How to make a trade price list customers can actually use (with a template)

A trade price list does one job: it lets a customer find the right product, see what it costs them and order it without phoning you. Most lists fail at one of those three. The code is missing, the unit is unclear (is that £12 per box or per item?) or the price isn’t the customer’s price at all.

This guide covers the columns a good trade price list needs, a template you can copy, and the point where a spreadsheet stops being the right tool.

The columns to includeLink to this section#

Optional but useful: the manufacturer’s own reference, RRP beside your trade price (salons and shops like it), lead time or stock status, and a link to a spec sheet.

A template to copyLink to this section#

Save this as a .csv file and open it in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets. The rows are made-up examples: replace them with your own products.

sku,name,brand,category,pack,price,barcode,min_order
HX-8510,"Hex bolt, zinc plated, M8 x 50",Example Fixings,Bolts & screws,Box 100,13.68,5012345678900,1
WA-1030,"Form A washer, M10",Example Fixings,Washers,Box 200,4.95,5012345678917,1
CB-2515,"Twin and earth cable, 2.5mm, grey",Example Cable,Cable,Per metre,0.89,,25
LV-P9,"Lavandula angustifolia, 9cm pot",,Perennials,Each,1.85,,10

Rules that save you phone callsLink to this section#

• One row per thing a customer can order. If a product comes in three sizes or two colours, that’s three or two rows, each with its own code.
• One price per row, as a number. Write 12.50, not £12.50 + VAT or 12.50 (was 11.90). Numbers can be sorted, filtered and imported.
• Say what the price includes. Trade lists are usually shown without VAT or sales tax; say so at the top of the list, with the currency.
• Put the date on it. “Prices from 1 January 2027” in the heading and the file name. Customers keep old lists for years.
• No merged cells or pictures of tables. They look tidy and break every import and filter.
• Mark price-on-application lines clearly. Write POA in the price column rather than leaving it blank, so nobody reads a gap as free.

Excel or PDF?Link to this section#

Send Excel or CSV to customers who search, filter or load your prices into their own systems. Send PDF to customers who just want to read and print. Many suppliers send both. Either way, remember that every file you send is a copy that goes out of date the day your prices change.

When a spreadsheet price list stops workingLink to this section#

A single price list works while everyone pays the same price and prices rarely change. It starts to creak when:

• customers have their own discounts or fixed prices, so the list price isn’t their price (see customer-specific pricing);
• prices change more than once a year, and customers order from last year’s file;
• your team spends time answering “what’s my price?” and correcting orders placed at old prices;
• your range is too big to scroll, and customers can’t find the line they want.

At that point, most suppliers move their price list online: one catalogue that each customer signs in to, showing their own prices and always up to date. That’s what a B2B ordering portal is for.

Turning this list into an online catalogueLink to this section#

TradeCatalog imports exactly this kind of file: CSV, Excel or a PDF price list. It matches your columns, checks the prices and shows you every new product and price change before anything is published. Lists without product codes get codes made from the product names. Each customer then signs in, searches by code or name, sees their own prices and sends an order. Try it free for 14 days, or see the demo first.

Comparing this year’s list with last year’s? The free price list comparison tool shows every changed line and the average change.

Questions suppliers askLink to this section#

Should a trade price list show prices with or without VAT?Link to this section#

Usually without. Trade customers are businesses that reclaim VAT or sales tax, so they compare prices before tax. State it clearly at the top of the list, with the currency, so nobody has to guess.

Do I need product codes?Link to this section#

Yes, if you can. Codes make ordering unambiguous and let customers reorder quickly. If your list has none, such as a nursery availability list, give each line a short code of your own. TradeCatalog can make codes from the product names when it imports a list without them.

How often should I update my price list?Link to this section#

Whenever prices change, with the effective date on the new list. Most trade suppliers have one planned rise a year plus changes when their own suppliers put prices up. The bigger problem is usually customers ordering from old copies, which is why many suppliers move to a list that is always current.

What should I name the price list file?Link to this section#

Include your business name, the word “price list” and the date prices start, such as Business-name-price-list-2027-01-01.xlsx. Customers file and search their inboxes by those words.