One of the most common questions when starting a coffee brand is: What should I charge for my coffee?
There isn’t one perfect price. These are recommended starting prices based on what customers are currently paying for fresh-roasted specialty coffee online.
Your wholesale cost (what we bill you) is on the Pricing sheet. This article is what to charge your customer.
Recommended retail prices
For most stores, offer free shipping and build the expected shipping cost into the price of the coffee.
Coffee size | Recommended retail price | Approx. price per pound |
12 oz | $24.99 | $33.32/lb |
1 lb | $29.99 | $29.99/lb |
2 lb | $49.99 | $25.00/lb |
5 lb | $94.99 | $19.00/lb |
12 lb | $199.99 | $16.67/lb |
These prices are meant to include shipping to the customer.
Set that number in Retail Price on Product Pricing when you import a product (Products → pick a coffee). Custom Labels has the same field when you create a product.
Why include shipping in the price?
Customers don’t only compare the price on the product page. They care about how much the order ultimately costs them.
Option A — cheap bag + paid shipping | Option B — shipping in the price | |
Coffee | $18.99 | $24.99 |
Shipping | $6.99 | FREE |
Customer total | $25.98 | $24.99 |
Our recommendation
Whenever your margins allow it: build shipping into the coffee price and advertise free shipping.
Are these prices competitive?
Yes. Specialty coffee sold direct online is generally much more expensive than mass-market coffee in a grocery store.
Examples from established specialty companies, checked in September 2026:
Counter Culture Coffee — popular 12 oz blends around $19.50–$20. Free shipping starts at $30. Counter Culture
Partners Coffee — 12 oz coffees starting around $20; many single-origins around $25–$27.50. Free shipping starts at $40. Partners coffees · Partners shipping
Stumptown Coffee Roasters — 12 oz Hair Bender is $19. Free shipping starts at $45. Stumptown Hair Bender
Current shipping rates are typically $7–$9 for one bag of coffee. A $19 bag from another roaster can cost the customer $26–$28 once that shipping is added.
What about larger bags?
Customers should get a better price per pound as they buy more coffee.
Stumptown sells Hair Bender at $19 for 12 oz and $105 for 5 lb. They say the 5 lb works out to about 17% less per ounce than the 12 oz. Stumptown 5 lb bags
Red Bay Coffee sells 5 lb bags for $108. Red Bay 5 lb
Counter Culture offers a 5 lb subscription for $99. Counter Culture subscriptions
That’s why the recommended structure steps down per pound:
12 oz — $24.99
1 lb — $29.99
2 lb — $49.99
5 lb — $94.99
12 lb — $199.99
The customer gets a better deal for buying more. Your shipping and fulfillment cost is spread across a larger order.
Should every coffee have the same price?
Not necessarily. A house blend can sit at the standard price. Premium coffees can sit higher.
You might charge more for:
Single-origin coffees
Organic coffees
Decaf
Limited or seasonal coffees
Coffees with more expensive green coffee
For a premium coffee, adding about $2–$5 to the retail price of a 12 oz or 1 lb bag is reasonable. Scale larger sizes in the same direction.
Don’t compete with grocery-store coffee
Trying to beat large grocery brands on price is usually a mistake. You’re selling a different product.
Dripshipper coffee is fresh-roasted specialty coffee sold directly from an independent coffee brand. People buying specialty coffee online already expect to pay more than a mass-market bag on a grocery shelf.
Compete on fresh roasting, branding, the coffee itself, and convenient delivery — not on being the cheapest bag available.
A good starting point
If you just need numbers to launch:
12 oz — $24.99
1 lb — $29.99
2 lb — $49.99
5 lb — $94.99
12 lb — $199.99
Then offer free shipping.
You can change prices later as you see conversion, average order value, and margin.
These are suggested retail prices, not required prices. You control what customers pay in your store.