MOQ & Volume Pricing

Why minimums exist, how quantity tiers discount, and when tooling pays off

The platform has no hard MOQ — one part is quoteable — but every order carries fixed setup/programming, which makes small quantities expensive per unit. Quantity tiers (10, 50, 100, 500, 1000+) step the per-unit price down as setup amortizes; at higher volumes, molding or stamping tooling becomes the cheapest path. Understanding the curve prevents both overpaying for one-offs and tooling too early.

1. Why minimums exist

Setup: programming, fixturing, machine changeover and first-article inspection are fixed regardless of quantity — $50–300 for machining, $100–500 for molding runs. A 1-off part carries that cost alone; 100 units spread it 100 ways.

Material minimums: exotic alloys, printed powder and resins come in minimum stock quantities; below ~$100 of material the quote includes a material minimum.

2. Quantity tiers

Typical tiers: 1–9, 10–49, 50–99, 100–499, 500–999, 1000+; each step discounts 5–15% off the smaller tier for machining, with steeper drops for molding (cycle time is nearly quantity-independent).

Printed parts discount weakly (build volume is mostly additive); sheet metal discounts through batch nesting; molding discounts strongest once tooling is amortized. The quote engine shows every tier so the curve is visible.

3. Tooling crossover

Crossover quantity = tooling cost ÷ per-unit savings. A $5k mold saving $2/unit crosses at 2,500 parts; below that, CNC or printing is cheaper in total cost. Stamping dies cross higher but drop unit cost further.

Ask the engine for the molded price at your projected quantity before deciding: it quotes tooling separately so you can compare total cost curves side by side.

4. Ordering strategy

Order the quantity that matches the tier — 101 parts at the 100-tier price is usually cheaper than 99 at the 50-tier. For prototypes, buy exactly what the test needs; for production, buy to the tier and hold inventory.

Blanket POs and batch releases lock tier pricing while smoothing your cash flow; the platform tracks tier pricing on each release.

Quick reference

Tier	Machining	3D print	Molding
1–9	1.0×	1.0×	n/a (tooling first)
10–49	0.85–0.9×	0.95×	1.0× (short run)
50–99	0.75–0.85×	0.9×	0.7×
100–499	0.65–0.75×	0.85×	0.5×
500–999	0.55–0.65×	0.8×	0.35×
1000+	0.45–0.55×	0.75×	0.25×

Sources & references

• Xometry Learning Center — MOQ & Volume (public engineering reference)
• Protolabs — Volume Pricing & Discounts (public engineering reference)
• Xometry Learning Center — Volume Pricing & MOQ (public engineering reference)