Always show the unit, pricing basis and calculated total for choices before the client submits them. Distinguish included, additional work, omitted work and to be determined. An empty price is not the same as zero euros.
Price information in a portal helps only if the client can calculate the effect of a choice. An isolated option price without quantity, tax context or dependencies creates false certainty. Define both the data model and wording carefully.
Use whole cents for monetary amounts
Do not store money as a floating-point number. Whole cents prevent technical rounding differences. Yindle Portal records option prices in cents, supports negative amounts for omitted work and can attach a quantity to a question. An unknown amount remains empty and should be displayed as “TBD”.
Also state whether displayed amounts include or exclude VAT. Use one convention throughout the customer journey and explain exceptions. This article is not tax advice; have the correct price presentation for your offer assessed.
Make quantities unambiguous
“Extra wall socket — €85” raises the question of whether that is per unit. Provide a unit label, minimum quantity and sensible increment. Show the line total immediately when the client changes from one to three.
Not every option may be multiplied. A package, one-off connection charge or complete upgrade does not get a quantity selector. Otherwise, a user could submit combinations that are technically valid but practically impossible.
Worked example: a fictional office fit-out
In this fictional example, interiors supplier Werkruimte creates a choice list. An acoustic panel costs €120 per unit, layout advice is included and removing a planned cabinet gives a €250 credit for omitted work. A special colour does not yet have a fixed price.
Client Elin chooses four panels. The summary shows ‘4 × €120 = €480’. Layout advice is marked ‘included’, omissions as ‘− €250’ and the colour as ‘price to follow’. The calculated total does not silently count the unknown colour price as zero; it explicitly states that the final amount may still change.
Use the pricing rule check
| Check | Question for administration |
|---|---|
| Basis | Per item, per metre, per package or a one-off charge? |
| Sign | Extra, omission, included or unknown? |
| Combination | Can this option be combined with others? |
| Rounding | When and how is the total rounded? |
| Validity | Until which date does the price apply? |
| Next step | Is submission a request or a final instruction? |
Record the answers for each questionnaire version. Changing prices while clients already have a draft requires a clear warning and another review of the summary.
Test edge cases with specific amounts
Test zero, negative, unknown, a very large quantity, the maximum quantity and an option dependent on an earlier choice. Check both the server calculation and displayed sum; do not rely solely on JavaScript in the browser.
Make the acknowledgement easy to find again. Staff must see the same line items and amounts the client saw when submitting. Determine separately which formal quotation or agreement is needed afterwards.
An important edge case is a price change between draft and submission. Decide in advance whether the draft retains the original price or shows the new price when opened. In either case, customers must see the change and check it again. A silent recalculation just before submission damages trust.
Limit quantities according to the actual offer. An unrestricted counter up to 999 is not customer-friendly if only eight panels fit. Explain the reason for a maximum and provide another route for exception requests. Prevent a commercial exception from feeling like invalid technical input.
Check administration too. A total without its underlying line items is insufficient for planning and review. Show the chosen option, quantity, unit price, line amount and unknown components. Export amounts in a consistent format and use the same rounding as the customer screen.
For combinations, run a short conflict check: select every option with every other option and record prohibited pairs, prerequisites and price dependencies. If the matrix grows large, a single options list may not be the right model; split the offer into logical steps.
Make clear who manages pricing content and who approves changes. Amounts can be changed quickly technically, but incorrect pricing content creates process risk. A second-person review before publication may be sensible where the impact is large.
Explore the client-facing features of Yindle Portal and read the general guide to setting up a customer portal. To turn a price list into a clear digital choice, share one representative list with Yindle.