Yoga Apparel Sample Policy

Yoga Apparel Sample Policy. Fees, lead times, bulk-credit rules — all in one page.

Four sample types. Published fees. A day-by-day lead-time map. A bulk-credit table that returns the sample cost on real PO volume. A four-stage sign-off flow so neither side argues over “which version did we approve?” later. Read this once instead of asking on WhatsApp for the next six months.

  • 4 sample types, named
  • $25–$180 fee bands, published
  • 1–18 day lead time, day-by-day
  • 100% credit at 1,000 pcs bulk
  • Gold-seal sign-off freeze
Request a sample quote See OEM service
Sample Type Table

Four sample types — each one answers a different question.

The single word “sample” hides four different products. A stock pull off the shelf is not the same as a development sample with a new pattern, and a salesman set is not a pre-production approval. Mis-naming the request costs both sides a week. Here is the published taxonomy we use on every quote.

Sample type Purpose Fee (USD / pc) Lead time What we need from you
Stock sampleoff-the-shelf pull
Confirm fabric hand-feel and base fit against an existing in-line garment. $25–$45 1–3 days SKU number from the catalog + ship-to address.
Develop samplenew pattern / fabric
First proto of a new pattern, fabric, or decoration combination. $80–$180 7–10 days Tech-pack or sketch + spec sheet + fabric & Pantone direction.
Salesman sampleshowroom / fair kit
Sales-rep kit / showroom set, multiple colors and sizes for trade fairs. $35–$60 5–8 days Approved fit-sample reference + colour list + size run + qty per SKU.
PP samplepre-production approval
Final approval in real bulk fabric, bulk trims, bulk pattern — before cutting bulk. $120–$220 14–18 days Approved fit + locked tech-pack + paid sample deposit + bulk PO LOI.

Fees are per-piece, exclusive of express shipping and customs duty. Final number on the formal quote depends on fabric grade, decoration count, and trim spec.

The sample taxonomy maps 1:1 to the OEM service and ODM service pipelines — buyers on either path hit the same four checkpoints from proto through gold seal.

Fee Rules

Why develop samples are paid — cost transparency on the engineering hour.

A stock sample is a pull from inventory and a parcel. A develop sample is a brand-new pattern cut, a sample tailor on the floor for half a shift, a fabric pull, a trim issue, a wash test, and a QC inspection. The fee is the engineering cost — not a gatekeeping fee, not a deposit on the bulk order.

What the develop fee covers

Engineering hours billed at cost, not at margin.

  • Pattern grading on the requested size run (S–XL standard, plus or minus tall / petite on request).
  • Marker layout + single-ply cutting on the real bulk fabric, not on substitute scrap.
  • Sample-tailor hour — typically 90–180 minutes per garment, depending on construction complexity.
  • Trim issue + decoration set-up — sublimation transfer print, screen film, embroidery digitize file, silicone heat-transfer mold, rubber mold.
  • In-house wash test + colour-fastness check before the sample ships, with the lab report included in the parcel.
What gets credited or refunded

Volume buys the sample fee back — on the actual PO invoice.

  • Stock samples: not credited. They are inventory pulls priced at near-cost already.
  • Develop samples: credited per the bulk-credit table below — 0% under 300 pcs, scaling to 100% at 1,000 pcs.
  • Salesman samples: credited at 50% when the buyer places a bulk PO on the same SKU range within 90 days.
  • Pre-production samples: 100% credited against the bulk PO of the same SKU when the bulk PO confirms within 30 days of PP approval.
  • Refund mechanic: credit appears as a single line-item deduction on the bulk PO invoice — not as a future-order voucher, not as store credit.

Sample fee logic, MOQ rules, and unit-price tiers all live on pricing & MOQ — the dollar math behind every quote we send. Same buyers, same line-items, same audit trail.

Bulk-credit Rule

Bulk-credit rule — sample cost returns to you on real PO volume.

The bulk-credit table replaces the usual “we’ll discuss it later” answer. The credit applies to develop samples and pre-production samples, not stock pulls. The credit shows up as a line-item deduction on the bulk PO invoice — not as a future-order voucher, not as store credit.

