Selling and marketing
Cake Pop Order Form: 9 Fields, Deposit, and Pickup Date
A field by field cake pop order form that gets the deposit, pickup date, and label right.
On this page
What to remember
- Put the deposit and pickup date above the flavor choices.
- Ask for label details before you confirm the order.
- Use one lead time for every cake pop order.
- Send a written confirmation with the balance due.
You do not need a long contract. A cake pop order form that fits on one phone screen gets more replies than a form that asks for everything at once. Start with the fields that decide whether you can bake the order at all, and borrow the field list from a cake order form template.
What fields belong on a cake pop order form?
The form has one job: give you enough to bake, label, and get paid without a second round of texts. Keep the first screen to contact details, count, flavor, pickup date, and deposit. Put label and allergy questions after those, so the order is not lost if she stops halfway.
Ask for contact and pickup details
Name, phone, email, pickup date, and pickup window. Make the pickup window a range, not a vague day.
Lock the count and flavor
List the flavors you sell and the minimum count. Do not leave a blank box for a custom flavor.
Show the price and deposit
Put the price per dozen, the deposit amount, and the date the deposit is due in one block.
Collect label and allergy notes
Ask for the name on the label and any allergen questions. Say what your kitchen handles.
Set the order deadline
Show the last day to order and the date you will confirm. Do not accept a date you cannot meet.
Send a written confirmation
Repeat the count, flavor, pickup date, deposit paid, and balance due. Ask the customer to reply yes.
Keep the form to one screen on a phone. If a field does not change what you bake, what you charge, or when you hand over the order, move it to the confirmation message. A shorter form gets finished.
How much deposit should you ask for?
Ask for enough to cover your ingredients and packaging for that order. Say on the form whether the deposit is refundable and when the balance is due. A deposit is not a tip and it is not your profit. It is the money that lets you buy supplies without using your own cash.
Keep the same deposit rule for every customer. If you change it for one person, you will have to remember the exception later. Write the rule in plain words: amount, due date, and what happens if the pickup is missed. Then put it on the form in the same place every time. If you sell other baked goods, keep the same deposit rule as your cake order form.
Put the deposit amount in dollars, not a percentage, if you want the customer to pay without a calculator. Say what the deposit covers and what it does not cover. If you refund it, say how many days before pickup. If you do not refund it, say that in the same sentence.
What should the form say about pickup and labels?
Give a pickup window, not just a day. A range like 2 to 4 p.m. is easier to keep than an open invitation. Ask the customer to reply if she is running late. Put the pickup address and your phone number in the confirmation, not only on the form.
Label details belong on the form if you sell under cottage food rules. According to Quickly Cottage, cake pop cottage food labeling covers ingredient lists, allergen disclosure, net weight, and the cottage food disclosure statement. A cottage food label requirements guide says every cottage food label needs 6 elements. Collect the name and any allergen notes before you print. For the label side, see how to sell cake pops before you print.
Net weight is one of the label details named in the cake pop cottage food labeling guidance. Put the weight on the package, not just the count. If your scale is not accurate, fix that before you print. The order form should ask for the package count so the label matches what the customer picks up.
What mistakes cost you money on cake pop orders?
The costly mistakes are quiet ones. You take an order without a deposit, you guess at a pickup time, or you print a label without the right details. Each one turns a paid order into a free batch or a second trip. The form is where you stop those mistakes before they start.
Underpricing is the quiet mistake. A cake pop order can look profitable until you count the box, the stick, the label, and your time. Use the form to collect the count and the packaging choice before you quote. Then price the whole order, not just the food. Price the order with how to price cake pops before you send the form.
What does one dozen cake pops leave after costs?
Use your own receipts for ingredients and your own hourly rate for labor. For example, if you take 10 dozen cake pop orders in a month, the $20 Brevl fee works out to $2 per dozen. Brevl takes 0% of your sales, so the rest of the price stays with you.
Margin per dozen is your price minus ingredient cost per dozen minus labor cost per dozen minus $2 overhead. Fill in the first three numbers from your own order form and receipts. If the result is too low, raise the price or cut the count before you take the order. For the full profit picture, see cake pop business profit.
Overhead is not just the monthly fee. It is also the time you spend answering texts and printing labels. The $2 per dozen figure only covers the Brevl fee at 10 dozen. If you take fewer orders, the fee is more per dozen.
What should you check before you commit to a cake pop order?
Check your calendar, your supplies, and your local rules before you confirm. In Fairfax County, Virginia, home-based food production is limited to certain foods, and approved foods need a Home-Based Food Production Supplemental Form, according to the county. Your state or county may have a different form. Put that check on your order form so you do not promise an order you cannot legally fill.
Check the count against your capacity. A cake pop order that is too large for your kitchen will push out smaller orders and wear you out. Set a maximum count per week and show it on the form. If the order is above that number, offer a later pickup date or say no.
Send the confirmation after the deposit clears. Repeat the count, flavor, pickup window, balance due, and label name. Ask the customer to reply with one word: yes. Keep that reply with the order. If something changes later, you have a written record of what was agreed.
Try the free bake pricing calculator
Free, no signup.
Common questions
What should I ask for as a deposit on cake pops?
Ask for enough to cover your ingredients and packaging, and say clearly whether it is refundable. Put the deposit amount and the date it is due on the form. Do not start baking until the deposit clears. A deposit protects your supply money, not your whole profit.
How far ahead should cake pop orders be placed?
Set one lead time and keep it on the form. Two weeks gives you room to buy supplies and plan a pickup window. If you work another job, add a buffer. The form should show the last day to order, not just the pickup date.
Do I need a label on every cake pop order?
According to a cottage food label requirements guide, every cottage food label needs 6 elements. Check your state rules before you print. Ask for the information you need on the order form so the label is ready at pickup. Do not guess at a label you cannot legally use.
Can I take cake pop orders by text?
Yes, if you keep the same fields in every reply. A text order is easy to lose, so copy the details into your order form before you confirm. Ask for the deposit and pickup date in the same message. A written form protects both of you.
What if the customer wants a flavor you do not offer?
Say no before you take the deposit. Offer the flavors on your menu and let the customer choose from those. A custom flavor adds a supply run and a test batch you may not be paid for. Keep the form tied to what you already sell.
Sources
General information, not legal or tax advice. Check your state and county rules before you sell.