What is MOQ (minimum order quantity)?

The smallest order a wholesale supplier will accept.

MOQ - minimum order quantity - is the smallest order a supplier will sell you, expressed in units or order value. Retail arbitrage has no MOQ; wholesale does, and it is the main reason wholesale needs more starting capital than arbitrage.

MOQs are also negotiable more often than beginners assume, especially on a first test order. The sourcing discipline still applies: price the supplier's list against Amazon first, and only negotiate MOQs on lines where the numbers already work.