample fees are left out because they are credited against the bulk order. Packing beyond bulk, freight, duty and any testing come on top; testing is covered in our guide to safety rules for children's charms.

One design, 300 pieces. This is a typical first order to test a design in a shop or at an event. The mold is a large share of the total: at 300 pieces, $30 to $80 adds 10 to 27 cents to every charm. A reorder of the same design costs only the charms, $90 for another 300.

Ten designs, 500 pieces each. 500 pieces of each design reach the $0.20 tier. The order adds up to 5,000 pieces, but the mold fee is still charged, because the waiver applies when a single design reaches 5,000 pieces, not the whole order.

Twenty-four designs, 250 pieces each. A full collection of many designs at a low quantity each is the most expensive way to buy 6,000 charms: every design stays in the $0.30 tier and needs its own mold. The same 6,000 pieces spread over 12 designs of 500 each would cost $1,200 for the charms and $360 to $960 for molds. If you need all 24 designs, tell us the quantity of each; for larger collections we can quote a better price per design.

How to lower the total

• Order fewer designs in larger quantities. The tier depends on each design, so moving a design from 400 to 500 pieces lowers its price per piece.
• Keep to 6 colors or fewer and the standard 25 to 35 mm size, which is what the published prices assume.
• Reorder designs that sold, or add color versions of them. Neither needs a new mold.
• Mix in designs from our existing series: they start at 100 pieces per design at the same prices. Our comparison of ready series and custom charms explains when that makes sense.

Common questions

Is the mold fee included in the price per piece?

No. The mold fee is a separate one-time charge of $30–80 per design. It is waived when a single design reaches 5,000 pieces.

How do I pay?

Molds and samples for custom designs are paid before we start. For bulk orders, a 50% deposit starts production and the balance is due before shipment. Prices are in US dollars.

Does the price include shipping to my country?

No. Prices are EXW Fujian. We quote express, air or sea freight separately, and duties and taxes in your country are paid by the buyer.

More answers are on the FAQ page. Send your artwork and within one working day we send a proof sheet showing how the charm will look, its size in millimetres, the number of colors and the backing position. It is free and you do not need to place an order first. Send your artwork through the quote form, with the number of designs and the quantity of each.