How Physical Product Deals Work on Cheaply

A physical product deal is the classic Cheaply offer: you list an item, buyers commit together, and the more units the group commits, the lower the price drops for everyone. This guide walks through exactly what happens from the moment you publish to the moment you get paid.

Tier pricing: the group climbs the ladder together

You set price tiers by quantity. Each tier is a quantity threshold with a price attached: up to this many units, everyone pays this price; cross into the next band, and the price drops to the next number for everyone in the deal, including people who already committed.

For example:

• 1 to 4 units: 5,000 each
• 5 to 9 units: 4,500 each
• 10+ units: 4,000 each

Your lowest tier is the auto-order trigger: once the group reaches it within the deal window, the order locks in at that best price and proceeds to fulfilment. Buyers see the live progress bar and how many more units unlock the next price.

You keep your full price, the buyer pays the fee

Cheaply is buyer-funded. When a buyer commits, they pay your unit price plus a small Deal Facilitation Fee on top. You, the seller, keep your full listed price, the fee does not come out of your payout. The fee is shown clearly to the buyer on the checkout before they commit, so there are no surprises.

What happens to the money before you ship

When a buyer commits, the funds are reserved, not released to you yet. After the deal locks and you mark the order delivered, there is a protection window (a fixed number of days) during which the buyer can confirm receipt or raise a complaint. If they confirm, you are paid immediately. If they do nothing, you are paid automatically when the window ends. A dispute pauses the clock until it is resolved.

This is what lets buyers commit money to a seller they have never met: their payment is protected until the item actually arrives.

Shipping and dispatch

Physical deals collect a delivery address from each buyer and have a dispatch deadline (you have a set time to ship after the deal locks). Keep tracking and delivery prompt: the faster the buyer receives and confirms, the faster you are paid.

Add-ons (optional)

You can attach optional add-ons to a deal (an accessory, an upgrade, a bundle item). Add-ons are priced instantly by quantity, independent of the group MOQ, and the buyer can add them at checkout. They are buyer-funded exactly like the base deal.

The lifecycle at a glance

1. You publish the deal with tiers, photos, and shipping details.
2. Buyers commit; the price steps down as the group grows.
3. The deal reaches the trigger quantity and locks at the best price.
4. You ship before the dispatch deadline.
5. The buyer confirms receipt (or the protection window ends).
6. You are paid your full price; Cheaply keeps only the buyer-paid fee.

In one sentence

List your item with quantity tiers, let the group commit to unlock lower prices, ship on time, and get paid your full price once the protection window passes.