Best promotional pens under £1: UK price comparison and reviews

What to take away

What pushes a pen above or below £1

The £1 ceiling is comfortable for a basic plastic ballpoint with a one-colour print on the barrel. Two things move the price: the barrel and the decoration. Metal, bamboo and recycled ABS bodies cost more than plain plastic.

Setup charges are one-off costs per print position. On 250 pens a £50 charge adds 20p per unit. On 5,000 it adds 1p. Delivery is the quiet variable. Ask whether carriage is quoted to your postcode, because some island and remote addresses attract a surcharge.

Price comparison: specific pens under £1

The prices below are indicative trade figures from UK supplier catalogues at 500 units, one-colour print, ex VAT and before carriage. They are not test results. Always get a live quote.

BIC Clic Stic is the safest default. The refill is widely stocked and the barrel takes a crisp one-colour logo. BIC Round Stic suits high-volume mailings where the pen is a simple giveaway.

Senator Super Hit feels better in the hand than many cheap plastic pens. It suits client gifts where a plain budget click pen would look thin. Watch the setup charge on small runs.

4imprint Value Click Pen and Total Merchandise Budget Ballpoint are the budget online options. Both publish low entry prices, but carriage and VAT decide the final cost. Ask for the refill type in writing.

The eco options need evidence. Our guide to the questions to ask about eco-friendly promotional products covers the paperwork a supplier should hold. The CAP Code also requires proof for claims such as recycled or biodegradable, and the advertising codes published by the ASA set out the rules.

Supplier routes for named pens

BIC and Senator reach buyers through authorised distributors, who set their own prices. 4imprint, Total Merchandise, Go Promotional and Everything Branded sell direct online. Local print shops can pad print a stock pen, but they may not hold BIC or Senator stock. Merchandise platforms bundle setup into the unit price on some lines.

Below 250 units, few suppliers can hold a £1 delivered price once setup is spread across the order. Give every supplier the same brief: quantity, barrel, print colours and delivery postcode. Like-for-like quotes are the only useful comparison.

Worked example: 500 BIC Clic Stic pens

Assume a 500-pen order at £0.55 each, one-colour logo and mainland UK delivery.

The delivered unit price is the number your budget needs. A 35p pen with paid setup and carriage can cost more than a 55p pen with both included.

Scale changes the maths. At 2,000 units the same £45 setup adds just over 2p per pen. That can bring a 70p pen under 60p delivered.

Where cheap pens go wrong

Refills are the usual weak point. A scratchy refill in a cheap barrel gets thrown away, which wastes the money spent on printing. Ask for the refill brand or type.

Business orders work differently. Put the barrel, refill and print specification in the purchase order, because the contract is your only remedy. Where the buyer is a consumer, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires goods to match the description.

Costs move through the year, so check the ONS inflation and price indices release before you set a print budget.

What to check before you order

Ask for a sample of the exact barrel and refill, not a catalogue photo. Confirm the print area, ink colour and whether artwork redraw is included.

Get the carriage charge to your postcode in writing before you approve the artwork. Ask whether the setup charge applies again on a repeat order.

If your order is smaller than 250 pens, read how low minimum order promotional products change the delivered price.

Common questions

Do quoted prices include delivery and VAT?

Most UK trade quotes are ex VAT and exclude carriage. Ask for a delivered total on your quantity and postcode, then add 20% VAT to compare.

How many pens do you need to order for a sub-£1 unit price?

A named stock pen such as BIC Round Stic or Total Merchandise Budget Ballpoint usually clears £1 from about 250 units. Below that, setup and carriage dominate the total.

Can a cheap branded pen carry a full-colour logo?

Not usually under £1. Full-colour work needs digital printing, which suits small runs but pushes the unit price above the pound.

Are the cheapest pens worth giving away?

Only if the refill works. A pen that fails in a client's hand undoes the goodwill the gift was meant to buy.