Charge enough to cover your wholesale cost, your working time, refills and support, plus a margin you can live with. Most resellers price growth services either per order or as a monthly package, and both start from the same number: the price per 1,000 on your supplier's services list. This guide shows how to build that price step by step.
How do you work out the right price for a growth service?
Start with your cost, not with what other sellers charge. Your cost is the price per 1,000 shown on the service, multiplied by the quantity your client needs. Everything you add on top has to pay for your time and the support work that comes after delivery.
A simple formula works for most resellers:
- Wholesale cost: price per 1,000 × quantity ÷ 1,000.
- Time cost: minutes spent placing the order, checking the start count, reporting and answering questions.
- Risk buffer: a small amount set aside for re-orders, wrong links and services without refill.
- Margin: your profit on top of all of the above.
For example, if a service costs 2.00 per 1,000 and your client wants 5,000, your wholesale cost is 10.00. Selling it at 10.50 leaves almost nothing once you spend 20 minutes on the order and a follow-up message. The time and the buffer are where many new resellers lose money.
What does a worked pricing example look like?
The table below is an example only. The prices and hours are made up to show the method, so replace them with your own numbers from the services list with prices, min/max and refill options.
| Line | How it is calculated | Example amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wholesale cost | For example, 3,000 units at 4.00 per 1,000 | 12.00 |
| Time cost | For example, 30 minutes at an hourly rate of 20.00 | 10.00 |
| Risk buffer | For example, 15% of wholesale cost | 1.80 |
| Subtotal | Cost + time + buffer | 23.80 |
| Margin | For example, 30% on the subtotal | 7.14 |
| Client price | Subtotal + margin, rounded | 31.00 |
Notice that the wholesale cost is less than half of the final price in this example. That is normal for small orders, because your time does not shrink when the quantity does. On larger orders the wholesale share grows, and your margin percentage can come down.
Should you charge per month or per order?
Both models work. The right one depends on how your clients buy and how much ongoing work you do for them.
Per order pricing
Per order pricing suits clients who want one result for one post or one launch. You quote a fixed price for a fixed quantity, place a single order, and the job ends when the order is completed. For example, a client who wants views on one launch video gets one quote and one report.
Monthly package pricing
Monthly packages suit clients who post often and want steady activity. You bundle a set amount of services per month and spread delivery with drip-feed on services that support it. For example, a package could include a set number of likes split across the client's weekly posts.
Monthly pricing usually needs more time per client. You track several orders, check statuses and send a monthly summary, so the time cost line in your calculation should be larger than for a one-off order.
| Point | Per order | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | One post, one campaign | Regular posting schedules |
| Your workload | One order, one report | Several orders, ongoing tracking |
| Income | Irregular | More predictable |
| Useful panel features | Single orders | Drip-feed, mass orders, API |
How do you price per post?
Per post pricing is a mix of the two models. You set one price for the services attached to a single post, then multiply by the number of posts. Clients like it because they can see exactly what each post costs them.
Build a small bundle for one post, cost it with the formula above, and round it to a clean number. For example, a post bundle of likes and views might cost you 3.00 wholesale and sell for 8.00 once you add time and margin. Twelve posts in a month then becomes a simple quote of twelve bundles.
Keep the bundle contents written down. If a client changes a link after you place the order, the link on an existing order cannot be changed, so a new order is needed. Your terms should say who pays for that new order.
Do prices differ by country, such as India or the UK?
Yes, what clients will pay varies a lot by country and by type of client. A small local shop and a large agency in the same city will also accept very different prices. We do not publish market rate figures for any country, and you should be careful with rate tables you find online that give no source.
Your wholesale cost stays the same wherever your client is. What changes is your time cost and the margin your market accepts. For example, a reseller selling to clients in a lower-income market may keep the same formula but use a lower hourly rate and a smaller margin, while selling higher volumes.
Tax, invoicing and consumer rules also differ by country. Check your local rules before you set prices or write client terms.
How do refills and partial orders affect your price?
Refill and partial status change how much risk you carry. Price them into your offer instead of absorbing the cost later.
- Services with refill: refill restores drops down to the start count plus the ordered amount, within the refill period shown on the service. You can use the refill button on eligible completed orders. If the count falls below the start count, no refill is done until the count is brought back up to the start count.
- Services without refill: any drop is yours to handle. Add a larger risk buffer or tell the client clearly that no refill is included.
- Partial orders: part of the order was delivered and the undelivered remainder is refunded to your balance. Decide in advance whether you refund the client the same share or place a new order to make up the difference.
For example, you might sell a refill-backed option at a higher price and a no-refill option at a lower price. Clients then choose the risk level, and you are not left covering it.
Also explain what you can and cannot promise. Platforms set their own rules on what counts and how engagement is reviewed. Read the official policy of each platform before you promise a client any follower count or result.
How can you keep your time cost low as you grow?
Your margin improves when each order takes fewer minutes. The wholesale cost is fixed, but your workflow is not.
- Use mass orders when several clients need the same service.
- Use drip-feed for monthly packages instead of placing many small orders by hand.
- Connect your own site or panel through the API, so orders, status checks and refills run without manual steps.
- Save a short template for client reports that includes the start count and the current status.
For example, a reseller who checks 40 orders by hand each week can use the multi status call to check them in one request. The guide to using an SMM panel API covers the calls you need, and the full reference is in the API v2 documentation.
What should you tell clients about statuses?
Clients often ask why an order has not moved yet. Clear status explanations save you support time, which protects your margin.
Pending means the order was received and has not started. Processing means it was sent to processing and is usually waiting to start, so it does not mean delivery is underway. In progress means delivery has started, and Canceled means the charge has returned to the balance.
For example, you can add a short status glossary to your client portal or welcome email. One paragraph like this can prevent many repeat questions each month.
What this means for resellers and agencies
Price from your wholesale cost upward, and always include your time and a risk buffer. Choose per order, per post or monthly pricing based on how your clients buy, and write your refill and wrong-link rules into your terms. If you are still setting up, the guide to starting an SMM reseller business covers the steps before pricing.
When you are ready to work out your own numbers, create an account and get your API key.
Frequently asked questions
Should I show clients my wholesale price?
Most resellers do not, because the client pays for your service, time and support, not only the delivered units. Quote one clear client price and explain what it includes.
What happens to my margin if an order ends as Partial?
The undelivered remainder is refunded to your balance, so your cost drops for that order. Your terms should say whether you pass that share back to the client or complete the quantity with a new order.
Do I need to raise prices when my wholesale cost changes?
Recheck your formula whenever a service price on your list changes. If your margin falls below what you set, update the quote for new orders rather than for orders already placed.