Keeping Prices Private in a 3D Configurator: Pricing for Reps Only
By Facundo Campo, 3D quoting tool developer
In short: A configurator with private pricing lets the public build and view their product in 3D without seeing any prices, while prices, discounts and terms only appear when a sales rep logs in, as in the system built for EQUIBOX.
A configurator with private pricing splits two things apart: the buyer designs their product in 3D and requests a quote without seeing a single number, and the price only shows up when a sales rep logs in. That's how the system I built for EQUIBOX works, and it's what a lot of build-to-order manufacturers choose: they don't want their prices floating around, but they do want buyers to show up to the conversation knowing what they want.
Why a manufacturer might not show prices
Publishing prices makes sense for off-the-shelf products. For custom structures, there are solid reasons not to:
- The price depends on things the 3D model doesn't know. Delivery to a rural property, the site, whether a slab is needed, whether the buyer pays cash or finances.
- Competitors are watching. A public configurator with prices is a price list anyone can walk through, one combination at a time.
- Prices change often. If steel goes up and the website shows an old number, your rep starts the call explaining why it's not that.
- Reps need room to negotiate. Discounts, a show special, a payment plan for a repeat customer.
None of this means showing prices is wrong. Some manufacturers prefer a public starting price. It's a sales decision, and the tool should handle either one.
How it works with two sides
In practice, the same system has two doors.
The public side lives on your website. The buyer opens it on their phone, designs their building, home or barn, spins it around, walks through it, sees it at night, shares it with whoever's deciding with them, and asks for a quote. That inquiry reaches you with the full configuration: dimensions, options and an image.
The sales side is the same configuration seen by a logged-in rep. That's where the price calculated from your price table shows up, along with delivery, payment terms, allowed discounts and that customer's history. The rep can open what the customer sent, tweak it if needed and generate the quote.
What matters is that the 3D model and the price come from the same configuration. No drawing on one side and a spreadsheet on the other. I cover the bigger picture in what is a 3D quoting tool.
How EQUIBOX does it
EQUIBOX is a horse stall and stable manufacturer in Berazategui, Buenos Aires, Argentina. When I built its quoting and sales system, the split looked like this:
- The public configurator lets buyers design their barn in 3D through a 7-step wizard (structure, model, stalls, walls, accessories…) and request a quote over WhatsApp with the configuration attached. It shows no prices.
- The sales dashboard shows priced quotes only to logged-in reps, calculates delivery per kilometer, builds payment plans, applies coupons, and stores everything in a CRM with lead stages, follow-up dates and collections. There are admin and sales rep roles.
- Every quote triggers an email notification and a PDF with views taken from the same render the customer saw.
The full story, with no made-up numbers, is in the EQUIBOX case study.
What each rep gets to see
Hiding prices from the public is half the job. The other half is deciding what each person inside your company sees. With roles you can set things up so that, for example:
- The admin changes the price table, coupons and terms.
- The sales rep quotes, applies the discounts they're allowed and sees their own customers.
- Some manufacturers prefer reps to see the selling price but not the cost.
I wrote about keeping discounts under control without slowing sales down in controlling sales rep discounts. And if you want to see how this changes a rep's day, there's sales team autonomy.
Won't buyers get frustrated without a price?
It's the most common objection, and a fair one. Three things take the edge off:
- The buyer doesn't leave empty-handed. They walk away with their own design in 3D, which they can walk through and share. They've already made part of the decision.
- The answer comes fast. Since the inquiry arrives with the full configuration, your rep doesn't have to ask for sizes or options: they open the link, see the price on their login and reply. More on that in qualified leads with a 3D quoting tool.
- You can say it clearly. A line like "Design your barn and we'll send your quote by text" goes a long way.
How to try it
The three public configurators on this site work exactly like the public side: they show the product, not the price. You can build a metal building, a prefab home or a horse stable and picture how that inquiry would land. The priced sales side is part of each manufacturer's custom build.
I'm Facundo Campo, and I build 3D configurators and quoting tools for manufacturers, working remotely from Buenos Aires, Argentina. If you're torn between showing prices and keeping them private, message me on WhatsApp at +54 9 11 6193-3176 or email facundocampo100@gmail.com, and we'll think it through with your product and the way you sell. I answer in English and Spanish. You can also see how custom 3D quoting software projects work.
Frequently asked questions
Can I show a starting price to the public and the full breakdown to reps?
Yes. That's a valid setup: the public sees a ballpark number, and logged-in reps see the full price with delivery, discounts and terms. It gets decided during development based on how you sell.
Are private prices really hidden?
That's the point of separating the two sides: prices are only calculated and displayed when a rep is logged in. The public side works with the configuration alone, with no amounts.
Can I switch later and start showing prices?
Yes. Since reps already get a price from the same configuration, showing a number to the public is a decision you can make later without rebuilding the tool.
Can reps quote from a phone or tablet?
Yes. At EQUIBOX the dashboard is used at farm shows on an iPad, even with no signal: quotes are saved on the device and sync once the connection comes back.
