How a Fresh Prints Group Order Works (and Why They Save You So Much Stress)

You’re planning merch for your chapter’s next big event… maybe it’s Bid Day, semi-formal, or a fundraiser. You’ve got the designs approved and the group chat’s blowing up with “I need this!” Now it’s on you to figure out who’s ordering and how much it’ll cost.

Here’s the problem: they want a price before they order, but you need to know how many people are ordering before getting the price. Cue the endless DMs and decision paralysis.

That’s where Group Orders come in to save your sanity. 

We asked one of our Business Development Managers, Lauren Cohen (aka the kween who helps CMs run this whole system), to break down how a Fresh Prints Group Order works.

What Is a Group Order?

With a group order, instead of collecting everyone's info and paying up front, you get a link you can share with your chapter. People click the link, pick what they want, and check out individually.

No spreadsheets, no collecting payment, and you don’t have to do the math. The important thing to remember is that the purchase only goes through once enough people order.

Compare that to a regular (or bulk) order, where one person (we’re looking at you, Apparel Chair) submits everything at once—quantities, sizes, payment—all in one big go. That means you have to know exactly who wants what before placing the order and often have to coordinate payment from multiple people, all at once.

When Should I Use a Group Order?

Group orders are perfect when the merch isn’t covered by the chapter budget — and especially when the goal is to give people options or raise money.

Here’s when group orders make the most sense:

General Chapter Merch (PR Drops)

Because it’s not tied to a specific event, this type of merch stays relevant longer and gives members something they can wear anytime to rep the chapter. PR merch is usually not covered by the chapter budget, so group orders make it easy for everyone to order and pay individually.

Philanthropy

Chapters often create custom merch for their philanthropy events and mark it up by a set percentage to raise money for the cause they’re supporting. A group order makes it easy to set a price, collect payments, and track sales all in one place.

Formals + Date Parties

Some members buy merch for their dates too, and some don’t. The group order setup makes it flexible either way.

Parents Weekend

Sometimes it’s just Mom flying in. Sometimes it’s Dad. Sometimes it’s both. Planning merch for Parents Weekend can be hectic because you never really know who’s coming or who wants what.

Mixed Items

If you're offering multiple items, like a little mini collection, group orders are perfect. People can pick what they want—one item, two, or all of them.

How Will a Group Order Solve My Problem?

If you’ve ever tried to collect 20 hoodie sizes and track Venmos in your chapter group chat, you know how fast merch chaos hits. A group order solves all of that. No spreadsheets, no payment chasing, no “wait, did I already send you my size?” drama.

Everyone orders and pays individually (with their own card, just like any online store), and the Fresh Prints Group Order Tool handles everything for you. 

Now here’s the pricing magic:

With a group order, you don’t need to figure out the final price upfront. The price depends on how many people actually order, so the more people join in, the cheaper it gets.

When your group order link (more on that later) is created, two things are set:

• A minimum number of orders (let’s say 40), and

• A maximum price (like $45 per shirt).

That $45 is the most anyone will pay. If you hit the minimum number of orders before the deadline, the group order tips, meaning it goes into production, everyone’s card gets charged, and the merch gets made. If you don’t hit the minimum, the order’s cancelled and no one gets charged.

Here’s the fun part: the more people who order, the lower the price drops.

• 50 people? Maybe the price drops to $42.

• 60 people? Now it’s $40.

So not only does the group order link make your life easier, it can also help your whole chapter save money, if you create enough hype.

How Does the Fresh Prints Group Order Link Work? 

Step 1: You send in your designs.

As the apparel chair, you choose the items you want in the shop (tees, hoodies, whatever), and finalize the designs. You’ll pass all of that to your Campus Manager (CM).

Step 2: Your CM locks in

Your CM builds out the group order. This is when they set item prices, time limits, breakpoints, due dates, and shipping options.

A few terms to remember:

• Time Limit - This is the deadline for your group order. Once the time limit hits, the link closes, and no one can place an order anymore. Heads up: It closes at the end of that day (11:59 pm), not at midnight when the date changes.

• Due Date - This is when you’ll actually get your merch. It’s usually:

• 14 days after the time limit, if everything ships to one place

• 21 days after, if it’s shipping to everyone individually

• Breakpoint - This is the order goals that affect pricing. This is the moment where you’re in the group chat like “Guys, if just two more people order, we all save $5.”

Step 3: A custom link is created for your chapter.

Once the order is built, a group order link will be generated. This is your store. Everyone in your chapter can visit it, pick what they want, place an order, and check out like they would on any regular online store.

Step 4: The order goes live

The group order link includes a countdown in red showing how much time people have left to order—usually within a set window of 1–7 days. It also shows the tipping point: the minimum number of orders needed for the merch to go into production.

