Guide
What Is a Dropshipping Product Score?
Last updated: May 2025 · 5 min read
The ShipScout Product Score is a 0–100 rating that tells you at a glance whether a product is worth testing. It factors in profitability, shipping risk, supplier reliability, and refund exposure.
Score Ranges
82–100: Go
Strong margins, fast shipping, reliable supplier. Test immediately.
65–81: Test Carefully
Decent potential but has risks. Test with a small budget first.
45–64: Caution
Thin margins or high risk. Only test if you can fix the weak spots.
0–44: Skip
Negative or near-zero profit. Move on to a better product.
What Affects the Score
The score is calculated from 4 weighted factors:
- Profit Margin (40% weight) — The most important factor. A 30%+ margin scores highest. Below 10% drags the score down significantly.
- Shipping Time (25% weight) — Products with 7-day shipping score best. 21+ days is a red flag that increases refund rates and kills repeat customers.
- Supplier Rating (20% weight) — A 4.5+ rating suggests reliable fulfillment. Below 3.5 signals quality issues that lead to chargebacks.
- Refund Rate (15% weight)— Lower is better. A 5% refund rate is average. Above 10% means you're bleeding margin on returns.
How to Improve Your Score
- Increase margin: Negotiate supplier costs or raise your selling price
- Cut shipping time: Source from local warehouses instead of China
- Find better suppliers: Switch to 4.5+ rated vendors on AliExpress or CJ
- Reduce refunds: Better product photos, accurate descriptions, faster shipping