Revenue is not your margin
Start with the amount collected from a customer. Subtract supplier cost, outbound shipping, payment and channel fees, acquisition cost, and a realistic allowance for returns and support.
What remains is contribution before fixed overhead and tax. A positive contribution on one sample order does not guarantee a profitable business.
Test the operational risk
Order a sample, track fulfillment time, inspect the packaging, and document how the supplier handles defects and missing parcels. Your customer is buying from your store, even when someone else ships the item.
Verify stock and variant availability, tracking, exception handling, the return destination, and refund responsibilities. Model a slower delivery and higher refund scenario.
Set a go or no-go rule
Use the profit calculator with conservative inputs. If the model works only with unusually cheap acquisition or almost no returns, change the offer or stop the test.
Choose a supplier on evidence of reliability, not a screenshot of another seller’s revenue.
Put it into practice
Make the assumptions visible. Use your own current costs in the free calculators, and read our evaluation methodology before using a recommendation.
This is a planning framework, not a scored product review or a report of first-hand testing. Verify current platform terms and product details with the provider before committing.