Published 2026-09-12 · DIYCarPlay Engineering Team

What a Private Label CarPlay Programme Actually Includes

"Private label" is used loosely in this trade. For one supplier it means a sticker on the box. For another it means your brand on the device, the packaging, the manual, the boot screen and the firmware interface. The price difference between the two interpretations is small; the difference in what you can sell is not, because the second one is a product line and the first one is a rebadged commodity.

What should be in scope

• The device itself — your logo on the housing, or on the label where the housing is not suitable for printing.
• The retail box — artwork to your design, with print proofing before production rather than after.
• The manual and warranty card — under your brand, in your language, with your support details rather than ours.
• The boot logo and firmware UI — what appears on screen when the module starts. This is the part customers see most often and the part most suppliers leave out.
• Packaging accessories — cables, brackets and any printed insert, matching the same brand treatment.

What is usually outside a standard private label run

Custom hardware — a different connector layout, an additional video input, a revised board — is a development project rather than a labelling exercise, and it carries its own MOQ and lead time. Custom firmware behaviour beyond the boot logo and the UI skin falls in the same category. If you need either, raise it as a development question rather than assuming it is included in the private label price.

The five points to pin down before you commit

1. MOQ per model, not overall. A total minimum that applies across a mixed order is far more useful to you than a per-model minimum on each SKU. Ours is stated per model on the wholesale page — read it as per model and plan accordingly.
2. Sample approval before mass production. You should see and test a finished unit in your packaging before the run starts. Anything else is a gamble on artwork and firmware.
3. Who owns the artwork. Confirm that the design you supply stays yours and is not reused. Confirm the reverse too: that your supplier will not sell the same configuration to another brand in your market.
4. Firmware update path. If your customers need a firmware update, can they get it under your brand, or does it arrive with someone else's name on it? The answer determines whether your brand is credible after the sale.
5. Discretion. If your positioning requires that the product carries no trace of the manufacturer, confirm that units can ship with no supplier marking on the device, box or manual.

Lead time expectations

Private label adds a packaging and approval cycle on top of stock production. Plan for the sample and proofing stage explicitly rather than treating it as part of the production window — it is usually the stage that slips, and it slips because of artwork sign-off rather than manufacturing. Our published lead times are on the wholesale page; treat them as starting after your artwork and sample are approved.

For the procurement side — verification, inspection and trade terms — see supplier verification and Incoterms.

Related Resources

• CarPlay Collections — browse by marque family (German, British, Italian, Japanese, luxury)
• CarPlay Fitment Checker — find the module for your car
• CarPlay Decoder FAQ — 34 answers on compatibility, install and wholesale
• CarPlay Retrofit Buying Guide — platform identification & selection
• Wholesale, Private Label & OEM Program — MOQ, lead times, payment terms
• All installation & technical guides

Official Platform References

• Apple — official CarPlay overview
• Apple — CarPlay available models list
• Apple Support — setting up CarPlay in your vehicle
• Google — Android Auto official site
• Android for Cars — developer documentation