Step 5: Chapter members place their orders

Each person enters their size, shipping info, and payment. The Group Order Tool (what the Fresh Prints team sees on the backend) places a hold on their card (so it doesn’t get charged yet). The tool tracks how many people have ordered in real time.

Step 6: The tool checks if the order tips.

When the group order ends and it is tipped, the client or apparel chair gets an email about it. This means that the final prices are locked in, the hold turns into a charge, and your merch gets sent to production.

If it doesn’t tip, you’ll get an email saying the order didn’t tip. No one gets charged, the holds disappear, and your CM might work with you to extend the timeline if needed.

Step 7: Printing and shipping begin.

The tool also tracks due dates, so once everything tips, it goes to production and then gets shipped either to one group address or individually to each person, depending on what you picked.

Common Questions & Confusions

“What if we don’t hit the minimum?”

If you don’t hit the minimum number of orders before the deadline, the group order won’t go through. BUT, here’s the good news:

If you’re offering the same design on different items (like hoodies in different colors or styles), the quantities can be combined to help reach the minimum. So if 10 people order the black hoodie and 10 order the pink one, that still counts as 20 total toward your goal, not just 10 and 10 separately.

"Wait, if I order early and the price drops later because more people order, does that mean I paid more than they did?"

Nope. When you order, your card just gets a hold (not a charge) for the highest possible price. Once the order closes and hits the minimum, the system checks how many people actually ordered, and only then are you charged the final (lower!) amount.

If the order doesn’t hit the minimum? No one gets charged, and the hold disappears.

“How long should the link be open?”

Lauren recommends keeping the group order link open for just a few days to a week. Why? Because urgency works. If you leave it open too long, people forget or lose interest. Fast deadlines = faster orders. Make them panic, if you will (jk).

“What if we need more time?”

You can sometimes extend the group order, especially if you're close to tipping. Just let your CM know before it closes, and they’ll help you figure it out. But if it’s already been 28 days since the first person placed an order, the link can’t be reopened. That’s because we can only hold someone’s card info for 28 days.

How Do I Make My Group Order a Success?

Talk to Your Chapter Before You Submit Designs

Sit down with your members and get clear on the vibe or theme for this merch drop. Nothing's worse than opening the group order link and having people go, “Wait… what is this? This isn’t what we had in mind.” A quick convo upfront saves confusion later. 

Pro tip from Lauren: Some apparel chairs like to crowdsource ideas first by asking members to submit inspo and color combos. Then they look for similarities in what people are asking for and build the final designs around that. It’s an easy way to make sure people actually order. If you’re not sure where to start, check out 4 Things You Should Do Before Designing Your Chapter’s PR Merch for a quick game plan.

Keep it simple. 4 items max.

Chapters that offer way too many items tend to lose people. It’s called decision fatigue. Stick to 3–4 strong items with a few different colors to choose from. 

Want to avoid other common pitfalls? Read Common Mistakes Sororities Make With Custom Apparel & How To Avoid Them.

Don’t just say “group order is live,” give them the tea.

Be specific. Tell them what it is, how much it costs (roughly), when it closes, what sizes are available, whether it ships to them or to the house. Make it impossible for someone to say “wait, what’s this for again?”

Also, one message is not enough. People will literally heart it, say “omg cute,” and then forget it exists. Drop the link again tomorrow. And the next day. And when someone says, “when’s that shirt due again?” Drop. It. Again.

Lean into the countdown.

Start hyping the deadline at least 48 hours before it hits. Use language like “24 hours left!” or “last chance to grab one!” to make it feel real. Urgency works, you just have to make it visible.

Make the link easy to find.

Pin it in the gc. Text it to everyone who showed interest. Screenshot the designs and slap a QR code in Canva. You’ve got way less admin work now because the Group Order Tool handles all the backend stuff. So put your energy into getting people to actually click that link and order.

Use peer pressure for good.

Drop updates like, “10 people already ordered, let’s gooo!” or “We’re 5 away from hitting the lower price 👀.” If they think everyone’s already ordering, they’ll hop on faster.

Remind people IRL too.

Weekly chapter meetings are prime time to bring it up again, especially as the deadline gets closer. Post on your chapter bulletin board, bring samples from your CM to show off in the house, or give a 30-second shoutout during announcements. These small touches work. More tips like this in this quick guide on launching your first group order.

Group orders aren’t just a nicer way to do merch, they’re a smarter one. You don’t have to do the mental gymnastics of tracking down payments and figuring out pricing before anyone’s committed. The Group Order Tool takes care of the admin work, so you can focus on the fun part: choosing the vibe, hyping up your chapter, and watching the orders roll in.

If you’re ready to get started, create an account and let your Campus Manager know you want to do a group order. They’ll walk you through the next steps and help you build the group order link.

Not sure where to start? We’ve got you. Check out our catalog of over 1,000 garments and scroll through thousands of designs and inspo to get the ideas flowing.

Or if you’re feeling creative, you can use our design tool to create something from scratch.