Bulk PO quantity (same SKU) Credit on develop sample fee Credit on PP sample fee
< 300 pcs 0% · no credit 50%
300 – 499 pcs 50% 100%
500 – 999 pcs 75% 100%
≥ 1,000 pcs 100% · full refund 100%
Worked example A

Brand testing a new legging in 3 colours.

  • Develop sample fee paid: $150 / pc × 3 colours = $450
  • Bulk PO 600 pcs in one of the 3 colours → 75% of $150 ($112.50) deducted on the bulk invoice for that colour.
  • The two non-ordered develop samples stay paid — they were paid engineering work, not a deposit on a phantom future order.
Worked example B

DTC brand scaling into a single hero SKU.

  • Develop sample fee $180 + PP sample fee $200 = $380 total on 1 colour.
  • Bulk PO 1,200 pcs on the same SKU → both fees fully credited as a single line on the bulk invoice.
  • Net sample cost on the program: $0. Net engineering hours absorbed by the buyer: zero.

Bulk-credit numbers feed straight into the unit-price tiers documented on pricing & MOQ. Volume buys both the per-piece discount and the sample refund — the math compounds in your favour.

Lead-time Map

Lead-time map — day-by-day, not “about 2 weeks.”

The single biggest reason a buyer is angry about a sample is not the fee — it is finding out on day 9 that the lead time was 14 days. We publish per-stage day counts so the buyer’s launch calendar lines up with reality on day one.

Stage
Stock sample
Develop sample
PP sample
Fabric pull from buffer or knit
0 days · in stock
0–7 days
3–10 days
Pattern + cut + sew + decorate
1 day
5–7 days
7–10 days
In-house QC + wash test + photo
0.5 day
1–2 days
2–3 days
Pack + courier handover
0.5 day
1 day
1 day
Total
1–3 days
7–10 days
14–18 days
  • Fabric not on buffer. Custom Pantone match adds 5–7 days post-knit. See the supply-chain map for the 8 fabrics we keep on standby.
  • Decoration is custom. New silicone heat-transfer mold adds 5 days. New embroidery digitize adds 1 day. Sublimation new file adds 0.5 day.
  • Sign-off window on the buyer side. We send a photo + measurement sheet within hours of completion, but the calendar pauses until the buyer either approves or asks for a revision.

Full per-fabric availability, dye-house split, and trim lead times for the develop-sample fabric pull are on the supply-chain map. The same standby roster covers both the sample and the bulk run on a given SKU.

Sign-off Flow

Sign-off flow — proto → fit → PP → gold seal.

A sample without a sign-off is a paperweight. We use the standard four-stage flow that buyer-side product teams already know from any tier-1 factory. Each stage has a defined approval document, a defined channel, and a defined freeze rule. Once a stage is signed off, it cannot be re-opened mid-bulk without a written change request.

01Proto

Confirm pattern direction, fabric grade, decoration placement.

  • Approval docPhoto set + measurement sheet emailed.
  • ChannelEmail primary; WhatsApp for quick clarifications.
  • OutcomeComments written into the tech-pack v2.

02Fit

Confirm fit on real grading across the size run (S–XL).

  • Approval docFit-comment sheet + side-by-side photos with measurements.
  • ChannelEmail; optional parcel return if the buyer wants tactile review.
  • OutcomePattern locked; tech-pack moves to v3-final.

03PP

Confirm everything in bulk fabric, bulk trims, bulk decoration spec.

  • Approval docPP approval form (signed PDF) + photo set.
  • ChannelEmail; parcel return mandatory if decoration involves new tooling.
  • OutcomeBulk cutting authorised.

04Gold seal

The reference standard for every PO going forward.

  • Approval docGold-seal hangtag photo + retained physical sample at the factory.
  • ChannelFactory-retained + buyer-retained (one each), no digital substitute.
  • OutcomeThe QC reference for every future re-order on this SKU.

Sign-off freeze rule

Once a stage is signed off, changes within that scope cost the buyer — re-pattern, re-fabric, re-decoration set-up, billed at the engineering hour. Stages cannot be skipped: a buyer cannot go from proto to bulk without fit and PP in between. The freeze is what makes the gold-seal credible to QC, the buyer, and downstream retail.

The same four-stage gate runs on every brief from OEM service, ODM service, and the broader custom yoga apparel hub. Every SKU has its own gold-seal sample on the factory shelf, indexed by buyer account.

