MOQ stands for minimum order quantity. It is the smallest run a packaging supplier will accept, and it exists for a reason that has almost nothing to do with the boxes themselves.
Why a minimum exists at all
Almost all of the effort in a custom packaging job happens before the first good box comes off the line. A die has to be made to your dimensions. Plates have to be produced and mounted. Colour has to be brought to the proof. The press runs waste sheets until the registration and the density are right. None of that gets cheaper because you ordered fewer boxes, so below a certain quantity the setup cost per box becomes larger than the box.
That is why per unit prices fall as quantity rises. You are not getting a discount on cardboard. You are spreading a fixed setup across more units.
What raises a supplier's MOQ
- Tooling complexity. Rigid boxes, unusual dielines and moulded components carry more setup than a simple folding carton.
- Special materials. Speciality board, foils and laminates often come with their own supply minimums.
- Finishes. Foil stamping, embossing and spot coatings each add a setup step with its own make ready.
- Lane. Sea freight is priced by volume, so a cost saver lane rewards larger runs and short runs sit better on faster lanes.
What the 100 box minimum actually means for you
It means you can put a real, custom printed box in front of customers without committing to a pallet of stock. For a new line, that is usually the difference between testing a product and guessing at it. It also means a seasonal or limited edition run is practical, and that a second size does not have to wait until the first one sells through.
The other half of the answer is what is included. The die, the plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof before anything prints come with the order rather than as a first order surcharge, which is what usually makes a short run uneconomic elsewhere. It is also why a genuinely custom internal size costs no more to tool than a near standard one.
Ordering at or near the minimum
Three things help a small run go smoothly. First, send print ready artwork with the fonts outlined and the brand colour named, so the proof cycle is short. Second, settle the internal dimensions before the dieline is cut, because a size change after tooling is a new tool. Third, pick your lane deliberately: production is quoted per product across rush (expedited production plus air freight), standard (air) and cost saver (sea), from about 7 business days, plus 2 to 5 for delivery, with specialty imported work up to about 12 weeks. Rush carries a premium of about 7 to 25% depending on the job.
Pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and is confirmed on your written quote. We make at two plants, West Chicago in the US and Guangzhou in China, and samples are arranged through the quote conversation rather than sold as a kit.
If you are testing a line, say so on your quote request and give the quantity you actually want rather than the quantity you think you have to order. If you want to understand what happens between that order and the press, what a pre production sample is covers the approval steps.
