Migration guide
Pepper to Crate
Pepper is ordering software for independent food distributors, built around their ERP systems, with order guides, an order desk agent and a sales CRM. This guide is for roasters, bakeries and food brands who sell to cafes, shops and restaurants and want a simpler portal on the catalog they already keep in Square, Clover or Shopify.
By the Crate teamUpdated
The short answer
- Pepper does not publish prices: it quotes pay-for-performance pricing after a demo. Crate lists every plan, and you can start a free trial without talking to anyone.
- Crate Growth is $80/month for up to 50 active buyers, with standing orders, invoicing and unlimited team seats.
- Pepper's Data Import tool downloads your items, customers and custom prices as CSV files, so the move starts from files you already have.
Why switch to Crate
- A price you can see today. Crate Starter is $50/month, Growth $80/month and Plus $150/month. Pepper's pricing page asks you to request a custom quote.
- Set it up yourself, this week. Start a 14-day free trial with no credit card, connect your catalog and invite buyers when prices check out. Pepper starts with a demo and a dedicated implementation lead.
- Start from Square, Clover or Shopify. Pepper connects to distributor ERP systems or runs on CSV uploads, and its site does not list Square, Clover or Shopify. Crate syncs your products from all three, so there is no second item list to keep.
- Repeat orders without building order guides. Buyers repeat any past order with the Reorder button, and on Growth they set, skip and pause weekly, 14-day or 28-day standing orders from their portal.
- Payment terms and invoices that send themselves. Give each account prepaid, COD or Net 7 to Net 90. On Growth, Crate sends the invoice through Square, QuickBooks Online or Crate when you confirm the order, and buyers see open balances in their portal.
When staying put is fine: Pepper may still fit if you are a food distributor with an ERP, an order desk and sales reps, and want order guides with PAR levels, AI capture of phoned, texted and emailed orders and a sales CRM in one system.
Cost: Pepper vs Crate
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Pepper (every package) | Not published: pay-for-performance pricing, quoted after a demo |
| Crate Starter (up to 20 active buyers) | $50/month |
| Crate Growth (up to 50 active buyers) | $80/month |
| Crate Plus (more than 50 active buyers) | $150/month |
What each Pepper feature becomes in Crate
| Pepper | In Crate |
|---|---|
| Default order guide built from about 90 days of purchases (source) | Reorder on any past order, plus standing orders the buyer sets. Crate has no order guides or PAR levels. |
| Item subscriptions set by the operator or a sales rep (source) | Standing orders every 7, 14 or 28 days that the buyer or you can change, skip or pause (Growth) |
| Custom prices per customer (source) | Price lists per account, prices for one customer, and quantity breaks |
| Storefront checkout with saved payment methods and autopay (source) | Card or bank payment on Crate invoices. Standing orders can be charged to a saved card if you switch it on. |
| Order Agent for emailed, texted and phoned orders (source) | The order inbox add-on turns incoming requests into orders you review before accepting. Contact Crate to enable it. |
| Sales Hub CRM for sales reps | Not in Crate. Add reps as team members; there is no seat charge on any plan. |
How to switch
- 01Bring your products. Connect Shopify, Square or Clover and your catalog syncs. No store? Upload a product spreadsheet.
- 02Upload your customers. Upload the customer CSV in any column layout. Each account needs a business name and an email. Set payment terms, such as Net 30, as you import.
- 03Set prices. Recreate your price lists and customer prices. Send us your export and we will help.
- 04Invite buyers. Run both tools side by side until prices check out, then invite each buyer to their portal.
What to export from Pepper
| Data | How to get it |
|---|---|
| Items | In PMC, open Tools, then Data Import, then Items, and use Download Current Data for a CSV. Or skip it: connect Square, Clover or Shopify and your catalog syncs. (source) |
| Customers | Tools, Data Import, Customers, then Download Current Data. Upload that CSV to Crate in any column layout; each account needs a business name and an email. (source) |
| Custom prices | Tools, Data Import, Custom Prices, then Download Current Data. Send it to us and we will help rebuild your price lists and customer prices. (source) |
| Order guides | Tools, Order Guide Self Serve, Download Order Guide, pick the customer and the guides, then Download CSV (or ZIP for several). Use them to set up each buyer's standing order. (source) |
| If Pepper runs on your ERP | Your items, customers and prices live in the ERP that feeds Pepper, so export them from the ERP instead. (source) |
Keep in mind: Crate does not import order guides, PAR levels or order history. Keep your Pepper downloads for reference; Crate starts new order history from your switch date.
Keep in mind: Check your Pepper contract for its term and notice period before you set a switch date, and run both side by side until each buyer has placed a first order in Crate.
Questions about leaving Pepper
- How much does Pepper cost?
- Pepper does not publish prices. Its pricing page describes pay-for-performance pricing tailored to each distributor and asks you to request a custom quote. Crate Starter is $50/month, Growth $80/month and Plus $150/month, with a 14-day free trial.
- Can I export my data from Pepper?
- Yes, for the parts Pepper documents. Its Data Import tool (PMC, Tools, Data Import) downloads items, customers and custom prices as CSV files in its upload layout, and Order Guide Self Serve downloads a customer's order guides as CSV. If an ERP feeds Pepper, export from the ERP.
- Does Crate have order guides and PAR levels like Pepper?
- No. Buyers repeat any past order with the Reorder button, and on Growth they keep standing orders every 7, 14 or 28 days that they can change, skip or pause. If your buyers count stock against PAR levels before every order, Pepper fits that better.
- Do I need an ERP to use Crate?
- No. Crate syncs products from Square, Clover or Shopify, or keeps its own catalog from a spreadsheet, and sends invoices through Square, QuickBooks Online or Crate.
Send us your Pepper export
Upload your customer list and we will help set up prices before your buyers move.
14-day free trial. No credit card required.
Sources
- 1. Pepper pricing
- 2. Pepper: Pepper without an ERP, Data Import
- 3. Pepper: the order guide
- 4. Pepper: item subscriptions
- 5. Pepper Storefront
- 6. Pepper Order Agent
- 7. Pepper: creating a self serve order guide
- 8. Pepper ERP integrations
Based on published information on the review date. Plans change, so check with the provider.