Wholesale candy packaging pricing should be straightforward - buy more, pay less per unit. But most suppliers bundle in setup fees, die charges, and minimum color requirements that inflate your actual costs. We price transparently: here's what the boxes cost, here's what printing costs, here are the optional add-ons. No surprise fees.
Volume Price Tiers
For a standard 4" x 3" x 2" tuck-end candy box with full-color printing and gloss coating:
- 250-499 units: $0.85-1.15 each
- 500-999 units: $0.62-0.88 each
- 1,000-2,499 units: $0.48-0.68 each
- 2,500-4,999 units: $0.36-0.52 each
- 5,000-9,999 units: $0.28-0.42 each
- 10,000+ units: $0.22-0.35 each
Those ranges cover different board weights and finish options. Basic SBS with standard coating hits the lower end. Premium finishes and heavier stock push toward the upper range.
Stock Templates vs Custom
We keep dies for 40+ standard candy box sizes. Using stock templates saves you $150-280 in die-cutting setup. You can still fully customize the printing - stock just means the box dimensions and fold pattern are pre-existing.
Most popular stock sizes for wholesale:
- 2" x 2" x 1" - single piece, truffles
- 3" x 3" x 1.5" - small assortments, 4-6 pieces
- 4" x 3" x 2" - medium box, 6-10 pieces
- 5" x 4" x 2" - larger assortments, 12-16 pieces
- 6" x 4" x 1.5" - chocolate bars, rectangular candy
Material Options for Volume Orders
SBS paperboard (250-300 GSM) works for 90% of candy applications. Smooth printing surface, good structural strength, food-safe coating available. This is your workhorse material.
Kraft board costs 8-12% less if you want natural brown or rustic aesthetic. White-lined kraft gives you printable interior and brown exterior - popular for artisan candy brands.
Corrugated board necessary only for heavy items (over 12 oz) or bulk gift boxes. Adds thickness and cost but provides cushioning for shipping.
Food Safety Compliance
All our candy packaging uses FDA-compliant materials and coatings. Aqueous coating on interior surfaces provides grease resistance and moisture barrier. We include food-safe coating standard on wholesale orders - no upcharge.
Need additional barrier protection for chocolate or temperature-sensitive items? Poly liners run $0.07-0.12 per box at wholesale volumes. Worth it for products that can bloom or melt.
Printing Capabilities
Digital printing for runs under 1,000 units. Offset lithography for larger volumes - better color consistency and lower per-unit cost once you're past setup minimums.
Standard printing includes full CMYK and gloss AQ coating. Upgrades available:
- Matte coating - same price as gloss
- Soft-touch coating - adds $0.08-0.12 per box
- Spot UV - $0.12-0.22 per box depending on coverage
- Foil stamping - $0.18-0.35 per box for metallic accents
- Embossing/debossing - $0.15-0.28 per box
Window and Insert Options
PET windows cost $0.10-0.18 per box at wholesale quantities. Clear visibility drives impulse purchases for colorful candy. Window shape affects price - rectangles are cheapest, custom die-cuts add $0.05-0.08.
Interior dividers or trays keep pieces separated and prevent shifting. Chipboard dividers run $0.12-0.20 per box. Thermoformed plastic trays cost more but look cleaner - $0.25-0.45 per box depending on cavity count.
Assembly and Packaging
Boxes ship flat for easy storage. Most candy box styles take 3-5 seconds to assemble - fold bottom, tuck sides, done. We can provide assembly instructions or video tutorials if your team needs guidance.
Wholesale orders typically ship on pallets. Boxes are bundled in sets of 25-50 to keep them organized during unpacking. We include pallet count and box count per bundle in your shipping docs.
Minimum Orders
Wholesale pricing starts at 250 units for stock templates. Custom sizes begin at 500 units. If you need truly massive volume (50,000+ annually), talk to us about dedicated dies and scheduled production runs - we can optimize costs further.
Lead Times
Stock templates with digital printing: 7-10 business days. Offset printing: 15-22 days for initial order, 10-14 days for reorders since we keep your plates on file. Seasonal rush periods (Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's) add 3-5 days - plan accordingly.
Quality Standards
We run QC checks at three points: after printing, after die-cutting, and during bundling. Print registration tolerance: +/- 1mm. Die-cut accuracy: +/- 0.5mm. We pull random samples and verify fold integrity and coating coverage. Wholesale orders get the same QC as small batches.
Artwork Requirements
Send print-ready PDF files with 1/8" bleed and embedded fonts. We'll provide dieline templates in AI or PDF format. Need design help? Our production team can set up files for $85-150 depending on complexity. Include barcode specs and required legal text - we'll make sure it's readable and properly positioned.
Payment Terms
First wholesale order: 50% deposit, 50% before shipping. After three successful orders, we extend net-30 terms. High-volume accounts (100,000+ units annually) can request net-60 terms. We work with your purchasing cycles.
Reordering
We store your approved artwork and specifications for 24 months. Reorders take one email - just tell us quantity and delivery date. No need to resubmit files or go through approval again unless you're changing the design.