Hot Sauce Pod

FAQ

QUESTIONS, ANSWERED

Everything we get asked most — minimums and tier pricing, how fast orders leave the warehouse, whether your bottles will fit, and how custom printing actually works. Can't find it? Ask us directly.

ORDERING & PRICING

Is there a minimum order?
Wholesale pods are sold in set box quantities — every product page shows its tiers, and the price per box drops as the count climbs. Want to test the fit first? Sample boxes have no minimum at all.
How does wholesale tier pricing work?

Discounts apply automatically at checkout — no code needed. The more boxes you buy, the lower the per-box price:

  • 50+ boxes — 5% off
  • 100+ boxes — 10% off
  • 250+ boxes — 15% off
  • 500+ boxes — 20% off
  • 1,000+ boxes — 25% off

Tiers start at 25 boxes and run to 1,000. Need more than that? Ask for a quote.

Does mixing different pods count toward the same tier?
Yes. Your tier is set by the combined box count across your whole cart, not per product. Fifty 5oz 3-packs and fifty 2oz 5-packs is 100 boxes, so the whole order prices at the 100-box tier. The bundle builder is the easiest way to mix configurations and watch the tier update.
Can I use a promo code on top of tier pricing?
Yes — tier discounts are automatic, and a promo code stacks on top of them at checkout.
Can I get a custom size or custom printing?
Quite possibly — we've grown to 29+ configurations almost entirely from customer requests. Tell us the bottle and quantity you're working with on the contact page and we'll see what we can do.

SHIPPING & DELIVERY

How fast will my order ship?

Standard processing is 2–3 business days and free — that's how long your order takes to leave our New Hampshire warehouse. In a hurry? Add Priority processing (+$25) at checkout and orders placed before noon EST ship within 24 hours.

Processing time is separate from transit time — shipping cost and delivery estimates are calculated live at checkout from your address.

Why is shipping so expensive?
Pods ship flat, but a full case is still a large, bulky parcel — some cartons run 32" × 18" × 12" and weigh 30 lbs, and carriers price big items steeply. Order 250 boxes and that's three large parcels leaving New Hampshire — if you're in Texas or California, that distance isn't cheap. Checkout prices each box live with the carrier, so the rate reflects what it actually takes to ship those boxes to you.
How do I pay less for shipping?

Ship to a business. Every rate assumes a home delivery until we know otherwise, and carriers add a residential surcharge to every box. Enter your company name and business address at checkout and it comes off automatically. Type your ZIP into the cart page and it tells you exactly how much that saves on your order.

Big order? We quote freight too. Once an order is big enough to palletize (around eight cartons), we also price it as a pallet and checkout shows an LTL Freight option beside the parcel rates. Enter a company name and freight is quoted as a commercial delivery with no liftgate (a dock or forklift to unload); without one it is quoted as residential delivery with a liftgate, and if you do have a loading dock, email us after you order and we refund the residential and liftgate fees. Freight quotes are good for 24 hours and subject to carrier fuel surcharges — the details are in the shipping policy.

Where do you ship?
The continental U.S. only. If you need delivery outside that region or special handling, contact us before ordering.
Can I request delivery by a specific date?
Add the date to the Order Notes field at checkout and we'll do everything we can to hit it. Delivery dates can't be guaranteed once the parcel is with the carrier, so for anything genuinely time-sensitive we'd recommend Priority processing.
Which carrier will my order ship with?
We pick the carrier — UPS, USPS, or FedEx — based on our daily pickup schedule and the best available rate for your parcel, which is how we keep the cost down. If you chose LTL Freight at checkout, we pick the freight carrier the same way when we book the pallets.
What if part of my order is on backorder or pre-order?

By default we hold the order and ship everything together once all items are available. If you'd rather get the in-stock items right away, say so in the Order Notes or email us before it ships.

If anything on your order can't ship within 30 days, we'll email you with a revised ship date and you can wait, cancel the delayed item for a full refund, or have us send the in-stock part immediately — and when the delay is ours, the second shipment costs you nothing extra. You can cancel any item that hasn't shipped yet, at any time, for a full refund. Details in the shipping policy.

I entered the wrong shipping address — can you fix it?
Email us at support@hotsaucepod.com as soon as you can. We can update it any time before the order ships. Once a parcel is in the carrier's hands, we can't reroute it, and re-delivery to a corrected address is at your cost — so it's worth a quick look at your confirmation email.
My package was lost or damaged in transit. What now?

Two different situations, two different answers:

  • The pods themselves arrived damaged — that's on us. Reach out within 15 days with photos and we'll replace or refund them, your choice.
  • The carrier lost or crushed the parcel — same answer, same 15 days. Because we're the shipper of record, we file the carrier claim for you — you can't file it yourself on a parcel we shipped. We replace or refund your order either way, whatever the carrier decides.

Full detail in the shipping policy.

