By
·
6 minute read
Wondering how to sell on Etsy? Create a free Etsy account, open your Etsy shop, list your first products, then set up payments and shipping. This guide covers how to start an Etsy shop step by step, how much it costs to sell on Etsy, the best things to sell on Etsy, and how to ship on Etsy for beginners. Once orders pick up, a multi-carrier shipping platform and ready-made marketplace integrations can take care of the repetitive shipping work for you.
Key Takeaways
- You can open an Etsy shop for free, but every listing costs $0.20 and every sale carries a 6.5% transaction fee plus payment processing.
- Etsy only allows handmade items, vintage pieces (20+ years old), craft supplies and digital products.
- Photos, titles and tags drive Etsy SEO, so treat every listing like a search result.
- You don't need a business license to sell on Etsy, but local tax and business rules still apply.
- Shipping is where most Etsy sellers lose time and margin: plan your shipping profiles before your first sale.
How does selling on Etsy work?
Etsy is an online marketplace for unique goods: you list items, buyers find them through Etsy search, and Etsy takes a fee on each sale. In its Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Etsy reported around 87 million active buyers, and the Etsy marketplace has roughly 5.7 million active sellers. Close to half of Etsy sales now happen in the app, so install the Etsy seller app to manage your Etsy shop on the go.
The Etsy online marketplace gives you built-in traffic, in exchange for competition and fees, so treat your shop like a real Etsy business from day one. If you later open your own store on Shopify or WooCommerce, you can connect it to ShippyPro alongside Etsy and ship orders from every channel in one place with ShippyPro's integrations.
What can you sell on Etsy?
Before you work out what to sell on Etsy, check what's allowed. Every Etsy listing must fit one of the categories below, and Etsy asks sellers to be clear about who made or designed each item.
| Category | What qualifies | Popular examples |
|---|---|---|
| Handmade | Items you make or design yourself | Jewellery, candles, ceramics, clothing |
| Vintage | Items at least 20 years old | Etsy vintage clothing, homeware, collectibles |
| Craft supplies | Tools and materials for making things | Beads, fabric, yarn, stickers |
| Digital products | Files the buyer downloads | Printables, planners, Canva templates, art prints |
The best selling items on Etsy include personalised gifts, wall art, jewellery and digital downloads. How to sell digital products on Etsy? Upload the file and Etsy delivers it after purchase, which makes selling digital products on Etsy a popular side hustle with no shipping. The same goes for how to sell printables on Etsy or how to sell Canva templates on Etsy. To sell art on Etsy or sell prints on Etsy, offer a digital and a physical version.
How to sell on Etsy: step by step
Whether you're searching how to open an Etsy shop or how to become an Etsy seller, the steps are the same. This Etsy store setup is easiest on desktop.
Go to Etsy.com/sell, register or sign in, then verify your email and identity.
Choose language, country and currency, then a shop name of up to 20 characters.
Add photos, title, description, price, variations and tags. You can upload up to 20 photos and a video.
Add processing time, origin, destinations and fixed or calculated shipping.
Choose individual or business, then add bank details for Etsy Payments.
Add a card for fees, then customise your Etsy storefront with a banner, logo, About section and policies.
How much does it cost to sell on Etsy?
So, how much does Etsy charge to sell? Opening an Etsy store is free in most countries, although some sellers pay a one-time Etsy shop setup fee. After that, Etsy seller fees add up per listing and per sale. Here are the main Etsy fees, based on Etsy's official Fees & Payments Policy:
| Fee | How much | When you pay it |
|---|---|---|
| Listing fee | $0.20 per listing | When you publish, renew (every 4 months) or sell an item |
| Transaction fee | 6.5% of the total price, including shipping and gift wrap | Every time an item sells |
| Payment processing fee | Varies by country (e.g. 3% + $0.25 in the US, 4% + £0.20 in the UK) | Every order paid through Etsy Payments |
| Offsite Ads fee | 12% or 15% of the order, capped at $100 | Only when a sale comes from an Etsy ad on another site |
| Etsy Ads | Your daily budget | Optional, pay per click |
| Currency conversion | 2.5% | When your listing currency differs from your bank currency |
| Regulatory operating fee | A small percentage, set by country | Only in some countries, including the UK |
The 6.5% transaction fee also applies to shipping. Undercharge for postage and you pay fees on money that goes straight to the carrier.
On a $30 order (before tax), a US seller pays about $1.95 in transaction fees, $1.15 in processing and the $0.20 listing fee. Etsy selling fees UK and EU sellers pay work the same way with local processing rates, plus VAT where it applies.
