Repricing algorithm — recommended price without margin sacrifices
4pricing.net's repricing algorithm calculates the recommended price per product by analysing the relative position vs. competitors and the minimum margin configured by the user. The recommended price never drops below the set cost threshold. You approve it with one click in the panel or through an API call: the price goes to your system through a signed webhook or directly to shops built on 4buildsite and 4shopy; with no system linked it stays inside 4pricing. Nothing is sent to your shop, marketplace or ERP without your approval.
Available repricing strategies
The platform offers three main strategies, selectable per group (strategy, margin and cost can be overridden per group), combinable with a cost floor that blocks any recommendation below your cost.
- Undercut: your price is a percentage below the lowest competitor in the group (default 1%)
- Match median: you position yourself at the median of group prices
- Margin over cost: price = cost × (1 + minimum margin; default 5%); if no cost is set it falls back to undercut
Cost floor and competitor groups
Each product can have a cost floor — your cost, optional, below which the algorithm will never recommend. A competitor group is your product plus the competitor listings you add by URL; out-of-stock competitors are excluded from the comparison.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Protects margin via configurable cost floor per product
- Strategy, margin and cost can be overridden per group — not one rigid global rule
- Competitor groups: your product plus the competitors you add yourself
- Recommendation also takes your minimum margin into account, not just the current price
Limitations
- Does not change the price by itself — it recommends and you approve the recommended price (in the panel or via API); nothing is sent to your shop without your approval, and the automatic level is optional and off by default
- Efficiency drops if cost data is not updated frequently
Quick verdict
Suitable for retailers with different margins per group who want full control. Not automatic repricing by default — it recommends and applying follows your approval; the automatic level, inside limits you set, is optional and off by default.
Specifications table
| Parameter | Possible values | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Strategy | Undercut / Match median / Margin over cost | Undercut |
| Undercut offset | Percentage below the cheapest competitor | 1 % |
| Rounding | None / ends in .99 / ends in .90 / whole number | Ends in .99 |
| Cost floor | Per product — your own cost | Optional |
Manual repricing vs. algorithm
| Criterion | 4pricing algorithm | Manual adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| Reaction time | The interval you choose | 24–72h |
| Catalogue coverage | All products simultaneously | A few per day |
| Below-margin risk | None while a cost is set — the recommendation never goes below the cost floor | Yes, if not careful |
Frequently asked questions
Does the algorithm change the price automatically in the store?
Not by default. The algorithm calculates and recommends the price; you approve it from the panel or through an API call. An approved price goes to your system through a signed webhook (you apply it and confirm through the API) or directly to shops built on 4buildsite and 4shopy; with no system linked it stays as your price inside 4pricing. Nothing is sent to your shop, marketplace, feed or ERP without your approval. The automatic level, inside limits you set, exists only if you switch it on.
How does the platform protect the profit margin?
Via the cost floor — an absolute minimum price per product below which the algorithm will never recommend, regardless of the chosen strategy or competitor prices.
Can I apply different strategies per group?
Yes. Strategy, margin and cost can be overridden per group; the category is only a label. Each group can have its own strategy: undercut, match median or margin over cost.
What are competitor groups?
A group is your product plus the competitor listings you add by URL. The algorithm compares your position only against those listings; out-of-stock competitors are excluded from the comparison. Useful if you compete with a few specific shops, not the entire market.