"What should I charge?" is the most common question creators ask us in the first kickoff call. The honest answer is: you'll under-charge on drop one no matter what we say. So let's at least give you a framework that gets you closer than guessing.
The tier model — three price points, one story
Every drop we ship is built around three price tiers. They don't need to be three products — they're three price commitments. The reason this works is psychological: fans pick the middle option ~60% of the time when given three choices, but they need all three visible to know which one is "middle".
Tier 1 — entry (₹699–₹1,199)
Low-friction items. Tees, caps, stickers, totes. Designed to be a "no-brainer" for the 17-year-old fan with limited disposable income. This tier should sell the most units but the lowest margin per unit. Margin is fine — units build word of mouth.
Tier 2 — staple (₹1,499–₹2,999)
The main product. Hoodies, premium tees, joggers. This is what 50–60% of buyers will pick if the design is good. Margin per unit is meaningful here; this tier funds the drop.
Tier 3 — limited / hero (₹3,499–₹7,999)
A premium edition — numbered, limited run, premium fabric, or bundle. This tier exists partly to anchor the staple, partly to create scarcity press, and partly to print real margin from your most engaged fans. Cap units at 25–100.
If your drop doesn't have a hero product, your staple looks expensive. If your drop is only hero products, your audience can't participate at scale.
Tier-1 cities vs. tier-2 cities
A common mistake: pricing for your loudest fans (who tend to be in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi NCR, Pune, Hyderabad) and missing your largest fanbase (which is often spread across tier-2 cities). Practical adjustments that help:
- Always offer COD. ~40% of tier-2 city orders pick COD when offered. Skip it, and you lose those orders.
- Mind your shipping fee. Free shipping above ₹999 — sounds modest, but if your tee is ₹799 it becomes a powerful upsell to add a second item.
- Consider EMI on hero items. Razorpay supports this natively. A ₹4,999 hoodie on 3-month EMI converts meaningfully better than a single hit.
Real numbers from drops we've shipped
Three anonymised examples to ground these in reality:
Streamer in Bengaluru · 220K followers · gaming audience
- Tee: ₹999 · sold 410 units (45% of orders)
- Hoodie: ₹2,499 · sold 280 units (35% of orders)
- Limited zip-up: ₹4,999 · sold 100/100 in 3 hours (20% of orders, 35% of revenue)
- Total drop revenue: ₹18.2L · 800 units · 14-day drop window
Podcaster in Mumbai · 380K followers · mixed audience
- Tote bag: ₹699 · sold 220
- Premium tee: ₹1,599 · sold 410
- Numbered "Episode 100" tee (limited 100): ₹3,499 · sold 100/100
- Total drop revenue: ₹9.6L · 730 units
Stand-up comic in Delhi NCR · 380K followers
- Sticker pack: ₹299 · sold 510 (impulse-buy tier)
- "Set list" tee: ₹1,299 · sold 480
- Hoodie (limited 75): ₹4,999 · sold out in 72 hours
- Total drop revenue: ₹12.8L
What NOT to do
1. Don't copy international creators' price points
A ₹3,500 entry tee makes sense for an LA creator. It doesn't make sense for most Indian audiences on drop one. Build trust at lower price points first, then graduate.
2. Don't run a 30% launch discount
Discounts on drop one teach your audience to wait. Reserve discounts for re-stock drops, never the first.
3. Don't charge ₹150 shipping on a ₹699 tee
The math is fine for you. The vibes are bad. Bake it in or threshold it.
The shortest version
Three tiers. COD always. EMI on heroes. Don't discount drop one. The pricing playbook isn't complicated — most creators just skip the framework and price by gut, then wonder why the hoodie outperforms the tee 3:1.
If pricing is the thing blocking your drop, talk to us — we'll model your tier structure inside the first kickoff call. Or read why most influencer merch stores fail if you'd like the failure-mode lens first.