Quantity‑Based Discounts (Bulk / Volume Pricing)

What it is
Quantity‑Based Discounts let you give customers a single price break— % off, $ off the subtotal, or $ off per unit—whenever the booking quantity reaches a range you set. It’s the classic “buy more, save more” model, perfect for services priced per unit or per hour (but not for flat‑fee jobs that have no quantity field).

Key benefits

• Boost average order value – larger bookings mean higher revenue per visit.
• Simplify quoting – one discount line keeps invoices transparent; no complex per‑unit math.
• Increase customer loyalty – visible savings encourage clients to return and book bigger packages.
• Protect margins – you choose the exact ranges and discount type, so profits stay predictable.
• Automated scheduling – optional Extra Service Time adds calendar buffers so big jobs don’t cause overlap.

How it works

1. Define one or more quantity ranges (e.g. 3 – 4 hours, 50 – 100 m², 10 + items).
2. Choose the discount type:
   • Percent off total
   • Fixed $ off total
   • Fixed $ off each unit
3. (Optional) set Extra Service Time for that range.

OctopusPro applies the discount and adjusts the booking duration automatically—no manual edits required.

Quick industry examples

Business	Base rate	Discount rule	Customer pays
Carpet cleaning (per room)	$40 / room	15% off 4 – 6 rooms	5 rooms → $200 → $170
Lawn mowing (per m²)	$0.20 / m²	$0.02 off per m² for 1 000 – 1 999 m²	1 500 m² → $300 → $270
Fence install (per l.m.)	$90 / lm	$500 off total for 150 – 250 lm	180 lm → $16 200 → $15 700

Not the same as Tiered Unit Pricing.
Tiered pricing changes the unit price when a threshold is reached (all units re‑rated). Quantity‑Based Discounts keep one unit price and apply a single discount to the subtotal.

Set your ranges, pick a discount type, and let OctopusPro handle the calculations—maximising revenue while keeping pricing simple and transparent.

Real-World Use Cases for Quantity-Based Discounts

Below are common field-service scenarios where a single subtotal discount motivates clients to book larger jobs and maximises crew utilisation:

Industry & Service	Standard Pricing Basis	Suggested Discount Rule	Why It Works
Industrial Machinery Installation	Per machine installed	15 % off when ≥ 5 machines in one visit	Reduces mobilisation costs and rewards the client for bundling installs.
HVAC Install / Service	Per unit	10 % off when ≥ 10 units at the same site	Technicians stay on-site longer, cutting travel time per unit.
Oil & Gas Pipeline Build	Per mile (km) laid	5 % off for projects ≥ 50 miles	Offsets fixed setup costs (survey, permits) over a longer run.
Solar Panel Fit-out	Per panel	20 % off for ≥ 100 panels in one booking	Encourages full-roof arrays instead of small add-ons.
High-Rise Window Cleaning	Per pane	15 % off entire contract when booking the whole building	One rigging/setup per tower instead of per floor.
Commercial Painting	Per square foot / m²	Flat $0.10 off per ft² for areas ≥ 10 000 ft²	Scales savings with surface size; crews roll continuously.
Telecom Cabling	Per data/voice line	12 % off subtotal for ≥ 50 drops in one visit	Technician time per line falls when routing cables in bulk.
Electrical Fit-out	Per wiring circuit	10 % off total when wiring ≥ 100 circuits	Rewards builders who award the entire block to one contractor.
Heavy Equipment Rental	Daily rate per machine	8 % off total hire cost for rentals ≥ 30 consecutive days	Improves fleet utilisation; less transport in/out.
Large-Scale Landscaping	Per square yard / m²	$0.50 off per yd² when area ≥ 10 000 yd²	Spreads crew mobilisation and equipment costs across a big site.

Bottom line: applying a quantity-based discount converts sporadic, small orders into single high-value bookings—saving your team travel/setup time while giving customers a clear, upfront incentive.

Setting Up Quantity‑Based Discounts in OctopusPro

1 · Add or Edit a Discount Range

1. Open the service:
   Settings ▶ Service Settings ▶ Services ▶ Edit (or Create New).

   

2. Scroll to Cost & Payrate ▶ Quantity‑Based Discounts.
3. Click Set Bulk-Discount Range.
   
4. Enter:
   • Range Start / End – the quantity span that triggers the discount.
   • Discount Value – choose % off, $ off total, or $ off per unit.
   • Extra Service Time (optional) – buffer added to the booking once this range applies.
5. Save Range. Repeat for additional bands.

Tip – keep ranges contiguous (e.g. 1‑4, 5‑9, 10+). Overlaps or gaps raise a warning.

