Open any 1688 product page and you see a single ¥25 price tag — but the real cost depends on 4 hidden variables. Buy 200 units and you pay ¥25 each. Buy 1000 units and the unit price drops to ¥18 (a 28% discount). Buy 500 units and the unit price is ¥20. Buy 50 units and the supplier refuses the order (below minimum). Pick the wrong color/SKU from the matrix and your order splits across 3 SKUs at different prices — total cost swings by ¥2000+ on a single ¥10000 order. This article decodes all 5 numbers using a ¥25 phone case so you can read any product page in 30 seconds and quote accurately.
Number 1: The title price (¥25) — what it really means
The ¥25 number on the title is the "list price" — the price for a single unit at the lowest tier (usually tier 1 = MOQ). For our ¥25 phone case, the listing says "¥25 ≥ 2 pieces" — meaning MOQ is 2 units. Most casual buyers see ¥25 and assume that’s the cost. But that’s only true if you buy exactly 2 units. The moment you order 500 units, the unit price drops to ¥20. The ¥25 is the ceiling, not the floor.
Number 2: The tier ladder (¥25 / ¥20 / ¥18) — the real discount
Below the title price, every 1688 product shows a tier ladder — 3 prices max. For our phone case: "¥25 ≥ 2 pieces" / "¥20 ≥ 500 pieces" / "¥18 ≥ 1000 pieces". The math: 1000 units × ¥18 = ¥18000 (28% off the ¥25 list price). The rule of thumb: the highest tier (largest quantity) saves 20–35% off the list price. 1688 enforces a hard cap of 3 tiers per product — if a supplier wants more granular pricing, they must contact you directly. Always check the tier ladder before you buy — many buyers miss the ¥18 tier by ordering 999 units instead of 1000.
Number 3: MOQ (2 / 500 / 1000 pieces) — the order floor
MOQ = Minimum Order Quantity — the smallest number of units the supplier accepts. For our phone case, MOQ is 2 units (very low — common for small-ticket items). Many industrial supplies have MOQ 500–1000. The rule: MOQ is usually the same as the tier 1 quantity. If the title says "¥25 ≥ 2 pieces" and tier 2 says "¥20 ≥ 500 pieces", tier 1 (2 units) is also MOQ. Some suppliers enforce a higher MOQ than tier 1 — you must message them to confirm. Always verify MOQ before paying — placing an order below MOQ gets auto-cancelled with a 5–10% refund penalty.
Number 4: Per-SKU quantity (color/size mix) — the silent multiplier
For multi-color products (the SKU matrix is shown below the tier ladder), each color is a separate SKU. If you order 1000 phone cases split as Black 400 + White 400 + Pink 200, each color is its own order line. But the tier ladder applies per SKU, not per total — Black 400 falls under tier 1 (¥25 each, NOT ¥20). The rule: to qualify for tier 2 (¥20), each color must independently hit 500 units. Workaround: order 500 Black + 500 White + 0 Pink (skip Pink, lose 200 units of demand but save ¥5000). This is the silent multiplier that catches first-time buyers — a 1000-unit order can cost ¥20000 (tier 1) or ¥18000 (tier 3) depending on color mix.
Number 5: The SKU matrix (rows × columns) — the order spec
Below the tier ladder, the SKU matrix shows every color × size combination with its own price. For our phone case, the matrix is: iPhone 15 / iPhone 15 Pro / iPhone 15 Pro Max / Samsung S24 × Black / White / Pink = 12 SKU combos. Each combo has its own stock count and MOQ. The trap is "all variants have separate stock" — if iPhone 15 Black is out of stock but iPhone 15 White is in stock, you cannot substitute. The rule: before you commit to a color × size split, verify each combo has enough stock. Use 1688CMP to auto-detect the matrix from the product page and apply it to your sourcing agent quote — the agent needs the exact SKU code (often a numeric string like "9119969690H01") to place the order correctly. Wrong SKU = wrong color = unsellable inventory.