Component Rate Profiles¶
Component rate profiles help your team manage reusable cost rates for inventory cost components. In Loupe Factory, these profiles are managed in the Component Rate Center.
Use this page when you need to store a standard rate for a component such as a metal, gemstone, labor charge, packaging cost, freight cost, service charge, or overhead cost. A profile records the rate details once, so your team can reuse the same cost reference when it is linked to inventory.
Important
Creating a rate profile does not change inventory costs by itself. To use a profile on inventory, link it to a cost component on an inventory item.
Who Can Use the Component Rate Center¶
Access depends on inventory permissions and user role.
| Role | What the user can do |
|---|---|
| Admin | Create, activate, deactivate, and remove component rate profiles. |
| Manager | View the Component Rate Center and review existing rates. Managers cannot create or manage rate profiles. |
| Other users without the required inventory permissions | Cannot access the page. |
What a Rate Profile Stores¶
Each component rate profile stores the details Loupe Factory needs to identify, price, and track a reusable rate.
| Field | What it means |
|---|---|
| Component type | The category of cost component, such as metal, gemstone, labor, packaging, freight, service, or overhead. |
| Component name | The specific component the rate applies to. |
| Rate source | Where the rate came from, such as manual entry, a supplier price list, an internal price sheet, or a market feed. |
| Currency | The currency used for the rate. |
| Rate basis | The unit basis for the rate. |
| Rate price | The price stored for the selected currency and rate basis. |
| Source details | Supporting source information, when the selected rate source requires it. |
| Effective date and time | When the profile should start being used. |
| Status | Whether the profile is active or inactive. |
| Internal notes | Optional context for your team, such as supplier references, approval comments, pricing assumptions, or finance notes. |
| Market feed history | A record of fetched market rates, when the profile uses a market feed. |
Only one active profile is allowed for the same component type, component name, currency, and rate basis. This keeps live costing clear and prevents two current rates from competing for the same component.
Rate Sources¶
Choose the rate source that matches how your team received or controls the rate.
| Rate source | Use it when | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Manual | Your team enters the rate directly. | You enter the rate price yourself. |
| Supplier Price List | The rate comes from a supplier price list. | Source details are stored automatically. |
| Internal Price Sheet | The rate comes from your own internal pricing sheet. | Source details are stored automatically. |
| Market Feed | The rate should come from a supported metal market rate. | Loupe Factory fills the rate price automatically from the selected market feed details. |
Market Feed is available only for Metal component types. It is not shown for Rhodium.
Create a Rate Profile¶
To create a component rate profile:
- Open the Component Rate Center.
- Click Create Rate Profile.
- Choose the Component Type.
- Choose or enter the Component Name.
- Select the Rate Source.
- Select the Currency and Rate Basis.
- Enter the Rate Price, or let Market Feed fill it automatically.
- Add source details when they are shown.
- Add optional internal notes.
- Choose an Effective Date and Time.
- Set the profile to Active or Inactive.
- Save the profile.
The effective date and time must be current or future. Past effective times cannot be selected in the modal.
New profiles default to Active.
Component Name Behavior¶
Component names are handled differently based on the component type.
- For Metals and Gemstones, select the component name from the catalog. This keeps rates consistent across profiles.
- For other component types, enter a clear custom component name that your team will recognize.
Use names that match how your team talks about costs in daily work. Clear names make profiles easier to find later and reduce the chance of applying the wrong rate to inventory.
Market Feed Profiles¶
Market Feed profiles are designed for supported metal rates.
When Metal is selected, the modal can display supported market rate options based on the component name, selected currency, and rate basis. Supported names include gold alloys, silver alloys, platinum, palladium, and selected base metals.
When a supported metal component is selected, Loupe Factory shows the related market feed rate options for the selected currency and rate basis.
For Market Feed profiles:
- The Rate Price is filled automatically.
- The user selects the Rate Source Authority.
- The Rate Key is shown only when the selected authority has more than one available rate key.
- Single-key authorities, such as Spot, are selected automatically.
- Active Market Feed profiles refresh every 24 hours.
- Each automatic refresh uses 1 AI credit.
- Every fetched market rate is recorded in rate history.
