How do i make modifier charges not stack with quantity online

[sewartbybrandy]

I am still in the process of making my website. A problem I am running into is with modifiers seem to stack as a customer orders a greater quantity. My business is putting custom embroidery onto hats, t shirts etc... I want to charge a design fee based on the complexity of what the customer wants. This is no problem. I create a modifier with three options (1-2 colors, 3-4 colors, 5-10 colors) all with different prices. The problem is that this only works if the customer orders quantity one. If they order two or more, the design fee attaches to each item. I don't want to do this as I don't have to re-design the 2nd , 3rd , 4th and so on item. I only have to design once. The only thing I am finding that might work is if I create separate listings for each design fee and then somehow instruct the customer to also add that to their cart. This solution is clunky at best and would seem to make it confusing for my customers. Any help would be greatly appreciated with this. I want it to be easy for my customers to order and don't want to discourage them from ordering more than one hat or shirt from me by stacking the fees. 

[TheRealChipA]

Hey @sewartbybrandy.  First, I’ll admit that you have me stumped on this one, and I usually can come up with some decent workarounds for items and modifiers.  Not in this case.  LOL.  Also, even if you get the issue solved for in the use case of a customer ordering 10 hats with the same design, you would still have the use case of the customer also wanting the same design on 10 shirts, none of which need a design fee.  This is a bigger problem than just item-level.

The best idea I can come up with is to expand on your idea. Keep in mind that my idea assumes that there is ONLY ONE design per order and that everything ordered on a given transaction uses the same design.

I’d create a category called Custom Design and put it at the top of your store.  There will only be one item assigned to this category, called “One-time Design Charge.”  In the online description for that category, explain that they must add this item to their cart and choose the appropriate number of colors.  Then put the rest of your store items in the categories below that.  Of course, they no longer will have the design charge at the item level for them to mix and match as they desire.

No, this is not perfect.  But you can arrange your store to make it visually lead them through the process.  Then, if you get an order without the design fee, you’ll have to decide how to handle it.  Maybe you just send them a separate invoice for the design charge.  I don’t know for sure how would work best in your operation.

Otherwise, I could see this being a good candidate for a feature request to the Online Store team.  But, honestly, I’m not sure how they would implement it.  One idea would be for them to allow us to mark items in our catalog that are required for all online orders (like your design fee), and not to allow an order to be completed without those items.  But I can’t think of any way this would work on a modifier level.  There are just too many variables.

Let me know if you have any other questions, or if I can help you implement what I explained above.