Bundle Management FAQ

Bundle management in MerchantFlow lets you track product bundles, gift sets, and kits by allocating bundle revenue to individual component products. This FAQ covers common questions about creating bundles, choosing allocation methods, calculating profitability, and managing component products.

General Questions

What types of bundles can I create?

MerchantFlow supports any type of product bundle where one SKU contains multiple component products:

• Gift sets (multiple full-size products)
• Starter kits (introduction packages)
• Subscription boxes (curated monthly boxes)
• Value packs (discounted multi-item packages)
• Product combinations (complementary items)
• Sample sets (multiple product variants)

Key requirement: The bundle must be sold as a single SKU in your store (Shopify or WooCommerce).

Do I need to track bundles?

You should track bundles if:

• The bundle contains different products (not just multiples of the same item)
• You want to understand which components drive bundle sales
• You need accurate profitability for individual products
• You want to see component product performance

You do not need to track bundles if:

• The "bundle" is just multiple units of the same product (e.g., "3-Pack of Soap")
• All components are identical
• You do not need component-level analytics

How does revenue allocation work?

Revenue allocation distributes bundle sales revenue across component products.

Example: Holiday Gift Set sells for $100, contains:

• Face Cream (COGS $20)
• Serum (COGS $15)
• Moisturizer (COGS $5)

With Proportional by COGS allocation:

• Face Cream gets: ($20/$40) x $100 = $50
• Serum gets: ($15/$40) x $100 = $37.50
• Moisturizer gets: ($5/$40) x $100 = $12.50

Now each component's analytics includes its bundle-attributed revenue.

Revenue Allocation Methods

Which allocation method should I use?

Proportional by COGS (Recommended):

• Best for most bundles
• Use when components have different costs
• Fair value-based distribution
• Requirement: all components must have COGS configured

Fixed Percentage:

• Best for marketing-driven bundles
• Use when you want specific revenue targets per product
• Example: give 50% to flagship product regardless of cost

Manual Allocation:

• Best for special cases with strategic pricing
• Use when dollar amounts make more sense than percentages
• Disadvantage: must update if bundle price changes

What happens if I do not have COGS for components?

Proportional by COGS will not work without COGS for all components. Solutions:

1. Add COGS (recommended) at P&L > COGS
2. Use Fixed Percentage -- manually set percentages for each component
3. Use Manual Allocation -- set dollar amounts for each component

Can I change the allocation method after creating a bundle?

Yes, but it affects historical data. All past bundle sales are re-allocated using the new method, and product metrics update retroactively. Choose your allocation method carefully from the start.

How are bundle discounts handled?

Bundle discounts are automatically distributed to components based on the allocation method. If a bundle normally priced at $120 is sold for $100, the $20 discount is proportionally distributed across all components.

Bundle Profitability

How is bundle profitability calculated?

Bundle Profit = Bundle Revenue - Sum(Component COGS x Qty) - Attributed Ad Spend
Bundle Margin % = (Bundle Profit / Bundle Revenue) x 100

Example: Holiday Set sells for $100:

• Component costs: $30 + $20 + $10 = $60
• Ad spend attributed: $15
• Profit: $100 - $60 - $15 = $25
• Margin: 25%

Why is my bundle showing negative margin?

Possible causes:

1. Bundle priced below total component costs
2. Component COGS values are too high or incorrect
3. High ad spend attribution exceeds margin
4. Allocation method does not reflect actual costs

Action: Review pricing, audit COGS values against supplier invoices, and check ROAS for bundle campaigns.

How do I track which bundles are most profitable?

1. Go to Dashboard > Bundles
2. View the bundles table
3. Sort by "Profit Margin %" column
4. Promote high-margin bundles and review or discontinue negative-margin bundles

Component Products

Can the same product be in multiple bundles?

Yes. A product can be a component in as many bundles as you want. Revenue from all bundles is attributed to the product based on each bundle's allocation method.

How do I see a product's bundle-attributed revenue?

1. Go to Dashboard > Products
2. Click on the product name
3. View the "Revenue Sources" section showing direct sales and bundle allocation

Will bundle tracking affect my historical data?

Yes. When you create a bundle or change the allocation method, all historical sales of that bundle are re-processed. Revenue is redistributed to components retroactively.

Best practice: Set up bundle tracking as early as possible.

Technical Questions

Does bundle tracking work with all e-commerce platforms?

Yes, as long as the platform is supported by MerchantFlow (Shopify or WooCommerce) and the bundle product has a unique SKU.

Can I export bundle performance data?

Yes. Export from the Bundles table (CSV), product reports with bundle-attributed revenue, or P&L reports including bundle profitability.

How often does bundle data update?

Bundle data updates with each sync cycle (approximately every 30 minutes). Bundle allocation happens during order sync, when bundle configuration changes, and for new orders in real time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have bundles within bundles?

Not currently supported. Create a flat bundle structure with all individual component products listed directly.

How many bundles can I create?

No limit on the number of bundles. For most stores (fewer than 100 bundles), there is no performance impact.

What happens when I delete a bundle?

Deleting removes the bundle configuration. Future sales will not be allocated, and historical data reverts (component allocations removed). Alternative: Deactivate instead of deleting to preserve historical allocations.

Related Topics

• Bundle Management Guide - Full setup guide
• COGS Management - Product cost tracking
• Product Details - Product analytics
• P&L Overview - Profit tracking
• Expense FAQ - Expense questions

Last updated: March 14, 2026