Tracking Alterations in CloudBridal

Alterations are a critical part of the bridal retail workflow, and CloudBridal offers multiple approaches for tracking them depending on your needs. Whether you charge a flat fee, a single variable fee, or want to itemize each alteration service, CloudBridal provides the flexibility to accommodate your workflow.

This guide covers the various methods for tracking alterations, their pros and cons, and recommendations for different scenarios.

Overview of Alteration Tracking Methods

CloudBridal provides three main methods for tracking alterations:

Additionally, you can choose whether to track alterations on the same order as the dress or as a separate order—this organizational choice applies to any of the three methods above.

Method 1: Using the Built-in Alteration Price Field

The simplest way to track alterations is using the built-in Alteration Price field on customer orders. This is ideal for stores that charge a single flat fee or a variable fee that doesn't need to be itemized.

How It Works

When you create or edit a customer order, you'll see an "Other Add-ons" section that includes:

• Alterations - A price field with optional notes
• Additional Work - For non-alteration work (e.g., steaming, pressing)
• Additional Fees - For miscellaneous charges

Each field includes:

• A checkbox to enable/disable
• A price input
• A notes field for details about the work

Enabling the Alteration Price Field

The Alteration Price field visibility is controlled per Inventory Item Type. If you don't see the field on an order:

1. Go to Settings > Inventory Items
2. Find the item type (e.g., "Wedding Dress")
3. Click to edit the item type
4. Under Enabled Customer Order Fields, check the box for Alteration Price > Display
5. Save the item type

Note: You can also enable Additional Work Price and Additional Fees Price in the same section if you need separate tracking for different types of charges.

Pros

• Simplest to use - just enter a price and optional notes
• Built directly into the order form
• Price is included in the order total automatically

Cons

• Limited reporting capabilities (only total alteration amount per order)
• Cannot itemize individual alterations
• Notes are freeform text only

Best For

• Stores that charge a fixed alteration fee regardless of work performed
• Stores that charge a single variable fee where the seamstress determines the total cost
• Quick order entry where detailed tracking isn't required

Method 2: Using Vendor Add-ons

If you want to track alterations as itemized line items without creating separate inventory records, the Add-ons system provides a middle ground between simplicity and detail.

How It Works

Add-ons are configured at the Vendor level. Since your store performs the alterations, you'll create your store as a vendor and define your alteration services as add-on groups.

Setting Up Add-ons for Alterations

Step 1: Create Your Store as a Vendor

1. Go to Vendors in the main navigation
2. Click Add Vendor
3. Enter your store's name (e.g., "In-House Alterations" or your store name)
4. Save the vendor

Step 2: Configure Add-on Groups

1. Open your newly created vendor
2. Navigate to the Add-ons tab
3. Click New Group to create an add-on group
4. Configure the group:

• Group Name: e.g., "Alterations" or "Dress Alterations"
• Display for Item Types: Leave blank for all types, or select specific types (e.g., "Wedding Dress")
• Non-Taxable: Check if your alteration services aren't subject to sales tax
• Discountable: Check if percentage discounts should apply to these add-ons

Step 3: Add Individual Add-ons

Within each group, add your alteration services:

• Click Add Add-on to Group
• Enter the add-on name (e.g., "Hem", "Take In Bodice", "Add Bustle")
• Set the Wholesale Price (your cost, if tracking)
• Set the Retail Price (what you charge the customer)

You can drag add-ons to reorder them within the group.

Using Add-ons on Orders

When creating an order:

1. In the order form, look for the Add-ons section
2. Select add-ons from your pre-defined list
3. Adjust prices if needed for this specific order
4. Add notes to any add-on for special instructions

You can also create custom add-ons on-the-fly by typing a name and pressing Enter.

Add-on Tax and Discount Behavior

Add-ons inherit their tax and discount behavior from their group settings:

• Non-Taxable: When checked, the add-on amount won't be included in tax calculations
• Discountable: When checked, percentage-based order discounts will apply to this add-on

These settings give you fine-grained control over how each alteration service is priced and taxed.

Pros

• Pre-defined alteration menu for consistent pricing
• Each add-on is a separate line item on the order
• Individual tax-exempt and discountable settings per group
• Can still create custom add-ons when needed

Cons

• Requires initial setup of vendor and add-ons
• Limited variant options (no size-specific or style-specific pricing)

Best For

• Stores with a standard alteration price list
• Stores that want itemized alterations without complex inventory management
• Stores that offer both taxable and non-taxable alteration services

Method 3: Itemized Alterations as Inventory Items

For maximum flexibility and reporting capability, you can create alterations as inventory items. This approach treats each alteration type as a service item in your inventory.

How It Works

You create a dedicated Item Type for alterations (a service type that doesn't track quantities), then create individual alteration items with variants for different options and prices.

Setting Up Alteration Inventory Items

Step 1: Create an Alterations Item Type

1. Go to Settings > Inventory Items
2. Click Add Item Type
3. Configure the item type:

• Name: "Alterations" or "Alteration Services"
• Track Stocked Inventory: Unchecked (this is a service, not physical inventory)
• Default Applicable Taxes: Select appropriate taxes or leave blank if tax-exempt

4. Under Enabled Customer Order Fields, enable fields as needed:

• Consider enabling Seamstress to track who performs each alteration
• Enable Comments if you want notes on each alteration item

5. Save the item type

Step 2: Create Your Store as a Vendor

If you haven't already, create your store as a vendor (see Method 2, Step 1).

