Marketplace

NowToPrint Marketplace is a controlled live pilot where buyers open print quote requests, approved producer print shops quote, and the selected quote becomes an order.

The current goal is stability with the trusted offline network, not a broad open marketplace promise.

Pilot network

Area	Current state
Trusted print shops	10+
Trusted customers	100+
Operating model	Controlled live pilot
AI-assisted quote page	/en/quote
Manual quote short path	/en/new-quote

Core journey

Buyer opens a quote request as a guest or signed-in user → print shop quotes → buyer chooses a quote → buyer signs up or signs in with the same email → order is created → payment is confirmed → file/preflight and production information gates are completed → print shop starts production → order is delivered → buyer closes the order.

Guest buyers can also start with name and email. Quotes go to the private tracking link in email. If the buyer signs up with the same email, they complete onboarding and return to the same private tracking link to continue from there.

For signed-in users, AI-assisted and manual quote forms prefill known name and email details when available. The buyer can edit missing or stale details before submitting.

Approved producer rule

A print shop cannot quote just because it registered. Admin must approve the organization as an approved producer from /tr/admin/organizations.

Even an approved producer cannot quote an RFQ opened by its own organization. That RFQ is excluded from the incoming supplier opportunity list, and quote submission is blocked server-side. Supplier screens do not show competitor prices, print shop names, or aggregate quote/view counts.

On an RFQ detail page, a print shop reads only the quote history owned by its active organization. The organization authority and that scoped quote read must both settle before the new-quote action becomes available. A slow refresh never overlaps the previous request. If the organization authority or the initial quote read fails, the new-quote form is replaced by an explicit error and retry state; the UI never assumes an empty history or allows a duplicate submission. After a successful read, a background refresh or transient quote-read error keeps the supplier's draft mounted, locks submission, and exposes retry alongside the draft until refreshed evidence settles.

Pilot payment scope

Card payment is not part of the live pilot. The platform collects the payment and pays the print shop after delivery, minus commission. Payment confirmation is handled manually through operations, bank transfer, open account, or agreed corporate terms. Payment approval is one production gate; file/preflight readiness and production handoff information must also be complete before production starts.

Guides