2026-11-07 · 6 min read

Free samples, paid freight: how our sampling policy actually works

Our samples are free and the courier bill is yours. That combination confuses buyers who expect either everything free or everything charged — so here is the reasoning, and the four questions that expose a stock item dressed up as a sample.

The short answer: the sample is free because its cost is negligible next to a production run. The freight is yours because it is a real cash cost paid to a courier, and we do not mark it up.

What 3 to 7 days actually contains

A sample is not pulled off a shelf. The sequence is:

Formula is matched against the brief and adjusted in the lab
A small batch is compounded and filled into the packaging you will actually use, or a close equivalent
The sample rests long enough to confirm it has not separated, discoloured or changed viscosity
It is packed, documented and handed to the courier

The 3-7 day range exists because step 3 cannot be rushed. A sample shipped on day one tells you what the product looks like, not what it will look like in your customer's bathroom three months later.

Why we do not charge for it

Do the arithmetic from our side. A sample batch is a few hundred grams of bulk plus one or two units of packaging. Against a 1,000-unit production run, that cost rounds to nothing.

Charging for it would create friction at exactly the wrong moment: the buyer is deciding whether this factory can make their product. We would rather spend the sample cost than spend a week arguing about a 50-dollar invoice.

Why the freight is not free

International courier is charged in cash, per parcel, at the moment of shipping. It is the one part of the sample transaction that costs real money and produces nothing.

Two reasons we pass it through rather than absorb it:

It is not our cost to hide. Folding freight into a quote means the buyer cannot compare suppliers on a like-for-like basis.
It filters out sampling tourism. A buyer who will not pay 30 dollars of courier is not going to place a 1,000-unit order. That filter saves both sides time.

How to tell a real sample from a stock item

Four questions, in this order:

Was this made to my formula, or is it your existing product? A factory that can answer "your formula, adjusted for X" is a factory. One that says "this is our best-seller, very similar" is a trader.
Can I see the ingredient list before the sample ships? A made-to-formula sample has a formulation behind it. A stock item has a marketing sheet.
What packaging will the sample arrive in? If it arrives in a generic bottle when you asked about a specific airless pump, the sample tells you nothing about the fill line.
If I approve it, does the production batch match this sample? Get the answer in writing. The sample is the reference standard for the run.

When sampling is not free

Three exceptions, so there are no surprises:

Repeated reformulation. The first or second round is on us. A fifth round because the brief keeps moving is a development project, and we will say so.
Custom tooling. If the sample requires a mould, the tooling cost is real and separate.
Speciality actives with minimum purchase quantities. Some raw materials cannot be bought in sample quantities. We will tell you before we start, not after.

FAQ

How long does a sample take?
3-7 days from approved brief to courier handover.

Who pays the courier?
You do, at cost. We do not add a handling fee.

Can I get more than one sample?
Yes, and it is usually the right move: two formula directions sampled in parallel costs one extra courier bill and saves a month of back-and-forth.

Does the sample cost come off my order?
There is nothing to deduct — the sample is free.