2 · How Discounts Are Calculated

Discount type	How OctopusPro applies it	Example
% off total	Subtracts that percentage from the subtotal once quantity hits the range.	10 % off for 4‑6 rooms → 5 rooms × $40 = $200 – 10 % = $180
$ off total	Deducts a flat amount from the subtotal.	‑$50 off jobs ≥ 150 lm fencing → 180 lm × $90 = $16 200 – $50 = $16 150
$ off per unit	Reduces the price of each unit by the specified amount.	‑$0.02 per m² for 1 000‑1 999 m² → 1 500 m² × ($0.20‑$0.02) = $270

3 · Applying Discounts During Quotes & Bookings

• Automatic suggestion. When the entered quantity lands in a range, OctopusPro shows the discounted price.

  

• Admin override. Office staff and fieldworkers can accept or overwrite the suggestion.
• Customer portal. The discount is applied automatically and cannot be edited by customers, ensuring price consistency.

4 · Custom‑Field‑Specific Discounts

Sometimes the total quantity of a service is not the only factor that should trigger a price break—specific options inside the service may need their own discount logic.
OctopusPro lets you attach independent discount ranges to any custom‑field value (radio button, dropdown, checkbox, etc.). When that option is selected, its discount is evaluated in addition to the main Quantity‑Based rule.

Why use it?

Scenario	Benefit
Add‑ons – e.g. “Deep Fridge Clean” on a house‑cleaning job	Offer 20 % off the add‑on when ≥ 3 appliances, without touching the base room price.
Variants – e.g. “Premium Paint” colour upgrade	Give bulk tint discounts on litres of premium paint while the main per‑m² rate stays fixed.
Equipment hire – e.g. “Scissor Lift required?” checkbox	Auto‑discount lift hire when booked for 5+ days, separate from the labour discount.
Package extras – e.g. “Make‑up artist” for a photo shoot	15 % off make‑up when shoot length ≥ 3 hours; the photography rate keeps its own tiers.

How to set it up

1. Settings ▶ Service Settings ▶ Services
2. Find the service and click Manage Custom Field.

   

3. Next to the desired field value, choose Set Bulk-Discount Range.

   

4. Click Add Discount Range, enter the quantity span & discount (same three types), then Save.
   • Ranges here use that option’s own unit (e.g. “# of fridges”, “litres”, “days”).

   

5. Repeat for any other values that need bespoke breaks.

Tip – leave a value with no range to bill it at full price while other options carry discounts.

How it behaves in quotes & bookings

• Auto‑suggestion: If the user selects that option and its quantity lands inside a range, OctopusPro suggests the discounted price line — separate from the main service discount.
• Admin override: Office staff and fieldworkers may accept or adjust.
• Customer portal: Suggestion is applied automatically; customers cannot override it.

Example – Photography Add‑Ons

Item	Base price	Custom‑field discount	Booking result
Shoot length	$200 / hr	Main Quantity Discount: 10 % off 3‑4 hrs	4‑hr shoot: $800 → $720
Make‑up artist	$150 flat	15 % off when shoot >= 3 hrs	$150 → $127.50
Wardrobe rental	$30 / outfit	$5 off per outfit when ≥ 5 outfits	6 outfits: 6×$25 = $150

Total invoice shows both discount lines, giving the client transparent savings while protecting your margin logic.

Key points & best practices

• Granular control – tailor incentives per add‑on rather than blanket discounts.
• Non‑conflicting – option‑level ranges never overwrite the main service quantity rule; both can trigger.
• Scheduling – remember to add Extra Service Time on the option range if that add‑on extends job length.
• Consistency – customers see discounts exactly as configured; staff can override if exceptional.

By combining Quantity‑Based Discounts (service‑level) with Custom‑Field‑Based Discounts (option‑level), you can create highly targeted pricing strategies that boost order size, reward upsells, and keep your pricing transparent and adaptable.

Quantity Discounts vs. Tiered Unit Pricing

Feature	Quantity‑Based Discount	Tiered Unit Pricing
Price logic	One discount line applied to subtotal when threshold hit.	Unit price swaps to the band that contains the final quantity.
Invoice shows	Base unit price + separate discount row.	All units at the selected tier price.
Best for	Simple promos (10 % off 5+ items).	True step‑down cost curves ($4 per m² once order ≥ 51 m²).

Example Configurations

Service	Base Rate	Discount Rule	Outcome
Industrial Equipment Install	$2 000 / machine	15 % off 5+ machines	6 machines: $12 000 → $10 200
HVAC Maintenance	$120 / unit	10 % off 10‑15 units	12 units: $1 440 → $1 296
Solar Panel Install	$250 / panel	‑$25 per panel 100‑199 panels	150 panels: (150 × $225) = $33 750
Commercial Painting	$3 / ft²	‑$0.30 per ft² 10 000‑19 999 ft² + 1 h extra time	12 000 ft²: $32 400 – $3 600 = $28 800

Benefits Recap

• Boost order value – clients book more to reach a discount tier.
• Clear, predictable margins – one simple discount line; base unit price unaltered.
• Calendar accuracy – optional Extra Service Time prevents over‑booking.
• Flexible & stackable – combine with custom‑field discounts or promo codes.

Harness Bulk Quantity‑Based Discounts to upsell larger jobs, streamline quoting, and keep pricing transparent—all from a single settings panel.

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