Fees, discounts and named delivery charges on a quote

“Other fees: $425.” In this example, the customer circles the line and asks what it buys. The associate thinks some of it is delivery, some is a stair carry, and the rest might be haul-away. The quote has created a question that the store should already have answered.

Name each charge and show discounts where they belong. A customer should be able to connect the total with the furniture and service discussed in the showroom, without asking someone to reconstruct the arithmetic.

Which discount belongs where?

Use an item discount for a reduction on one piece, an order discount for the intended wider scope, and a fee discount when the concession is on that service. OrderPilot supports fixed and percentage item discounts, order discounts applying to products or products plus fees, and discounts on individual fees.

An authorized draft price override serves a different purpose. It changes the quoted price rather than displaying a discount against the original amount. Use it for an agreed price correction or negotiated price; when your offer is a discount, showing the discount makes the concession readable.

The showroom discount rules should decide when each approach is appropriate. Staff shouldn't invent the policy while the customer waits beside a sofa.

What does an itemized quote look like?

Here is a worked example before tax. The customer receives a discount on the sofa and a waived haul-away fee; delivery and the stair carry remain charged.

The services originally totaled $425. The fee waiver reduces that to $375; the sofa is $2,700 after its discount. Each part can now be explained without reverse-engineering an “Other fees” line.

How do named fees stay consistent?

Set up reusable names and amounts for services the store regularly sells. White-glove delivery, stair carry, haul-away, and a genuine rush service should describe actual work, with the scope explained alongside the offer.

OrderPilot's reusable fees can be fixed amounts or percentages, and fees print as separate rows. The name should help the customer recognize the service. “Delivery adjustment” is less useful than a stated stair carry tied to the access discussed.

A percentage also needs a clear basis. If a charge should apply only to selected custom pieces, calculate that agreed amount and enter a named fixed fee with the basis explained; don't assume a general percentage fee targets that subset automatically.

For example, a 5% fee on $2,000 of specified custom merchandise is $100. If the custom subtotal changes, review the fixed amount before sending the revision. Keep that calculation with the quote.

How does delivery differ from the way each item goes home?

The service charge explains what the customer buys; each physical line's delivery or pickup choice explains what happens to the goods. A lamp collected today shouldn't acquire a delivery charge merely because the sofa is arriving later.

The store can describe curbside, threshold, or white-glove service through named charges and clear scope. Those choices aren't a route-planning system. The service-level guide explains the wording, and pricing delivery helps set the charge behind it.

A delivery blanket can cover a surprising amount of furniture. It shouldn't have to cover a surprising amount of ambiguity.

Who should be able to waive a fee?

Give the authority to the role responsible for the commercial decision, with limits your team understands. A manager may approve a delivery concession; an associate may have a narrower allowance. The discount authority matrix turns that distinction into a usable policy.

OrderPilot roles control price-related access, and POS item discounts can require a reason when the store enables that requirement. A reason should explain the decision, not simply say “discount.” Catalog price overrides belong to quotes and drafts; that direct override is locked after placement.

Should delivery be taxed?

There isn't one answer for every location and transaction. Delivery versus pickup can affect the tax context, and the service's name doesn't decide its tax treatment. Use the store's established tax setup and have its accounting owner resolve the treatment before the quote is sent. Shopify's US tax reference explains the differing sourcing context.

Before the quote goes home, read the charges aloud once. The be-back playbook works better when the next conversation is about the furniture, not an unexplained fee.

Sources

1. US taxes reference — Shopify Help Center; general sourcing context only.