Cost-plus Meraki procurement: wholesale price + 3%
Ineapple Corp. runs an automated Cisco Meraki quoting portal. For large orders we sell at OEM-approved wholesale cost plus a flat 3% fee — both shown as separate lines on your quote. Typical VAR margins on the same deal run 10–20%, hidden in the unit prices. Ours is one visible number, because the pipeline that produces the quote is software, not a sales organization.
How it works
| 1. Upload | Drop your BOM, dashboard license export, or the quote another vendor gave you — PDF, Word, CSV or pasted text. The portal parses it into a priced bill of materials in seconds, and we keep your original document with the quote. |
|---|---|
| 2. Authorize | For cost-plus pricing we register the deal with the OEM. A short email authorization from your side (or a cc to your Cisco account manager) lets us do that as your vendor of record. |
| 3. OEM approval — 2–3 business days | Cisco approves deal-specific pricing for your organization. This is the same discount machinery the large VARs use; the difference is what happens to it next. |
| 4. Transparent quote | Your quote shows the approved cost basis and the 3% Ineapple fee as separate lines. Order on PO with net terms under an MSA, or card checkout — e-signature and fulfillment are built into the portal. |
The pricing model, side by side
| Typical VAR | easyMeraki cost-plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Margin | 10–20%, embedded in unit prices | Flat 3% fee, its own line |
| Cost basis | Never disclosed | OEM-approved cost, shown on the quote |
| Quote turnaround | Days of email, then a PDF | Instant first pass; cost-plus in 2–3 days |
| Re-quotes & changes | Back through the rep | Self-service in the portal |
| Catalogue | What the rep quotes | Every current Meraki SKU, priced daily — hardware and licenses |
Designed for orders of $25,000+ (single order or annual run-rate). Other Cisco product lines and other OEMs can be added on request.
Why we can do this
The quoting pipeline is automated end to end: BOM parsing, SKU validation against Cisco's live price list (re-checked weekly across >900 SKUs), OEM deal registration, distributor pricing and e-signature. There is no commissioned sales team to feed, so the margin a traditional VAR spends on one becomes your savings. Ineapple Corp. is a Cisco partner and the transacting vendor of record.
Common questions
- Is 3% really the whole fee?
- Yes. On qualifying orders our quote shows the OEM-approved cost basis and the 3% Ineapple fee as separate lines. There are no other margins, rebate games or bundled services charges — if a cost changes at the OEM side, you see it change.
- How is that different from our current VAR?
- Typical VAR margins on enterprise network deals run 10–20%, embedded invisibly in the unit prices. The cost-plus model replaces that with one visible fee. We can operate this way because the entire quoting pipeline — BOM parsing, OEM deal registration, distributor pricing — is automated.
- How long does a quote take?
- Instant first-pass pricing the moment you upload a BOM. The cost-plus number requires OEM deal approval, which typically takes 2–3 business days. A short email authorization from you speeds this up — OEMs verify large deals with the end customer.
- What can we buy this way?
- The full Cisco Meraki catalogue — licenses, renewals, appliances, switches, access points, cameras, sensors and accessories — is quotable in the portal today. Other Cisco lines and other OEMs can be added on request for qualifying volumes.
- What is the minimum?
- The cost-plus model is designed for large transactions — $25,000 and up, single order or annual run-rate. Below that, the portal’s instant self-service pricing is already sharper than a typical reseller quote.
- Do you support POs and net terms?
- Yes — purchase orders and net terms are supported under a master service agreement, and card checkout is available for smaller orders. Quotes are formal and orderable, with e-signature built in.