> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sourcemedium.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Costs and COGS in the Configuration Sheet

> How to enter product costs, shipping, fulfillment, merchant processing fees, and operating expenses in the Configuration Sheet so gross profit and P&L metrics are complete.

The Financial Cost tabs of your Configuration Sheet hold the costs SourceMedium cannot read from a platform. Each tab feeds gross profit, contribution, and LTV metrics in your dashboard. This page covers what each tab is for, the columns it takes, and the one thing that most often goes wrong. Exact column types are in the [schema reference](/docs/help-center/raw-data-source-overviews/configuration-sheet/schema#financial-cost-tabs).

<Info>
  The first time you fill in a Financial Cost tab, tell your account manager or [integrations@sourcemedium.com](mailto:integrations@sourcemedium.com). We enable the tabs for your account once, and every later edit is picked up automatically on the next Configuration Sheet sync.
</Info>

## Rules that apply to every tab

* Dates are `MM/DD/YYYY`. Rows without a `date_end` are ignored, so always fill it in.
* A row applies to every order in its `channel` (and `region`, where the tab has one) between `date_start` and `date_end`, inclusive.
* To capture a cost change, add a new row with a new date range. Old rows keep applying to the orders in their range, so history stays correct.
* Costs are entered as positive numbers. `category` is always `Financial`.

## Product COGS

**Tab:** Financial Cost - Product COGS

Per-unit product cost by SKU. SourceMedium reads Shopify product costs automatically from the **Cost per item** field, so use this tab for:

* SKUs sold on channels outside Shopify, such as Amazon, Retail, or Wholesale. Amazon SKUs are often different from Shopify SKUs; enter them as they appear on Amazon with `channel` set to `Amazon`.
* Backfilling historic Shopify costs for periods before you filled in Cost per item.
* Overriding the Shopify cost with a different cost basis for a date range.

For Shopify costs themselves, see [How do I surface Shopify product costs?](/docs/data-inputs/configuration-sheet/costs/how-do-i-surface-product-costs)

| category  | channel | expense\_channel | sku     | fixed\_cost | date\_start | date\_end  |
| --------- | ------- | ---------------- | ------- | ----------- | ----------- | ---------- |
| Financial | Amazon  | Product COGS     | ABC-123 | 12.50       | 01/01/2026  | 12/31/2026 |

`fixed_cost` is your landed cost per unit: product cost plus inbound freight and duties. Product cost surfaces as **Product Cost** and **Product Gross Profit** on the Executive Summary, LTV & Retention (including **LTV - Adj**), Product Performance, YoY Performance, and Orders Deep Dive.

**Gotcha:** the SKU must match the SKU on the order exactly. A row for a SKU that never appears on an order has no effect.

## Shipping

**Tab:** Financial Cost - Shipping

One shipping cost per order for a channel, region, and date range. There is no percentage or per-item option; SourceMedium applies the same amount to every order the row covers, so enter your average cost per order.

| category  | channel    | expense\_channel | region | cost | date\_start | date\_end  |
| --------- | ---------- | ---------------- | ------ | ---- | ----------- | ---------- |
| Financial | Online DTC | Shipping Cost    | US     | 6.80 | 01/01/2026  | 03/31/2026 |

Shipping cost surfaces on the Executive Summary, LTV & Retention (as allocated and cumulative shipping cost), Orders, and Product Performance, where it is allocated to line items by quantity share.

**Gotcha:** if the `region` you need is not in the dropdown, ask your account manager or [integrations@sourcemedium.com](mailto:integrations@sourcemedium.com) to add it before entering rows.

## Fulfillment

**Tab:** Financial Cost - Fulfillment

One fulfillment cost per order (pick, pack, and handling from your warehouse or 3PL) for a channel, region, and date range. Like shipping, it is a single per-order amount applied to every order the row covers.

| category  | channel    | expense\_channel | region | cost | date\_start | date\_end  |
| --------- | ---------- | ---------------- | ------ | ---- | ----------- | ---------- |
| Financial | Online DTC | Fulfillment Cost | US     | 4.00 | 01/01/2026  | 03/31/2026 |

Fulfillment cost surfaces on the Executive Summary, LTV & Retention (as allocated and cumulative fulfillment cost), Orders, and Product Performance. In Product Performance the per-order amount is allocated to line items by quantity share: a $4.00 fee on an order with four units shows as $1.00 per unit.

**Gotcha:** keep shipping and fulfillment on their own tabs. Putting the combined cost on both double-counts it.

## Merchant processing fees

**Tab:** Financial Cost - Merchant Processing Fees

A fixed fee per order plus a variable rate, by payment processor. SourceMedium calculates each order's fee as the order's net revenue multiplied by `variable_cost`, rounded to two decimals, plus `fixed_cost`.

| category  | channel    | expense\_channel         | region | vendor           | fixed\_cost | variable\_cost | date\_start | date\_end  |
| --------- | ---------- | ------------------------ | ------ | ---------------- | ----------- | -------------- | ----------- | ---------- |
| Financial | Online DTC | Merchant Processing Fees | US     | Shopify Payments | 0.30        | 0.029          | 01/01/2026  | 12/31/2026 |

Merchant processing fees surface on the Executive Summary, LTV & Retention (as allocated and cumulative fees), Orders (where the payment processor is also available), and Product Performance, where the order's fee is allocated to line items by their share of gross sales.

**Gotcha:** `variable_cost` is a decimal rate, not a percentage. Enter `0.029` for 2.9%. If your payment processor is not in the `vendor` dropdown, ask your account manager or [integrations@sourcemedium.com](mailto:integrations@sourcemedium.com) to add it.

## Operating expenses

**Tab:** Financial Cost - Operating Expenses

Fixed operating costs that are not tied to individual orders, such as salaries, software, and rent. Enter one row per month with the total for that month.

| category  | channel    | expense\_channel   | region | cost  | date\_start | date\_end  |
| --------- | ---------- | ------------------ | ------ | ----- | ----------- | ---------- |
| Financial | Online DTC | Operating Expenses | US     | 25000 | 01/01/2026  | 01/31/2026 |

Operating expenses surface on the Executive Summary.

**Gotcha:** `cost` is the total for the date range, not a per-day or per-order amount. A row that spans two months is still one amount.

## Video walkthroughs

* [Product COGS: historic Shopify costs](https://www.loom.com/share/99d5e76bd7dc4ce597639799ce100f97)
* [Product COGS: overriding Shopify costs](https://www.loom.com/share/20399f84346c43b88a1b82f690b480d8)
* [Product COGS: non-Shopify channels](https://www.loom.com/share/514ded8bbd124e449bdb25185b01bf92)
* [Shipping](https://www.loom.com/share/059597af145244aeacb4b931b7c8e2b6)
* [Fulfillment](https://www.loom.com/share/60c3803cea8946e58277dcd37210a805)
* [Merchant processing fees](https://www.loom.com/share/7531fc6f4316432abef53a249a8fe4fa)
* [Operating expenses](https://www.loom.com/share/38ef0c8ea7c94361a30fe4ad71c0e65e)

## Related resources

* [Configuration sheet schema](/docs/help-center/raw-data-source-overviews/configuration-sheet/schema) for exact column types
* [Adding marketing spend using the Cost tab](/docs/data-inputs/configuration-sheet/how-do-i-include-marketing-spend-through-the-cost-tab-of-the-configuration-sheet) for marketing costs, which use a different tab
* [Understanding your gross profit](/docs/help-center/common-analyses/understanding-your-gross-profit)