Sample Shipping

Sample shipping — DHL / FedEx / UPS, prepaid or freight-collect.

Sample parcels go on express only. The buyer picks the carrier, picks the account model, and owns customs from there. We don’t mark up the freight line; we don’t bundle hidden brokerage; the courier rate is the courier rate.

Carrier choice

DHL Express (default), FedEx International Priority, or UPS Worldwide Saver — we hold accounts with all three. Buyer may also supply a courier account number for direct freight-collect on any of the three networks.

Account model

  • Prepaid by buyer (default): we invoice the courier cost on the sample invoice at the carrier’s published rate; no markup.
  • Freight-collect on buyer’s account: zero shipping on our invoice; carrier bills the buyer directly.
  • DDP samples: available on request; the customs broker fee is invoiced separately.

Customs & duty

Import duty, VAT, GST, and any de minimis exceedance are the buyer’s responsibility. We file commercial invoice + packing list + HS code on every parcel; the buyer (or the broker) handles entry. We can pre-clear via DDP for a separate line-item if it speeds the buyer’s calendar.

Bulk-order Incoterms (FOB / CIF / DDP / FBA-direct) and freight lanes are mapped separately on the supply-chain routing table — different rules apply to samples vs containers, and the math should not be cross-applied.

FAQ on Samples

FAQ — the eight questions every buyer asks on WhatsApp.

Read these eight first; they cover roughly 90% of the inbound sample questions we get every week. Anything not answered here is a one-line WhatsApp away — [email protected] or +86 159 0277 8636.

Can the sample fee be waived for a first-time enquiry?

No. The fee is the published engineering cost, not a goodwill gate. Waiving it would mean other paying buyers subsidise the dev work. The credit table in section 4 returns the cost on real PO volume — that is the honest way the math closes.

Can you send a free swatch card before I commit to a develop sample?

Yes. Swatch cards (fabric only, A4 size, 6–12 swatches) ship free on freight-collect once you have submitted a brief. Useful before you spec a develop sample — you confirm hand-feel and colour in person before paying for a full proto.

What payment methods do you accept for sample fees?

PayPal, Wise, T/T (telegraphic transfer in USD), or sample-deposit against a future bulk PO. PayPal and Wise are fastest under $500; T/T is preferred above that. Sample-deposit means the fee is held against an LOI and released back to the buyer on the bulk PO invoice.

Can I send my own fabric for the develop sample?

Yes, on a case-by-case basis. We need at least 3 yards / 2.7 m of the fabric, plus a fabric report so the sample-tailor knows shrinkage and recovery. Sample fee in that case drops by approximately 30% (we remove the fabric-pull line; the engineering hours stay).

Do you sign NDAs before reviewing my tech-pack?

Yes. A mutual NDA is standard before tech-pack review for develop samples on signature pieces. Email request to [email protected] and we return a counter-signed copy within one business day. We do not redistribute tech-packs across other buyer accounts — that is a written clause on every NDA we sign.

What if the proto sample arrives with a defect — torn stitch, wrong colour, missing trim?

Photo the defect, email same-day. If the defect is ours, we cut and ship a replacement at zero fee on the next courier; the calendar resets, and the lead-time slip is on us. If the defect is a courier transit issue, we file the claim with the carrier and ship the replacement in parallel so the buyer’s timeline is preserved.

Can the sample be drop-shipped to my customer instead of to me?

Yes, on label-blind packaging — no Yogavendor markings on the outer carton, the inner polybag, or the hangtag. We charge a one-time blind-pack fee ($8 / parcel) and the shipping label goes in your name as both the shipper and the seller of record on the commercial invoice.

How do I move from “I have a sample” to “I want to place a bulk PO”?

One email to [email protected] with: SKU + bulk quantity + ship-to country + target ship date. We send a formal quote within one business day. PO acceptance starts the bulk lead-time clock on the OEM service pipeline. Sample fee credit per the M4 table is applied as a line-item on the bulk invoice.

Twenty more questions on minimums, payment terms, Incoterms, and re-order rules are on the full FAQ — sampling is one of six sections there. Anything still unclear after both pages should ride into the inquiry form below.

Sample quote within 1 business day. No auto-replies, no chatbots — a real person reads every brief and pulls the per-piece fee, lead-time math, and bulk-credit projection.