Three commercial terms shape almost every power-wheelchair order: the minimum order quantity (MOQ), the lead time, and the payment terms. They decide how much cash you commit up front, when stock reaches your market, and how much risk sits on each side. None of them is a single fixed number — each moves with the model, the customisation scope and your market. Here's what's normal across the industry, and how to pin each one down before you commit.
1. MOQ — what minimum order quantity really means
MOQ is the smallest quantity a manufacturer will produce in one run. It exists because tooling, line set-up, component purchasing and QC all carry a fixed cost that has to be spread across the units in a batch — so very small orders are uneconomic to build.
A few things move the MOQ up or down:
- OEM vs ODM. Putting your brand on an already-certified model (OEM) generally allows lower minimums, because nothing about the product changes. Adapting the product itself (ODM — seat, battery, controller, upholstery) usually raises the MOQ, because there's development and sometimes tooling behind it.
- Single SKU vs a mixed range. A trial first order that mixes several models is quoted differently from a single-SKU run — the mix affects minimums, pricing and how the container loads.
- Customisation depth. Stock colours and standard packaging keep minimums lower; bespoke upholstery, custom controllers or special packaging push them up.
Because it depends on all of the above, a credible supplier quotes the MOQ against your specific models and volumes rather than publishing one blanket figure. Wanderoll offers OEM and ODM across its ten-model line with lower minimums available for OEM / private label, and sets the MOQ against the exact models and volumes you have in mind — quoted on request.
2. Lead time — sampling, production, restocking
Lead time is the clock from confirmed order to goods ready to ship — and it's almost never one number, because a first order runs through several stages. Understanding the stages tells you where time actually goes:
- Sampling. Before any bulk run you sign off a sample — branded for OEM, to-spec for ODM. This protects you, but it adds time at the front, and a modified build takes longer to sample than a stock unit.
- Production. Once the sample is approved, the batch is manufactured and function-tested on the line. Larger volumes and deeper customisation extend this window.
- Inspection & shipping. Pre-shipment QC, then cartoning and freight. Sea freight is economical for container volumes but slower in transit; air freight is faster but suited to small or urgent shipments — and both move lithium-battery chairs under UN38.3.
- Reorders & stock. Repeat orders run faster than a first order, because sampling and set-up are already done. A stock programme for models you carry continuously can shorten lead time further against a forecast.
Several factors stretch or compress the total: order size, customisation depth, component availability, peak-season factory loading, and your chosen freight mode. Ask the supplier to break the lead time down by stage so you can see what's sampling, what's production and what's transit. Wanderoll quotes lead time per model and customisation scope, and runs stock and repeat-order programmes for distributors who reorder regularly.
3. Payment terms — deposit, balance and what's standard
Payment terms set when money changes hands. In international wheelchair sourcing the common structure is a deposit to start production plus a balance before shipment, by T/T (bank transfer) — this follows standard international trade practice rather than any one supplier's invented rule. Letters of credit and other instruments are also used, more often on larger or first-time orders.
The exact split and the balance trigger are commercial terms, agreed per order — they're set against your models, volumes and Incoterms, then written onto your quote and agreement. A trustworthy supplier confirms these in writing rather than improvising them mid-order. Wanderoll runs a deposit-plus-balance structure that follows standard international trade practice, with the precise percentages and balance point confirmed on your quote and agreement.
A practical point: whatever the figures, get them in the contract. MOQ, the staged lead time, the deposit/balance split and the balance trigger should all sit in writing alongside Incoterm, port of loading and packaging — not in an email thread.
At a glance: the three terms
| Term | What it means | What moves it | How to ask your supplier |
|---|---|---|---|
| MOQ | Smallest quantity built in one run | OEM vs ODM; single SKU vs mixed range; customisation depth | "What's the MOQ for these exact models — and is it lower for OEM / a mixed trial order?" |
| Lead time | Order-to-ready clock, across sampling → production → shipping | Order size; customisation; component supply; season; freight mode | "Can you break the lead time down by stage, and are repeat orders / stock faster?" |
| Payment terms | When you pay — typically deposit + balance, by T/T | Order size; first vs repeat order; agreed Incoterms | "What deposit/balance structure applies, and can you put it in the contract?" |
The short version
You don't need a published price list to plan an order — you need the right questions. Ask the supplier to quote MOQ against your specific models, to break lead time down by stage, and to confirm a deposit-plus-balance payment structure in writing. A factory-direct manufacturer can answer all three clearly and put them in your agreement.
Planning your first order? Tell us your models, target volumes and market, and we'll come back with MOQ, lead time and terms — quoted per model, in writing. → Request a quote