Tip
Use Market Feed when you want supported metal rates to stay current without manual re-entry. Use Manual, Supplier Price List, or Internal Price Sheet when the rate should stay tied to a specific entered or approved source.
Supported Market Feed Metals¶
The Create Rate Profile modal currently supports Market Feed live rates for the following metal component names.
| Component Rate Profile Metal | Base Market Metal | Supported Rate Authorities |
|---|---|---|
| Fine Gold (24K) | Gold | Spot, IBJA, LBMA, MCX |
| Gold 22K (916) | Gold | Spot, IBJA, LBMA, MCX |
| Gold 18K (750) | Gold | Spot, IBJA, LBMA, MCX |
| Gold 14K (585) | Gold | Spot, IBJA, LBMA, MCX |
| Gold 10K (417) | Gold | Spot, IBJA, LBMA, MCX |
| Gold 9K (375) | Gold | Spot, IBJA, LBMA, MCX |
| Sterling Silver (925) | Silver | Spot, LBMA, MCX |
| Fine Silver (999) | Silver | Spot, LBMA, MCX |
| Britannia Silver (958) | Silver | Spot, LBMA, MCX |
| Platinum (950) | Platinum | Spot, LBMA |
| Palladium (950) | Palladium | Spot, LBMA |
| Aluminum | Aluminum | Spot, LME |
| Copper | Copper | Spot, LME |
| Lead | Lead | Spot, LME |
| Nickel | Nickel | Spot, LME |
| Zinc | Zinc | Spot, LME |
The Base Market Metal explains which live metal rate is used as the market reference. For example, gold karat profiles use Gold as the base market metal, while Sterling Silver uses Silver.
Rate Key Options¶
Rate key options depend on the selected authority. If an authority has only one available key, Loupe Factory selects it automatically. If more than one key is available, the modal asks the user to choose.
Common rate key options include:
- Gold LBMA: LBMA Gold PM, LBMA Gold AM
- Gold MCX: MCX Spot Gold PM, MCX Spot Gold AM, MCX Gold Futures
- Silver MCX: MCX Spot Silver PM, MCX Spot Silver AM, MCX Silver Futures
- Platinum LBMA: LBMA Platinum PM, LBMA Platinum AM
- Palladium LBMA: LBMA Palladium PM, LBMA Palladium AM
- LME metals: LME Aluminum 3M, LME Copper 3M, LME Lead 3M, LME Nickel 3M, LME Zinc 3M
When Market Feed Is Not Shown¶
Market Feed appears only when the selected profile can use a supported live metal rate.
The Market Feed option is hidden when:
- the selected Component Type is not Metal
- the selected metal component name is not supported for Market Feed
- the selected metal is Rhodium
Rhodium is available as a Metal component name, but Market Feed is not offered for Rhodium currently. Use Manual, Supplier Price List, or Internal Price Sheet when you need to store a Rhodium rate.
Effective Date and Time¶
The modal displays effective date and time using your organization's time zone and date format.
The effective date controls when the profile should start being used. For active Market Feed profiles, refreshes follow the effective time and then continue every 24 hours.
Active and Inactive Profiles¶
Use profile status to control whether a rate should be treated as current.
| Status | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Active | Use for profiles that can be used for live component costing. |
| Inactive | Use for profiles that should remain saved for reference but should not be used as current live rates. |
Deactivate a profile when a rate is no longer current but your team still needs to keep the historical context.
Notes and Audit Context¶
Notes are optional. Use them for internal context that helps another user understand why a rate exists or how it was approved.
Good notes can include:
- supplier references
- approval comments
- pricing assumptions
- finance notes
- renewal or review reminders
When a profile is created, Loupe Factory records creation details along with the user context for auditability.
Link the Profile Before Using It¶
A component rate profile is a reusable rate record. It becomes part of inventory costing only after it is linked to a cost component on an inventory item.
Before expecting a rate to affect inventory, confirm that:
- the profile is saved
- the profile is active when it should be used for live costing
- the profile is linked to the correct inventory cost component
- the component type, component name, currency, and rate basis match the intended inventory cost use
Next Steps¶
- Inventory Management: Review how inventory items are added, edited, and managed.
- Security and Access: Understand which roles can see or manage inventory pricing and related records.
- AI Credits & Billing: Learn how AI credits are tracked for AI-powered workflows.