When someone asks me why DINQ is a pre-order rather than a regular in-stock purchase, I appreciate the question. It deserves a straight answer: how the model works, why we chose it, and what it actually means for you as a customer.
How the Pre-Order Model Works
DINQ sells via a founding member pre-order with a minimum threshold. The sequence is simple:
- You pre-order the DINQ Founding Member Bundle at founding member pricing
- We collect orders until April 30, 2026
- If we reach 150 orders, we trigger production, and paddles get manufactured and shipped to everyone
- If we don’t reach 150 orders, every order gets a full automatic refund
You pay upfront to lock the founding member price. If we hit the threshold, you get the bundle. If we don’t, you get your money back automatically: no chasing, no admin, just the refund processed and returned.
Why We Use This Model
Honest pricing without the retail markup
Traditional retail has a lot of costs baked into the price: distribution margins, retailer markups, warehousing, unsold stock risk. A brand that holds inventory has to price for all of those costs, often 50-100% above what the product actually costs to make and ship.
The pre-order model lets us remove all of that. No inventory sitting in a warehouse. No distributor margin. No retailer markup. We manufacture exactly what’s been ordered, ship it, and the price reflects the real cost.
That’s how DINQ can offer T700 carbon fibre at AUD $147 when American brands with the same spec are landing in Australia at $250+. It’s not a discount. It’s the real price when you remove the overhead.
We’re founder-led, not VC-funded
I built DINQ because I play almost every day and I couldn’t find APAC-native carbon fibre gear priced for this market. This isn’t a brand backed by a round of investment that can afford to manufacture 10,000 units on speculation.
The pre-order model is the right way to start a brand like this: validate demand, manufacture what’s been ordered, deliver on the promise. It’s more honest than pretending we have stock we don’t have, or manufacturing at scale and hoping we sell.
Founding member pricing is genuinely different from retail
Once the first production run ships, retail pricing goes up, materially. We can’t sustain founding member pricing indefinitely once we’re holding inventory, running ongoing marketing, and operating at retail scale.
Founding member pricing is a one-time thing. If you’re reading this before the campaign closes, it’s available. After April 30, it isn’t.
What’s the Actual Risk?
This is the question I’d ask if I were the customer.
Your money is safe. If we don’t reach 150 orders, you get a full automatic refund. You don’t need to contact us, request anything, or wait for a decision. The refund happens automatically. You are not at risk of losing your money.
Your information is secure. Payments are processed through Airwallex, a licensed payment service provider regulated in multiple jurisdictions. We never see your card details directly.
The only real scenario where you ‘lose’ is if you’d rather have the money back now than wait. That’s a reasonable preference. Some people don’t want capital tied up in a pre-order for two to three months. That’s entirely fair and it’s why I’m explaining this clearly rather than hiding it.
Why 150 Orders?
150 is the minimum order quantity (MOQ) that triggers a production run with our manufacturer. Below that number, the per-unit cost becomes too high to maintain the founding member pricing. Above it, the economics work and we can deliver the product at the price we’ve promised.
We’ve been conservative with this number. 150 is achievable with focused community support; it’s not a million-unit moonshot. The pickleball community across APAC is large enough that 150 committed early adopters is a realistic target.
What You’re Locking In
Founding member price:
| Market | Price |
|---|---|
| Australia | AUD $147 |
| New Zealand | NZD $159 |
| Malaysia | MYR 330 |
| Singapore | SGD $119 |
| Vietnam | 1,950,000 VND |
Retail pricing (post-launch, once founding round closes):
| Market | Price |
|---|---|
| Australia | AUD $165+ |
| New Zealand | NZD $179+ |
| Malaysia | MYR 450+ |
| Singapore | SGD $149+ |
The gap is real. Pre-ordering locks the founding price. Waiting doesn’t save you money; it costs more.
The Bundle
For the founding member price, you get the complete DINQ bundle:
- 1 × T700 carbon fibre paddle: USAPA approved, 16mm EPP foam core, 8.0-8.3 oz
- 1 × 6-pack outdoor pickleball balls: 40-hole seamless tournament spec
- 1 × Premium carry bag plus branded box
Free shipping across Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Why Pre-Order
- Price locks now: retail goes higher after April 30
- Zero risk: full automatic refund if we don’t hit 150 orders
- Complete bundle: paddle, balls, and bag in one purchase
- APAC pricing: not American import pricing
Pre-order the DINQ Founding Member Bundle
I play almost every day. I built this bundle because the gear I wanted for APAC players didn’t exist at a price that made sense. The pre-order model is how we make the pricing honest. Happy to answer any questions; find me on Instagram or email hello@dinq.shop.
— Rimaha, DINQ founder