# Find the real profit per online order after shipping, fees, and returns

A per-order profit waterfall for an online store that tests your free-shipping threshold and shows which cost levers matter most.

- Topic: Finance & Accounting
- Framework: RTF
- Level: Advanced
- Tags: Finance, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/find-the-real-profit-per-online-order-after-shipping-fees-and-returns

## Prompt

```text
Help me calculate the true contribution margin per order for my online store.

**Average order:** [AOV, units per order, typical product mix]
**Product cost:** [LANDED COST - including inbound freight, duties, and tariffs]
**Discounts:** [AVERAGE DISCOUNT %, free-gift costs]
**Shipping:** [what customers pay vs. what I pay per order, free-shipping threshold]
**Fulfillment:** [pick and pack, packaging, 3PL fees per order and per unit, storage]
**Payment and platform fees:** [processing %, fixed fee per transaction, marketplace or platform fees, app subscriptions spread per order]
**Returns:** [RETURN RATE, cost per return, % resold]
**Marketing:** [blended customer acquisition cost; share of orders from new vs. returning customers]

Do this:
1. Build a per-order waterfall from gross revenue to contribution margin after marketing, line by line.
2. Compare a first order from a new customer with a repeat order.
3. Find the break-even AOV and say whether my free-shipping threshold sits above or below it. If it is below, show the margin lost on orders between the two and options to fix it (raise the threshold, flat-rate shipping, minimum basket).
4. Show the three levers that move margin most (e.g. return rate down 5 points vs. shipping cost down $2 vs. AOV up 10%).
5. Calculate how many repeat orders a new customer needs before acquisition cost pays back.

Return:
- The waterfall as a table.
- The formulas, so I can rebuild it in a spreadsheet.
- Plain-language takeaways.

Mark any missing input [ADD] instead of guessing. This is for internal decisions, not tax or accounting advice; confirm accounting treatment with a qualified accountant.
```

## What to fill in

- AOV, units per order, typical product mix
- LANDED COST - including inbound freight, duties, and tariffs
- AVERAGE DISCOUNT %, free-gift costs
- RETURN RATE, cost per return, % resold
- ADD

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