DM for price: what those three words cost your shop

You send the fee. Then a photo. Then your ordering instructions. The customer disappears. Another “Price?” arrives.

For products with a fixed price, a useful starting point is to show the price upfront, explain delivery, and give customers a clear way to order. Save the conversation for what they still need help with.

Here is how to work out whether “DM for price” is making extra work for your shop, and what to try instead.

“DM for price” means a seller asks customers to send a private message to learn a product's price. You might also see “inbox for price,” “price on request,” or “message us for details.”

There are understandable reasons to do it. You might want to explain the product before discussing its price. Perhaps you worry that competitors will copy your offer. Or perhaps you sell custom work, where the price depends on what the customer needs.

A made-to-measure outfit needs a different conversation from a T-shirt with three sizes and one price. For that T-shirt, ask yourself: does the customer need advice, or do they just need the price tag?

In a 2021 study, Veung Chandara of CamEd Business School ran two Facebook advertising campaigns in Cambodia for one week. Both promoted a $19 portable barbecue grill. One displayed the price; the other revealed it through private messages.

The campaigns had similar spending and the same audience targeting and other content. The results were:

There is a catch worth reading: no products were delivered. Customers who ordered were told the grill was out of stock. These were orders expressing purchase intent, rather than paid sales.

The researcher also observed more work answering price inquiries when the price was hidden, but did not precisely measure that time. One product, one week, and a small number of customers make this a useful example to investigate further.

Read the original study and its limitations.

For your shop, the useful question is: what happens when customers can see the price before they message you?

You already know what a parcel costs to ship. What does it cost to get that parcel ordered? Consider this made-up example:

• You handle 40 product inquiries in a week.
• Each takes three minutes of your attention, including checking details and replying.
• That is 120 minutes of work.
• Five of those inquiries eventually become paid orders.

That works out to 24 minutes of inquiry handling per paid order. The time spent on the other 35 conversations still counts. Your own numbers may be completely different. The point is to include the work that never reaches the packing table.

Minutes spent handling a group of inquiries ÷ paid orders from that same group = handling time per paid order.

Keep unfinished conversations marked as pending until you know the outcome. With cash on delivery, follow each order through delivery and payment before calling it a paid sale.

This is a workload check. It helps you decide which details customers should be able to find themselves.

Pick a product you get asked about often. Imagine a stranger has found it while you are busy packing orders. Can they find these details?

• Price: the current price and any difference between sizes or options.
• Choices: available sizes, colors, quantities, or versions.
• Delivery: where you deliver, the fee or how to check it, and the expected timing.
• Payment: when and how the customer pays, including cash on delivery if offered.
• Next step: one clear way to place an order.

Start with the caption. For example:

Everyday cotton T-shirt · 250 DH Sizes S–XL · Black or white Rabat delivery: 30 DH · Estimated 2–3 working days Pay on delivery. Choose your size and order through the link in our bio.

Those are example prices and delivery terms. Replace them with your actual offer. If your shipping fee varies by city, say where customers can check it. If a larger size costs more, show that difference. An unexpected fee at the end can undo that clarity.

A caption gets you started. A product page gives those answers somewhere to live when posts move down the feed.

With Whatsell's store builder, you can add your products, photos, prices, and variants, then share one store link. Customers choose their items and fill in their details. The WhatsApp order flow saves the order and prepares a message for the customer to send to your WhatsApp.

You have the items, options, address, and total together, ready to review and confirm. Customer payments are arranged directly with you or your courier, outside Whatsell.

You can also begin with the free WhatsApp Business catalog and saved replies. Our WhatsApp catalog guide explains that route. Choose the setup that fits how you sell.

Some questions deserve your attention: “I'm between two sizes. Which would you recommend?” “Can you make this gift set for Saturday?” “Will this fit the phone model I have?”

Make room for those conversations by putting the predictable answers somewhere easy to find.

For custom products, show a starting price or a realistic range if you can. Explain what changes the total: material, measurements, quantity, or personalization. Then say which details you need to prepare an exact quote.

You can still be helpful, personal, and available. Your price tag can take a shift too.

1. 1

   Record your starting point

   For one week, log inquiries, the questions asked, time spent replying, and resulting orders. Follow the orders through to their final outcome.

2. 2

   Choose five frequently asked-about products

   Add the missing prices, options, delivery details, and ordering instructions to their captions or product pages.

3. 3

   Share one clear link

   Put it in your Instagram bio and your saved WhatsApp replies. A useful reply is: “Here are the current prices and sizes: [your store link]. Happy to help if you're unsure which one to choose.”

4. 4

   Track the next group the same way

   Look at repeated questions, handling time, and paid orders. Note changes in traffic, promotions, or stock that could affect the comparison.

A small before-and-after check can guide your next change. It cannot tell you exactly what caused a difference, but it gives you something more useful than guessing from how busy your inbox feels.

Planning to advertise those products? Our guide to WhatsApp ads versus a product landing page helps you decide where the next click should go.

Ready to put your five products in one place? Create your free Whatsell store.