Quick answer
On Etsy, the seller packs and ships every order, sets a shipping price and a processing time in each listing, and must ship within 30 days of purchase unless the processing time says otherwise. US sellers can buy USPS labels inside Etsy for both domestic and international addresses, priced by the origin, destination, weight, and dimensions of the package. Etsy also charges its 6.5% transaction fee on the shipping you charge, not only on the item.
Nation, an AI store builder, publishes this page. It is pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai, so it is not in any fee comparison. See where Nation fits.
How Etsy shipping works
Etsy does not ship anything for you. Under Etsy's Shipping Policy, you pack and send every order, you state your shipping costs and processing times in each listing, and you ship each item within 30 days of purchase unless your processing time or a message with the buyer sets a different period. Ship to the address the buyer gave at checkout, and mark the order as shipped when it goes out. A label bought on Etsy automatically marks your order as shipped.
Everything else on this page hangs off five settings and tools. The table shows what each one controls and where it lives in your shop.
Shipping profiles: set your rates once
A shipping profile is a saved set of shipping rules you attach to listings. It holds where you ship from, where you ship to, the price for each destination, any faster upgrades, and the processing time. Etsy allows one shipping profile per listing, and editing a profile updates every listing it is applied to, so one change to a profile reprices every listing that uses it.
Set a rate for every country you want to sell to. Etsy notes that many buyers only see Etsy listings that ship to their country, so a profile with no international rates hides your listings from most buyers abroad.
- Fixed rates: you type a price for one item and for each additional item. In a mixed cart Etsy charges the most expensive One item price, plus each Additional item price.
- Calculated rates: Etsy sets the price per order. This is open to US or Canada-based sellers who ship with USPS or Canada Post.
- Upgrades: a faster service the buyer can pick at checkout. Fixed upgrades add to the base rate: a $5 base rate with a $10 upgrade charges the buyer $15.
- Blocked countries: shipping profiles can stop listings being sold in specific countries. Watch the destination called Everywhere Else: a listing set to ship to Everywhere Else ships worldwide.
- Heavy or bulky items such as furniture: Etsy suggests you ask buyers for a shipping quote, then create a custom listing.
Not sure what to charge? US sellers can check rates with UPS, USPS or FedEx in the Etsy Shipping Calculator before setting a profile.
Etsy shipping labels: how to buy and print one
US sellers can buy and print USPS labels from the Etsy shop, and sellers in the United States, Canada, UK, and Australia can buy labels on Etsy from their carriers. The steps below follow Etsy Help for a US seller using USPS.
Open the order
In Shop Manager, go to Orders, find the order and select the van icon to start a shipping label.
Check both addresses
Confirm the Shipping from address and the buyer's Ship to address. Select Edit next to either one if it needs a change before you buy.
Enter package details
Add the package weight, package type and length, width and height. You can save these as a preset so they fill in on future labels.
Add customs details for orders abroad
For an international label you must supply the weight, value, and an accurate customs description for each item. Etsy fills in some of it from the listing, and you correct anything that is wrong.
Pick the service and buy
Choose a delivery service, review the summary and select Purchase. Once the purchase is done, a shipping notification is sent to your buyer and the order moves to Complete.
Print and attach
Download and print the label, then attach it to the package. Our guide to printing shipping labels covers paper, printers and placement.
What Etsy shipping labels cost, and the rules that come with them
A label's price depends on the origin, destination, weight, and dimensions of the package. When you buy USPS labels on Etsy you may receive discounted volume shipping rates, and Etsy says there are no additional membership fees beyond its standard fees. If you add signature confirmation or insurance are added to the total cost of the label at the point of purchase. The label cost is yours, not the buyer's, and appears in your Payment account.
Weigh and measure carefully. If what you enter does not match what USPS measures, USPS refunds the difference if you overestimated, or charges you if you underestimated. USPS also charges an extra $4 for package types that need special handling, and if the label missed it, a price adjustment may be issued at a later date. For small, heavy items, USPS cubic pricing can be cheaper: a package's cubic feet are its length times width times height in inches, divided by 1,728.
Etsy Help also notes a temporary 8% rate increase for select shipping services, expected to last through January 17, 2027. Check the label price on the order page before you buy rather than relying on an old rate card.
- Pickups: you can book a USPS pickup from Etsy; at least one order must ship with a USPS premium service, and the weight limit is 70 pounds per package.
- Expiry: labels expire if not used within a time frame set by your selected mail carrier. You can request a refund for unused, unscanned labels, then buy a new one.
- Use: Etsy's Shipping Policy says labels will only be used to ship corresponding Etsy orders, and they may not be transferred or sold to a third party.
Etsy shipping costs: what you pay and what the buyer pays
Two different costs get called shipping on Etsy. The buyer pays the shipping price you set in the profile. You pay the carrier for postage, either through a label bought on Etsy or at the post office. Your margin on shipping is the gap between the two, minus Etsy's fees.
Etsy's fees reach the shipping you charge. The transaction fee is 6.5% of the item price plus the amount you charge for shipping and gift wrapping, and payment processing of 3% + $0.25 is charged on the total amount of the sale, including tax and shipping. So a shipping price that only covers postage leaves you short by those fees on every order.
