Estimate costs fast with a flat rate or a percentage of the sale price (Simple mode)
Set one default cost, flat or a percentage of sale price, across all listings in Simple mode, then override any single item.
This article covers the default cost bar in Simple mode on the item costs page, which lets you set one cost, either a flat amount or a percentage of the sale price, and apply it across every listing in one go, so you get a profit estimate on the board without entering a cost for each item by hand.
Why a default cost is useful
Entering an exact cost for every single item takes time, and for some sellers it is not realistic, for example if you buy stock in bulk lots or do not keep a receipt for every unit. Simple mode is built for this situation: instead of leaving items with no cost at all, which means no profit figure at all, you set one default that DashVue applies everywhere, so every listing gets a reasonable estimated cost straight away.
Setting the default cost
- Open Item costs and switch to Simple mode if you are not already there.
- Find the default cost bar at the top of the page.
- Choose whether you want the default to be a flat amount in pounds that applies to every item, or a percentage of each item’s sale price.
- Enter the value you want to use.
- Apply it. DashVue fills in this cost as the estimated cost for every item that does not already have its own cost recorded.
A flat rate makes sense when most of your stock costs roughly the same regardless of what it sells for. A percentage of the sale price makes sense when your cost tends to scale with the item’s value, for example if you generally buy at a fairly consistent margin.
Overriding the default for one item
The default is a starting point, not a fixed rule for every listing. If you know the real cost of a particular item, you do not have to accept the estimate:
- Click into the item you want to correct.
- Enter its actual cost.
- Save it. That item now uses the cost you entered instead of the default, while every other item keeps using the default until you override it too.
This means you can mix the two approaches freely: use the default for the bulk of your stock to get moving quickly, and override it item by item as you learn the real costs or as higher-value listings deserve more precise treatment.
An estimate, not a figure for HMRC on its own
A default cost applied across all your items is designed to give you a fast, at-a-glance profit estimate, not an exact bookkeeping record. It will not be precise for individual listings whose real cost differs from the default, so do not rely on it alone as your figure for HMRC or other tax reporting. Where you need accurate numbers, either override the specific items with their real cost or use Advanced item costs to record what you actually paid.
See the related articles below for more on Advanced item costs and on recording a precise cost, source and purchase date for individual listings.
Last updated 2026-07-04.
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