Glossary

Setup charge

A plain-English definition for print, promo, sign and decoration businesses, and what it means for your quotes and jobs.

What is setup charge?

A setup charge is a one-time fee for preparing a job before production. Examples include screens, digitizing, plates, tooling, or machine preparation.

Why does it matter?

Setup charges protect margin on smaller jobs and make repeat orders easier to price. If they are missed, the first run can be underpriced.

How does TaggIQ handle it?

TaggIQ keeps setup charges separate from per-unit costs so teams can see what is one-time and what scales with quantity.

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Related reading

AI agents

Which AI agent handles this?

Margin Agent Proposed build

Flags thin margins before the quote goes out.

A higher stitch count, a missing rush fee or a supplier price change quietly eats the profit.

  • Checks every quote against your margin floor and price lists
  • Spots stitch bands, colour counts and setup fees that do not match the job
  • Suggests the fix and shows the margin it would give

See how the Margin Agent works

Two ways to start

One agent on your current tools
A setup fee plus a monthly agent fee, quoted after a free AI workflow assessment.
The TaggIQ platform
Quotes, orders, production and invoicing in one platform, with AI that drafts alongside your team. 30-day free trial.

Book an AI workflow assessment Start a 30-day trial

Other agents that help here

See all AI agents and what each one does.

Free resources

Templates that use this

Free worksheets where this shows up in a real shop workflow.

All resources

  • Profit Margin Calculator

    Catch weak-margin jobs before the quote leaves your shop.

    Get the calculator

  • Quote Template

    Reduce quote revisions, missing approvals and margin-killing assumptions.

    Get the template

The print & promo workflow guide Quote to payment without spreadsheet chaos, step by step.

FAQ

Questions about setup charge

Is a setup charge always required?

No. It depends on the decoration method, supplier, and whether the job is a repeat order.

Is setup the same as a run charge?

No. Setup is usually one-time. A run charge is usually charged per unit or per decoration.

Find the first job TaggIQ can take off your plate.

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