Buyers meet the minimum order quantity (MOQ) as a wall: “why can’t I order 30?” The answer is not greed — it is the physics of tooling and the economics of a die-cast line. Once you see where the floor comes from, MOQ stops being an obstacle and becomes a budgeting input. If you want the product range first, browse our custom medals line; if you want to know why the number is what it is, read on.
Where the 100 Comes From
Our MOQ is 100 pieces per style. “Per style” is the load-bearing phrase, and we will come back to it. The 100 is not an arbitrary sales threshold; it is the point at which a die-cast run stops losing money on setup.
Every die-cast medal begins with a steel mold machined from your artwork and heat-treated. That mold is a real cost in machine time and spark-erosion labor, and it is incurred before a single medal is cast. Below roughly 100 units, the mold cost divided across the run dominates the per-piece number to the point that the order is unworkable for both sides. At 100, the math closes. Order more and the mold simply disappears into the per-unit cost.
| Order size | Mold cost per piece (relative) | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | Very high — mold dominates | Not viable |
| 100 | Mold still visible but acceptable | MOQ floor |
| 500 | Mold small per piece | Comfortable |
| 2,000+ | Mold negligible | Optimal |
A Worked Amortization Example
To make the structure concrete without quoting prices, here is how the relative per-unit cost behaves as volume rises, with the 100-unit run set as the baseline of 1.0:
| Run size | Relative per-unit cost index | What is happening |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | ~1.6 | Mold still heavy per piece |
| 100 | 1.0 | Floor — mold just absorbed |
| 500 | ~0.7 | Mold thin per piece |
| 2,000 | ~0.55 | Mold negligible; material dominates |
| 10,000 | ~0.5 | Near the structural floor |
The takeaway is not “order 10,000”; it is that the steepest saving is the climb from 100 to about 1,000 units, where the mold amortizes. Past that, you are fighting near-linear material and finish cost, which barely moves. We detail the full cost structure in our medal cost breakdown.
”Per Style,” Not “Per Order”
The second misunderstanding is that MOQ is per shipment. It is per design. If you want three different medal designs — say a gold, silver, and bronze tier — each carries its own 100-piece minimum, because each needs its own mold. A single order containing three designs is a 300-piece order with three separate tooling setups, not one.
This is also why a “mix and match” request of 100 total across ten designs does not work on a die-cast line. Ten molds for ten tiny runs is ten times the setup and none of the amortization. For genuinely mixed small runs, a different process — such as a printed or laser-variable approach on a shared base — is the honest answer, not a waiver of MOQ.
What Can Raise the Effective Minimum
The 100 floor assumes a standard single-piece medal. A few design choices push the effective minimum up because they add mold work or assembly:
- Multi-part medals — a spinning center or a clip-on element means more than one mold and more assembly, so the viable run grows.
- Very large or very thick pieces — beyond the 2 mm minimum wall and the working 2.5–4 mm range, more alloy and longer cycle times raise the per-unit floor.
- High color count with hard enamel — imitation hard enamel needs a 0.5 mm fill and a grind-and-polish step, which is more labor per piece.
None of these change the mold math; they change how many pieces you need before the run is comfortable. We flag these in the proof stage so the MOQ conversation happens before tooling, not after.
MOQ Interacts With Pricing Tiers
Because the mold is the variable, the MOQ and the per-unit price are the same lever seen from two ends. A buyer who wants both a low MOQ and a rock-bottom price is asking for two things that move in opposite directions. The way to get a low effective per-unit price at a low quantity is to accept a higher per-unit number that still absorbs the mold honestly — not to demand a 30-piece run at a 5,000-piece price. Our cost guide shows why the per-unit number is a function of volume, not a fixed label.
Small-Batch Alternatives When You Are Under 100
If your real need is genuinely under 100 — a prototype, a one-off presentation, or a proof-of-concept — there are honest routes that are not a waived MOQ:
- A sample or prototype run, priced as what it is: a setup, not a production order.
