Customer approved a proof with a typo: who pays for the reprint?
- If the approved proof showed the typo and your terms said “we make what you approve”, the customer usually pays.
- If the product doesn’t match the approved proof, or the customer never approved, the shop usually pays.
- Unclear approvals (“looks good” to which file?) are where most arguments start. Fix those first.
The short answer
Who pays depends on three things: whether the customer really approved, whether the mistake was in the version they approved, and what your terms said before they ordered. When all three point at the customer, they usually pay for the remake. When any one is missing, expect to pay part or all of it yourself.
What an approved proof means
A proof is the shop showing the customer exactly what will be made. Approving it is the customer saying “this is right, make it”. It moves the job of checking spelling, names, dates and numbers to the person who knows them best: the customer.
That only works if the customer could see the problem. A typo in large text on the proof is the customer’s to catch. A colour that looks different on screen, a cut line the proof didn’t show, or a change the shop made after approval are not, unless your terms say otherwise.
Email approval vs a review page
When there is an argument, the question is simple: which version did the customer approve, and when?
| Question | Email reply | Review page with versions |
|---|---|---|
| Which file was approved? | Often unclear when a thread has several attachments | One named version per decision |
| When? | The email’s time, if you can find it | Recorded with the decision |
| What changes were asked for? | Spread across replies, calls and DMs | A written comment on each version |
| Did they see the latest version? | Hard to tell | Older versions are kept, each with its own decision |
Neither is a signed contract, and a careful email process can work. The point is to make the answer to “which version, and when?” obvious to both of you.
Four common cases
1. The customer’s own mistake
The customer typed “Jonh” in the order notes. The proof showed “Jonh”, the customer approved it, and 200 mugs were printed.
Usually the customer pays for the remake.
The proof showed exactly what was made, and approving it confirmed the spelling. If your terms said so before the order, this is the clearest case. Many shops still offer the remake at cost to keep the customer.
2. The shop’s mistake after approval
The approved proof said “Jones”, but the engraving file sent to the machine was an older version that said “Jnoes”.
The shop pays.
The approval covers what the proof showed, not what was made later. When the finished product doesn’t match the approved version, remake it at your cost and fix how files move to production.
3. An unclear approval
You sent version 1, then version 2 in a new email. The customer replied “Looks good!” to the first email. You printed version 2, which had the typo.
Often shared, or a goodwill remake.
Nobody can show which version the “yes” was for. Split the cost or remake it, then make sure every approval names one version from now on.
4. The customer never replied
The proof sat unanswered for two weeks. You went ahead to make the deadline, and the date on the invitations was wrong.
Usually the shop pays, unless your terms covered it.
Silence is not approval. It only counts if your terms said, before the order, that a proof is approved after a set number of days, and you reminded the customer before that date.
How shops split the cost
There is no standard split. Pick one, put it in your terms and use it every time.
| Option | How it works | Fits when |
|---|---|---|
| Customer pays in full | The remake is a new order at the normal price. | The customer’s own error, a clear approval and terms they saw before ordering. |
| Remake at cost | The customer pays for materials and machine time only, with no margin. | The customer’s error, but you want to keep a good customer. |
| Split 50/50 | Each side pays half of the remake. | Both sides missed it, for example the shop added the typo and the customer approved it. |
| Goodwill remake | The shop pays, and says it’s a one-off. | The approval was unclear, or the order is small and the customer matters more. |
| Shop pays | Remake at your own cost, quickly. | The product doesn’t match the approved proof, or the customer never approved. |
How to stop it happening again
- Show your approval terms before the customer pays: on the product page, at checkout or in the quote.
- Ask the customer to check spelling, names, dates, numbers, colours, size and quantity, and say so on the proof.
- Send one version at a time and label it (v1, v2). Never ask for a “yes” on a thread with several files.
- Get a written yes for a named version. A thumbs-up on an old message is not enough.
- Ask for changes in writing, so “make it pop” becomes “make the date bigger”.
- Copy names and numbers from the customer’s own text instead of retyping them.
- Make production from the approved file only, and check it against the approved version before you start.
- Keep the approval with the order: the version, the date and time, and any comments.
Wording for your terms
Pick the clause that matches how you want to handle errors after approval. They come from the free proof disclaimer generator, which writes the rest of your terms too. Example wording, not legal advice.
Customer pays
Errors in an approved proof that you did not ask us to change are your responsibility, and a reprint is charged at the full price.
Split 50/50
If an error in an approved proof is found after production, we will reprint the order and share the reprint cost 50/50 with you.
Case by case
If an error in an approved proof is found after production, we will review it with you and agree any reprint cost case by case. Errors we introduce after your approval are always fixed at our cost.
Next to the approve button
I have checked spelling, names, dates, colours, size and quantity, and I approve this proof for production exactly as shown. I understand that the shop is not responsible for errors in a proof I approved.
Keep a clear record of every approval
MakeApproved is a Shopify app for proof approval. Customers approve or request changes on a no-login review page, a change request always needs a written comment, and every version keeps its own files, comments and decision, so you can show which version was approved and when. Orders are released to production only after approval and tagged in Shopify.
Free for 10 proofed orders a month.
Questions
Something missing? Email contact@makeapproved.com.
Who pays if a customer approves a proof with a typo?
Usually the customer, if the approved proof clearly showed the typo and your terms said before the order that approval means you produce it exactly as shown. Many shops still share the cost or remake at cost to keep the customer. This is general information, not legal advice.
Does “looks good” in an email count as approval?
It can, but it is weak when it isn’t clear which file the reply was about. Ask the customer to approve one named version, or use a review page that records which version was approved and when.
What if the shop made the mistake after the customer approved?
Then the approved proof was right and the product doesn’t match it. The shop normally remakes the order at its own cost.
Can I go ahead if the customer doesn’t reply to a proof?
Only if your terms said so before the order, for example that a proof is approved after 7 days without a reply, and you reminded the customer before that date. Keep a record that the approval was automatic.
Should I offer a discount when the typo was the customer’s fault?
That’s your call. Common options are a remake at cost or a discount on the remake. If you do it, say it is a one-off, so it doesn’t become your policy.
Is this legal advice?
No. This guide is general information from a software maker, not a lawyer. MakeApproved is run by an individual based in California, and laws differ by state and country. For a dispute about real money, ask a local lawyer.