Step 3: Create Individual Alteration Items

For each type of alteration you offer, create an inventory item:

1. Go to Inventory in the main navigation
2. Click Add Item
3. Select "Alterations" (or your alteration item type)
4. Configure the item:

• Vendor: Select your store
• Item Name: e.g., "Bustle Installation"
• Price: Your default price for this service

Step 4: Create Variants for Pricing Options

This is where the real power comes in. For each alteration item, you can create variants that represent different options with different prices:

Example: Bustle Installation

Example: Hem

Using Itemized Alterations on Orders

When you need to add alterations to an order:

1. Open the customer's order (or create a new one)
2. Click Add Item to add another item to the order
3. Search for the alteration item (e.g., "Bustle")
4. Select the specific variant (e.g., "French Bustle (4-6 points)")
5. The price populates automatically based on your variant pricing
6. Repeat for each alteration needed

Pros

• Detailed reporting: Track exactly which alterations are performed and their revenue
• Consistent pricing: Variants ensure the same alteration is priced consistently
• Staff tracking: Assign seamstress to each alteration item
• Status tracking: Track the status of each alteration independently (when enabled)
• Flexible pricing: Different prices for different complexity levels

Cons

• Most complex setup (requires creating item type, items, and variants)
• More steps when creating orders
• May be overkill for stores with simple alteration needs

Best For

• Stores that need detailed alteration reporting
• Stores with complex pricing structures based on alteration type and complexity
• Stores that want to track seamstress productivity by alteration type
• Multi-location stores that need standardized pricing

Order Organization: Same Ticket vs. Separate Order

Regardless of which tracking method you choose, you have a choice about how to organize alterations relative to the dress order:

Option A: Add to the Existing Order (Same Ticket)

By default, alterations are added to the same order as the dress. This means:

• One order number covers both the dress and alterations
• Payments apply to the combined total
• One receipt/invoice for everything
• Simpler for customers to understand

How to do it: When viewing an existing order, use "Add Item" to add alteration services or simply fill in the Alteration Price field.

Best for:

• Most standard workflows
• When alterations are decided at time of dress purchase
• When you want unified billing and receipts

Option B: Create a Separate Alteration Order

You can also create a completely separate order for alteration services. This means:

• Separate order number for alterations
• Independent payment tracking
• Separate receipts and invoices
• Independent status tracking
• Different sale date if needed

How to do it: From the customer's profile, click New Order instead of adding to an existing order. Then add your alteration services using any of the three methods above.

Best for:

• Stores with separate alteration departments
• When alterations are billed and paid separately from dress purchases
• When alterations are decided after the initial dress sale
• When you need independent status tracking
• Situations where you might need to void or refund alterations without affecting the dress order

Tip: You can use any tracking method (Alteration Price Field, Add-ons, or Inventory Items) whether you're adding to an existing order or creating a separate one. The choice of same-ticket vs. separate-order is independent of how you track the alteration details.

Tax Considerations for Alterations

Sales tax laws for alteration services vary by location. CloudBridal provides several ways to handle alteration taxes:

Global Tax-Exempt Settings

To make all alterations tax-exempt using the built-in fields:

1. Go to Settings > Taxes
2. Find the Alteration Price Field Tax Exempt checkbox
3. Check the box to make alterations entered in this field tax-exempt
4. Similarly, you can configure Additional Work Price Field and Additional Fees Price Field tax exemption

Important: These settings only affect the built-in price fields. If you track alterations as inventory items or add-ons, you'll need to configure their tax settings separately.

Add-on Tax Settings

When using the add-ons method:

• Each add-on group has a Non-Taxable checkbox
• Check this to make all add-ons in that group tax-exempt
• You can have multiple groups with different tax treatments (e.g., "Alterations" = non-taxable, "Embellishments" = taxable)

Inventory Item Tax Settings

When using itemized inventory items:

• The item type's Default Applicable Taxes controls which taxes apply
• Leave the taxes field empty for tax-exempt alterations
• Or select specific taxes if alterations are taxable in your jurisdiction

Tax-Inclusive Pricing

If your store uses tax-inclusive pricing (common in the UK and other regions):

• Enable Prices Inclusive of Tax in Settings > Taxes
• The system will automatically calculate and display pre-tax amounts
• Tax-exempt items will display at their entered price (no tax to extract)

Choosing the Right Method

Here's a decision guide to help you choose:

Use the Alteration Price Field if:

• You charge a flat fee or single variable fee
• You don't need detailed reporting on alteration types
• You want the simplest possible workflow

Use Vendor Add-ons if:

• You have a standard price list for alterations
• You want itemized line items without inventory complexity
• You need different tax/discount treatments for different services
• You want both pre-defined and custom options

Use Itemized Inventory Items if:

• You need detailed reporting on alteration revenue by type
• You have complex pricing based on alteration style/complexity
• You want to track seamstress assignments per alteration
• You need independent status tracking for each alteration

Create Separate Orders when:

• Alterations are billed and paid separately from the dress
• You need completely independent status tracking
• Alterations have different sale dates
• You have a separate alterations department

Tips and Best Practices

1. Start Simple: If you're unsure, start with the Alteration Price field. You can always move to a more detailed method later.
2. Be Consistent: Pick one primary method and use it consistently. This makes reporting more meaningful.
3. Document Your Pricing: If using variants, create a reference document for staff listing all alteration types and prices.
4. Use Notes Effectively: Whatever method you choose, use the notes fields to document specific work needed or completed.
5. Consider Your Reports: Think about what reports you'll need. If "revenue by alteration type" is important, use itemized inventory items.
6. Review Tax Requirements: Consult with your accountant about whether alteration services are taxable in your area before configuring tax settings.
7. Train Your Staff: Make sure all staff members understand which method to use and how to enter alteration information consistently.

Updated on: 05/01/2026