Our Process — From Brief to Delivery in 7 Stages
Most promo projects move from first reply to product delivered in two to three weeks. This page documents the seven-stage process step by step — what happens at each stage, who owns it, how long it takes, and what we expect from you.
Stage 1 — You send a brief
What: Email sales@uchangepromo.com or use the Get a Quote form. Include product or category interest, quantity range, in-hands date, branding details, and budget if you have one.
How long: Two minutes on your side.
Who owns it: You.
Stage 2 — We respond with first reply
What: A real person reads your brief and replies with initial product recommendations, tiered pricing, clarifying questions, and a feasibility check on your timeline.
How long: About 17 minutes on average during U.S. business hours — Promise 3 of The UCHANGE Standard.
Who owns it: The named project owner who will own your project end-to-end.
Stage 3 — Quote and approval
What: Within 24 hours of brief acceptance, you receive a complete quote with: unit price per tier, setup fees broken out, decoration method, run charges, PMS match if applicable, rush surcharges if applicable, and freight estimate. Read more on what a transparent quote includes in our Pricing Transparency Guide.
How long: Within 24 hours from your end.
Who owns it: Project owner produces; you approve.
Stage 4 — Free digital proof
What: Our art team produces a digital proof showing your logo placed on the product, at the correct method, size, color, and position. You receive it as a one-click approval email.
How long: Within one business day of quote acceptance.
Who owns it: Art team produces; you approve via one click. No production begins until you approve — Promise 2 of The UCHANGE Standard.
Stage 5 — Production
What: Once the proof is approved, your order enters production at the appropriate facility — U.S.-based or vetted Asia-based depending on product category, quantity, and timeline. We handle quality control at production exit.
How long: Standard production is 7–14 business days. Rush options are 3, 5, or 24-hour with surcharges and quantity caps.
Who owns it: Project owner monitors; production team executes.
Stage 6 — Shipping
What: Tracking is sent automatically. Standard ground freight across the United States runs 2–5 business days. For multi-address split shipping, each destination receives its own tracking number. International shipping to Canada and Europe takes longer; we estimate at quote stage.
How long: 2–5 business days within the U.S.; longer for international.
Who owns it: Logistics; project owner monitors.
Stage 7 — Delivered, and the guarantee
What: Product arrives. If anything is wrong on our end — defects, errors against the approved proof, shipping damage — invoke the Make-It-Right Guarantee within seven days. We reprint at our cost and expedite to recover your in-hands date.
How long: Same-business-day acknowledgement; resolution typically within 3 business days of invocation.
Who owns it: Project owner remains your contact through resolution.
What we expect from you
- A clear brief with quantity, in-hands date, and audience.
- Vector logo files (.AI, .EPS, .PDF, .SVG) when possible — we can redraw raster files for a small fee.
- Proof review within 2 business days of receipt — delays here push your in-hands date.
- Final shipping address(es) before production completes.
Start a project
Email sales@uchangepromo.com or use Get a Quote. We respond in about 17 minutes during business hours.