When you’re setting up your rewards in the pledge manager, you’ll notice we ask for the value of each item being offered. This is important for tax collection and shipping, and is a requirement for when your rewards cross international borders.
But what if your rewards are bundles, like a paint set that comes with paints and a brush, or a board game with bonus dice and cards? You might not have a separate retail price for each piece, and that can feel confusing.
Here we share how it works (and how to keep it simple).
Why item values matter
When packages travel internationally, customs agencies require that each item in the box has a value. This helps them:
- Classify items correctly (so the right taxes and duties are applied)
- Prevent delays at the border
- Ensure the total value matches what your backer paid
If you only enter “Paint Set = $50” without breaking it down, customs may reject the shipment or assign their own values, which can cause headaches and delays for you and your backers.
Important: Using arbitrary values like $1 or $0 for bundle items can trigger customs audits and delays.
How to set values for bundles
Assign a reasonable value to each item within the bundle, so the total adds up to what the backer paid.
Here are a few simple ways to do that:
1. Use market values if you know them.
- Example: If a brush normally sells for $5 and paints for $45, declare $5 for the brush and $45 for the paints.
2. Allocate the price proportionally.
- Example: A board game bundle costs $60. The base game makes up most of the value, so you might assign $50 to the game, $5 to the dice, and $5 to the card pack.
3. Estimate based on cost or weight.
- If items don’t have their own retail prices, split the bundle value in a way that feels fair and can be explained if asked (for example, by production cost).