- A shared base with laser-variable content, where one mold serves many names at a low per-name cost, used by corporate programs and school districts alike.
- A stock or near-stock design that skips custom tooling entirely, if the artwork allows.
We would rather quote the sample honestly than pretend a 30-piece production run exists, because that math does not hold and the shipment would not either.
Common MOQ Mistakes Buyers Make
Three patterns cost buyers money. First, splitting one design into “two 50-piece orders” to dodge the minimum — which still needs one mold and loses the amortization. Second, chasing the lowest per-unit quote without checking whether the mold is amortized at the stated quantity, which is how “too good” prices hide a setup they will pay twice. Third, designing ten variants for a 200-person event, when three consolidated designs would have served and saved two molds. Planning the quantity and the design together is the single biggest MOQ lever.
MOQ Differs Across Formats
The 100-per-style rule is specific to die-cast medals. Our custom pins and custom plaques follow different tooling logic, and custom trophies are assembled rather than molded, so their minimums reflect component sourcing rather than a single mold. Knowing which format you actually need is the first step to getting the MOQ right — and sometimes the answer is “not a medal at all.”
MOQ and Sampling Are Separate
A common point of confusion: the sampling step (7–10 days in our flow) is not the same as a production MOQ. You can approve a proof and a physical sample well before committing to 100 units. MOQ applies to the mass production run, not to the sample that proves the design. We return a design proof within 24 hours and a physical sample in 7–10 days, and only then does the 100-piece minimum engage.
When a Lower Quantity Is Genuinely Right
There are cases where under 100 is correct: a one-off presentation piece, a prototype, or a proof-of-concept. For those, say so plainly. The honest route is a sample or a short prototype run priced as what it is — a setup, not a production order. Across 50+ countries and 15 years, the orders that worked were the ones where the quantity matched the intent, and our daily output above 30,000 pieces means the line is built for volume, not for one-off favors.
The Mold Math, Step by Step
Every die-cast medal begins with a steel mold machined from your artwork and heat-treated. That mold is a real cost in machine time and spark-erosion labor, and it is incurred before a single medal is cast. The matte fields are burned in by spark erosion and the relief by CNC, then the steel is heat-treated so it holds dimension across the 30,000+ units we cast daily. Below roughly 100 units, the mold cost divided across the run dominates the per-piece number to the point that the order is unworkable for both sides. At 100, the math closes; order more and the mold simply disappears into the per-unit cost. This is the entire origin of the 100-per-style floor — it is the point where a die-cast run stops losing money on setup, not an arbitrary sales threshold, and it is the reason the custom medals line quotes per style rather than per carton.
Minimum Wall Thickness and Size Constraints
The mold math is not the only constraint. A zinc alloy medal has a minimum wall thickness of about 2 mm, with a working range of 2.5–4 mm for strength and a clean cast. Very large or very thick pieces need more alloy and longer cycle times, which raises the per-unit floor and can push the effective minimum above 100 for extreme sizes. Designs should stay within that wall range so the 88-ton die-casting machine fills the cavity cleanly; a design outside it either fails to cast or needs a different process. We flag wall and size issues in the proof stage so the MOQ conversation happens before tooling, not after — the same stage where we confirm finish and ribbon (860–900 × 20–30 mm heat-transfer polyester, welded or sewn).
Designing to Stay at One Mold
The easiest way to keep cost down is to keep the design count down. A “mix and match” request of 100 total across ten designs does not work on a die-cast line, because ten molds for ten tiny runs is ten times the setup and none of the amortization. For genuinely mixed small needs, a shared base with laser-variable content is the honest answer — one mold serves many names at a low per-name cost, used by corporate programs and school districts alike. Consolidating three event designs into one master base with variable text can save two molds and two sampling waits, which is often the difference between a workable quote and an impossible one. The medal design guide helps lay out a master base so the variable content fits within the same mold.
A Buyer’s MOQ Planning Worksheet
Before you request a quote, fill this in:
- Distinct designs needed: _____ (each is its own 100-piece minimum and its own mold)
- Units per design: _____ (is each at or above 100?)