FIT & SAMPLES

How do I know my bottles will fit?
Each pod is precision-cut for a specific bottle. Check the bottle dimensions listed on the product page against yours — and to be completely sure, order a sample box and test it before committing to a wholesale run.
What comes in a sample pack?
Whatever you want in it. Every sample is a single flat-price box, and the sample builder lets you mix and match any combination of pod styles into one pack — with no minimum. It's the cheapest way to check fit across several bottle sizes at once.
Do the pods ship flat?
Yes. Every pod ships and stores flat, then folds together in seconds — no tape gun, no twenty-minute instruction video. They arrive inside a protective outer box, so they're never the thing that shows up dented.
How do I assemble them?
In under a minute, by hand. Assembly depends on the pod count rather than the bottle size — a 3-pod folds the same whether it holds 2oz or 12oz bottles. There's a short video for every configuration on the assembly page.
Can you ship pods as is?
Yes, and thousands of customers do. We still recommend a padded mailer for best performance since carriers can be brutal and no one can guarantee a bare box. Our success rate shipping as-is is around 99.9%. Just make sure the box is assembled right side out — inside out is where almost all of our damage reports come from.

CUSTOM PRINTING

What artwork do you need for custom printing?

Vector files only — .SVG, .AI, .EPS, or .PDF. Raster images (JPG, PNG, screenshots) can't be used for printing.

High-contrast, clean line art reproduces best on kraft corrugate. Very fine lines, small text, gradients, and intricate detail may not hold. No vector file? Ask us — we offer a vectorization service, though it does add to the timeline.

Is there a setup fee?
A one-time $300 setup fee per design, which covers the print plate made for your artwork — and it's waived on orders of 2,000 boxes or more. Your plate stays on file, so reorders of the same unchanged artwork never pay it again. A new or modified design needs a new plate and a new fee. Once a plate has been produced the fee is non-refundable.
What is the minimum for custom-printed boxes?
500 boxes per order. Per-box pricing drops at higher volumes — current tiers are on the product page, and runs above the highest published tier are quoted individually.
How long does a custom print run take?

Typically 6–8 weeks from order to delivery, assuming print-ready artwork and prompt proof approval.

The sequence is: order placed → digital proof → your written approval → plate produced → production run → QC → ship. The clock effectively starts at proof approval, so artwork revisions push everything back.

How many print colors can I use?
Up to 4 colors. The standard is single-color black, and the $300 setup fee and published per-box prices are for single-color printing — 2–4 colors carry a different setup fee and per-box price, quoted on request. Standard finish is matte; gloss varnish is available if you ask.
Will the printed color match my brand colors exactly?
Not exactly, and it's worth understanding why before you order. Boxes print on natural uncoated kraft, the brown substrate shows through the ink, and the inks aren't fully opaque — so printed color won't match how it looks on white paper or on screen, and lighter colors are affected most. We can't guarantee an exact Pantone match on kraft; we get as close as the process allows. Heavy solid fills can also look mottled from the board flutes, so bold line art beats large solid areas.
Why did I receive a different quantity than I ordered?
Flexographic printing can't guarantee an exact count, so — as is standard across the print industry — delivered quantity may vary by up to ±10% of what you ordered. You're billed or credited for the actual quantity produced and shipped, and an order is considered correctly filled when it lands inside that tolerance.
Can I cancel or return a custom print order?
Custom-printed boxes are made specifically for you, so they're non-returnable and non-refundable except for verified manufacturing defects. Once you've approved the proof or the plate is in production, the order can't be cancelled or changed. Cancelling before plate production may incur a fee for work already done. Full terms in the custom printing policy.

RETURNS & DAMAGES

What happens if my order arrives damaged?
We replace it. Packaging built to protect your product should never show up damaged itself — if it does, reach out and we'll make it right.
What is your return policy?
30 days from delivery. The item needs to be in the condition you received it — unused, in its original packaging, with proof of purchase.
How do I start a return?
Email support@hotsaucepod.com. Once the return is approved we'll send a shipping label and instructions. Items sent back without prior approval can't be accepted, so please wait for the go-ahead.
Who pays for return shipping?
The customer. Return shipping cost is deducted from your refund when the return is processed.
What cannot be returned?
  • Custom or personalized items, including custom-printed boxes
  • Sale items and gift cards
  • Perishable goods
  • Hazardous materials
How long do refunds take?
Once we've received and inspected the return, approved refunds go back to your original payment method within 10 business days, minus shipping. Your bank or card provider may take a few days more to post it. If it's been more than 15 business days since approval, email us — something went wrong.
Do you do exchanges?
The fastest route is to return the item and place a new order for the one you want, rather than wait on an exchange to process.

ORDERS & ACCOUNT

How do I track my order?
Use the order tracker — you'll need your order number and the email you ordered with. Tracking details also go out by email as soon as the parcel leaves us.
Do I need an account to order?
No — checkout works fine without one. If you do want to see past orders and reorder quickly, head to your account and enter the email you ordered with. We'll send a one-time sign-in link, so there's no password to remember.
How do I reach a human?
Email support@hotsaucepod.com or use the contact form. Hot Sauce Pod is a small operation in Bedford, New Hampshire — the person who answers is the person who makes the boxes.

STILL STUCK?

Send over the bottle you're packing and the quantity you need — we'll tell you exactly which pod fits, or whether it's worth cutting a new one.

GET IN TOUCH