MAP pricing guide
Most MAP messes start after the file leaves the brand. A rep forwards the wrong sheet. A dealer saves an old PDF. A launch correction never reaches the ecommerce person. The fix is not a prettier attachment. It is a current place where approved dealers can pull the right fields for the right products.
Separate the numbers
A useful dealer price list does not flatten every number into “price.” Dealers need to know what they can advertise, what the suggested retail anchor is, and what their buying cost is. Your system needs to know who is allowed to see each one.
The advertised-price floor dealers check before they publish product pages, paid ads, listings, bundles, and promo emails.
The public suggested retail anchor that can appear in catalog pages, sell sheets, product copy, and comparison tables.
Account-sensitive buying price that belongs behind authorization, not in a public catalog or loosely forwarded file.
Where MAP breaks
MAP policy is its own legal and channel decision. Distribution is the operational side: which product records are active, which dealers can see them, which price fields are exposed, and whether the dealer has a better option than searching their inbox.
| Break point | What to control |
|---|---|
| Forwarded attachments | Send a link to the current price list or feed. Let dealers download when they need it, not archive every correction. |
| Wrong account tier | Keep dealer cost, program pricing, territory notes, and restricted lines scoped by dealer authorization. |
| Discontinued products | Remove inactive SKUs from active dealer exports even if the old product page remains available for reference. |
| Launch corrections | Update product and pricing data once, then point the update email back to the same current list. |
| Ambiguous fields | Label MAP, MSRP, dealer cost, pack quantity, effective date, and price notes plainly in every dealer-facing output. |
A practical MAP page
Show the current value next to SKU, product title, MSRP, pack quantity, and any notes that affect advertised offers.
Add effective dates or short change notes so dealers can tell whether their local export is stale.
Keep restricted products, private SKUs, and dealer-only downloads tied to the dealer's approved brands or groups.
Offer CSV or Excel for ecommerce teams, plus a readable PDF or build sheet for salespeople and buyers.
Put images, spec sheets, copy, and product files next to the pricing so dealers are not building listings from fragments.
Give dealers a clear contact or campaign reply path for exceptions, corrections, and account-specific questions.
How BrandBinder does this
BrandBinder gives approved dealers a portal for current price lists, feeds, build sheets, product files, and catalog pages. The point is not to “enforce MAP” by software claim. The point is to reduce the stale-file behavior that causes avoidable MAP mistakes.
Compliance note
BrandBinder distributes current dealer-facing product and pricing data. Your MAP policy, dealer agreement, legal review, and enforcement process still live outside the portal. The portal should make the approved information easier to find and harder to misuse.
Dealer logins are free. We will help you map products, assets, pricing, and dealer access before you invite anyone.
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