- Any multi-part elements (spinner, clip-on): _____ (raises effective minimum)
- Wall thickness within 2.5–4 mm: _____ (yes/no)
- Color fill type: soft enamel (0.3 mm) or imitation hard enamel (0.5 mm) — hard enamel adds labor
- Reorder plan: will this design repeat? (retained mold removes future tooling)
If your real need is genuinely under 100 — a prototype, a one-off presentation, or a proof-of-concept — say so plainly. The honest route is a sample or a short prototype run priced as what it is: a setup, not a production order. We would rather quote the sample honestly than pretend a 30-piece production run exists, because that math does not hold and the shipment would not either. Across 50+ countries and 15 years, the orders that worked were the ones where the quantity matched the intent, and our daily output above 30,000 pieces means the line is built for volume, not for one-off favors.
MOQ Across the Other Formats
The 100-per-style rule is specific to die-cast medals. Our custom pins and custom plaques follow different tooling logic, and custom trophies are assembled rather than molded, so their minimums reflect component sourcing rather than a single mold. Knowing which format you actually need is the first step to getting the MOQ right — and sometimes the answer is “not a medal at all,” which our medals vs trophies vs plaques guide helps you decide before you commit to a tooling minimum you may not need.
What Raises the Effective Minimum, in Practice
The 100 floor assumes a standard single-piece medal. A few design choices push the effective minimum up because they add mold work or assembly. Multi-part medals — a spinning center or a clip-on element — mean more than one mold and more assembly, so the viable run grows. Very large or very thick pieces beyond the 2 mm minimum wall and the working 2.5–4 mm range need more alloy and longer cycle times, raising the per-unit floor. High color count with imitation hard enamel needs a 0.5 mm fill and a grind-and-polish step, which is more labor per piece than soft enamel’s 0.3 mm fill. None of these change the mold math; they change how many pieces you need before the run is comfortable. We flag these in the proof stage so the MOQ conversation happens before tooling, not after, which is the same discipline that keeps the production timeline honest.
Sampling and MOQ Are Separate (Worth Repeating)
A common point of confusion: the sampling step (7–10 days in our flow) is not the same as a production MOQ. You can approve a proof and a physical sample well before committing to 100 units. MOQ applies to the mass production run, not to the sample that proves the design. We return a design proof within 24 hours and a physical sample in 7–10 days, and only then does the 100-piece minimum engage. Buyers who conflate the two sometimes over-order “to be safe” and pay for units they did not need, or under-order and discover the mold cannot amortize. Keeping the sample gate and the production minimum distinct is the cleaner way to plan, and it is why we quote them as two separate lines rather than one blended number. The custom medals page frames the same distinction for first-time buyers.
FAQ
Why is the medal MOQ 100 and not 50? Because below roughly 100 units the one-time mold cost dominates the per-piece price to the point the order is unworkable. At 100 the tooling amortizes enough to close the math.
Is MOQ per order or per design? Per design. Each distinct medal needs its own steel mold, so three designs mean three separate minimums even in one shipment.
Can I mix designs to reach 100 total? Not on a die-cast line. Ten designs at ten units each means ten molds and no amortization. For mixed small needs, a shared base with laser-variable content is the realistic option.
Does sampling count toward the MOQ? No. Sampling (7–10 days) proves the design; the 100-piece minimum applies to mass production after you approve the sample.
How does raising quantity lower my price? Mostly through mold amortization between 100 and about 1,000 units. Past that, material and finish dominate and the per-unit number falls slowly.
Can the MOQ ever be waived? For a true prototype or one-off, we quote it as a setup, not a production run. We will not disguise a 30-piece order as production pricing, because that math does not hold.
Talk to the Factory
Tell us how many designs you need and your event size, and we will map the quantity to the mold amortization so you are not paying twice for setup — contact MedalOrigin to structure the run around your actual minimums.
Related product page: bulk custom medals — how quantity tiers and tooling amortisation play out at volume.
