White label sits one notch below private label on the customization spectrum. The factory has built a finished SKU — formula locked, packaging locked, fill weight locked — and they sell that SKU to anyone with a logo and a purchase order. Your only customization is the label artwork.

Typical white-label MOQs: capsules 100-1,000 bottles, skincare 250-2,500 units, pet treats 500-2,000 bags. Lead times can be as short as 2-4 weeks because the goods are often in stock waiting for labels. Cost per unit is usually slightly higher than private label at equivalent volume because the manufacturer prices in the convenience.

White label makes sense when you're testing market demand, building out a category quickly, or running a creator-led brand where the moat is audience, not product. It is the default model for most Amazon-first supplement brands under $1M revenue.

The hard limit: you cannot differentiate on formula. If your brand promise is "we have a better ingredient deck than the competition," white label cannot deliver on that promise. You need private label with formula customization or contract manufacturing with a proprietary formula.