Product & Resources
Shipping Platform
Import Etsy orders, compare rates and print labels.
Explore the platform →Track & Trace
Filter every parcel by status and spot exceptions early.
Discover Track & Trace →Ship your Etsy orders in a few clicks
Connect your Etsy shop and your carriers, then print every label from one place.
How to sell on Etsy successfully: 5 tips
Running an Etsy shop well is what separates a quiet store from the top sellers on Etsy. These tips for selling on Etsy show how to make money on Etsy over time.
Write listings for Etsy search
Etsy matches search phrases to titles, tags and attributes. Keep titles short and clear with the most important words first, use all 13 tags, fill in every attribute and check Etsy Stats to see which searches bring buyers in.
Take photos that sell
Use natural light, several angles, a scale shot and a lifestyle photo of the product in use.
Price for profit, not just to compete
Add up materials, time, packaging, shipping and fees. Unsure how much to sell on Etsy for? Check similar listings, then price for your quality.
Promote your Etsy shop
To promote your Etsy shop, share listings on Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok, run seasonal sales and test a small Etsy Ads budget. The free Etsy Seller Handbook has more marketing and shipping guides.
Look after every customer
Reply fast, ship on time and add a thank-you note. Good reviews help you rank and can earn a Star Seller badge.
When a listing sells out, renew it rather than creating a new one. A renewed listing keeps its views, favourites and web address for the usual $0.20 fee, while a brand-new listing starts from zero.
How to ship on Etsy
Unless you only sell digital downloads, every Etsy seller is also in the shipping business. The key decisions:
Fixed or calculated shipping: fixed is simpler; calculated charges by weight, size and destination.
Free shipping: you can guarantee free shipping to US buyers on orders of $35 or more, and Etsy gives these listings priority in US search. Build the cost into your item price.
Carriers: compare DHL Express, FedEx, UPS and USPS in the US, or Royal Mail and Evri for an Etsy UK shop.
International orders: buyers abroad mostly see items that ship to their country, so international shipping widens your reach. Add tariff codes for customs.
Etsy's own shipping labels are only available in some countries, such as the US, Canada, the UK and Australia. As Etsy sales grow, buying labels one by one gets slow, and that's where a dedicated shipping platform helps.
With ShippyPro, you connect your Etsy shop in a few steps from the Marketplaces section, using your Etsy credentials. Paid, unshipped orders are imported automatically, so you can select them in bulk, compare rates from your connected carriers and print every label at once. You can also turn on an option that updates Etsy with tracking numbers and marks orders as shipped, as long as your carrier provides tracking. Once parcels leave, Track & Trace helps you follow every delivery.
Do you need a business license to sell on Etsy?
No, Etsy doesn't require an Etsy business license. But local rules still apply: some US states and cities need a license or sales tax permit, and in the UK you may need to register with HMRC once income passes the trading allowance. Sellers in the EU, UK, Norway and Switzerland must also add a VAT number once they reach the local threshold (see Etsy's guide to adding a VAT ID). If in doubt, ask a local accountant.
How do I start selling on Etsy as a beginner?
Create an Etsy account, open an Etsy shop, add your first listings, then set up shipping, payments and billing. Start small and add listings as you learn.
Is it free to sell on Etsy?
Opening an Etsy shop is usually free, but selling isn't: you pay $0.20 per listing, 6.5% per sale and a payment processing fee.
Is selling on Etsy worth it?
For most makers, yes. You reach around 87 million active buyers without building your own traffic, if your prices cover fees and shipping.
What sells best on Etsy?
Personalised gifts, jewellery, home decor, wall art, wedding items and digital products such as printables are among the top selling items on Etsy.
How do I sell on Etsy UK?
Yes. Selling on Etsy UK works the same way, with local currency and UK processing rates. Etsy shipping labels are available to Etsy UK sellers too.
Related Articles
Top fashion marketplaces to sell on
Where fashion and accessories brands sell best.
Read more →Facebook Shops: what it is and how it works
Add a social storefront next to your Etsy shop.
Read more →Spend less time shipping and more time making
Try ShippyPro free for 14 days and connect your Etsy shop in a few steps.
ShippyPro is the complete shipping software for online and offline retail. With Label Creator, Track & Trace, Easy Return and Analytics features, our software simplifies your shipping operations. ShippyPro integrates with over 180 carriers and 80 sales channels, making it compatible with a wide range of products and use cases.
