A manufacturer or importer with five mattress models does not automatically pay five times as much as someone with one model. The cost is mainly determined by how much data per model actually differs, and how much of that has already been recorded once for the entire product line. Material composition, manufacturing process, and certifications are largely the same across many model ranges; dimensions, firmness grade, and sometimes the origin of a specific component do differ.
That is why the cost structure usually works in two tiers: a basis that is set up once for your company and your product line, and a supplement per model or variant that mainly consists of filling in the differing data and generating your own QR data carrier. The more models that share the same underlying structure, the smaller the share per model. For a current overview of rates you can view the current prices.
What must be documented separately per model
The regulation requires product information that the user and the supervisory authority can consult, not a passport per mattress sold but per product model or variant. A model with a different core filling, a different firmness grade, or a different format counts as a separate variant as a rule, even if the exterior and the brand remain the same. This means that a series of, for example, three firmness grades within one mattress line requires its own set of data three times, even if ninety percent of the underlying information is identical.
Which characteristics precisely count as a separate variant depends on the definitions in the regulation and the delegated act that is expected for it. Until that act is in place, this distinction has not yet been detailed. On the knowledge bank by subject you can see how this concept develops further once there is more clarity.
Why data reuse reduces costs
The bulk of the work is usually not in the data entry itself, but in gathering the source data: supplier declarations, test reports, material composition. Once that data has been provided for one model in a line, it can often be largely reused for the other models, provided the underlying materials and manufacturing process are the same. This not only saves time in setup, but also in keeping it current.
Conversely, the more a company works with different suppliers per model, or with mattresses sold under different brands but from the same factory, the more separate administration is required. This also touches on the question of who fulfills which role in the chain, and which party must provide which data. With a few questions you can see roughly where your situation stands, before you speak with a supplier or service provider.
What is one-time and what recurs per model
One-time, regardless of the number of models, is usually the setup of the company account, the link with your trade register and VAT data, and the structure in which data is provided. Per model or variant there is usually added: the specific product data, your own QR data carrier, and the management of changes that affect only that model, such as an adjusted filling or a new test result.
Who precisely determines which data is mandatory and which is voluntary differs per part of the regulation and is partly still to be filled in by the delegated act expected for mattresses. Until then, it cannot be said with certainty which fields must be maintained separately for each model and which may remain generic.
What is not included in the base fee
Costs that often remain separate are, for example, having missing test reports drawn up, translating data for sales in multiple EU countries, and modifications that fall outside a regular update, such as an urgent correction after a changed certification. These are not costs of the passport itself, but of the underlying documentation that the regulation requires.
How such a process works in practice and where the information comes from is described on the page on how the data is created. For questions that are not product-specific but concern the process itself, the answer can often be found in the frequently asked questions.
Would you like an indication for your own situation, with your number of models and variants? The free quick-scan provides an initial direction in a few questions, without needing an account.