Example: an item listed at $20 with $5 shipping. Etsy's transaction fee is charged on the full $25, and processing on $25 plus any sales tax. If postage costs you $5, you lose the fees on that $5. Our guide on how much to charge for shipping walks through setting a price that covers both.
Calculated or fixed shipping
Fixed shipping means you type one price per destination. It is simple, is open to sellers outside the US and Canada, and suits items of similar size. Calculated shipping lets Etsy price each order from the package and the buyer's address. It is open to US or Canada-based sellers who ship with USPS or Canada Post, and Etsy notes it isn't possible to set discounted rates for listings with calculated shipping.
Our Etsy calculated shipping guide covers the setup, package sizes and combined orders in detail, so this page does not repeat it.
Free shipping on Etsy
Free shipping on Etsy means the buyer pays nothing for shipping at checkout and you build the postage into the item price. A free shipping guarantee applies to your entire shop and gives US buyers free shipping on an item or an order of $35 USD and up. Free shipping does not remove the fees: they are charged on the higher item price instead.
Our Etsy free shipping guide explains the guarantee, the smart pricing tool and when free shipping pays off.
Etsy international shipping
To sell abroad, add each country or region to your shipping profile with its own rate. When you buy an international label on Etsy, it serves as both your shipping label and customs form. Customs details include item descriptions, values and country of origin, and under Etsy's Shipping Policy you are solely responsible for the accuracy of all information you provide to customs authorities. Package weights for customs are rounded up to the nearest whole number.
Who pays import charges depends on the shipping model. With Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU), buyers pay any tariffs, duties, taxes and carrier handling fees when the order arrives. With Delivered Duty Paid (DDP), you prepay them when you buy the label and can price them into the order.
- Orders into the United States: Etsy's Shipping Policy, effective July 9, 2026, says to use a Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) shipping method. DDP is required for US-bound orders to qualify for Etsy Purchase Protection.
- Carriers paused for US-bound packages: Etsy has suspended label purchases for Australia Post, Canada Post, and Evri.
- Carriers paused for parts of the EU: as of July 1, 2026, Canada Post and USPS labels are temporarily unavailable for certain EU destinations. Etsy says Global Postal Shipping labels remain available for US sellers.
Customs and duty rules change by country and carrier. Check the carrier's own requirements for the destination before you send a parcel abroad.
Processing times, ship-by dates and delivery estimates
The delivery date a buyer sees on Etsy comes from two things you control: the processing time and the shipping service. The processing time is how long you need before the parcel leaves, including making a custom item. Processing starts the day after the item is purchased, and your order processing schedule decides whether weekends and holidays count.
The ship-by date is the end of the longest processing time in an order. You need to mark the order as shipped by 11:59pm on the ship date, in your shop's time zone, and a ship-by date on a Sunday or postal holiday moves to the next business day. If an item has no processing time, the buyer sees no ship-by date at checkout.
Shipping on time feeds the Star Seller badge. One of its standards is that 95% of orders ship on time, with valid tracking or a shipping label purchased on Etsy. Eligibility is reviewed on the 1st of every month, based on the past 3 months. Etsy says the badges do not directly impact your search ranking, but buyers can see them on your shop.
Where Nation fits
Nation
Category: an AI store builder
Nation says one description of what you make builds the store, then agents handle orders, customers and delivery and run ads, content and social posts, with you approving the work. Because pricing is not announced yet, it is not compared with Etsy on this page.
Limits today
- Status: pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai.
- Pricing and fees: not announced yet.
- Shopper marketplace: no shopper marketplace has been announced.
- Track record: no independent reviews or public stores yet.
Nation publishes this page. Nation is not compared with Etsy here until signup is public and pricing is published.
Describe what you makeQuestions about Etsy shipping
How do Etsy shipping labels work?
Etsy shipping labels are bought from the order page in Shop Manager and paid from your Etsy payment account. US sellers can buy and print USPS labels from the Etsy shop for both domestic and international addresses. The price depends on the origin, destination, weight, and dimensions of the package, and buying the label marks the order as shipped and notifies the buyer.
Does Etsy charge fees on shipping costs?
Etsy charges fees on the shipping price you set. The transaction fee is 6.5% of the item price plus the amount you charge for shipping and gift wrapping, and payment processing of 3% + $0.25 is charged on the total amount of the sale, including tax and shipping. A shipping price that only covers postage leaves those fees uncovered.
How do I ship internationally on Etsy?
Etsy international shipping starts with adding each destination and its rate to your shipping profile. When an order comes in, buy an international label with customs details or use another carrier. Orders into the US should use a DDP method, because DDP is required for US-bound orders to qualify for Etsy Purchase Protection. You are responsible for accurate customs information.
How long do I have to ship an Etsy order?
An Etsy order must ship by the ship-by date set by your processing time. If you set no processing time, Etsy's Shipping Policy expects you to ship within 30 days of purchase. You must mark the order as shipped by 11:59pm on the ship date, and you must get your buyer's agreement before you extend the processing time.
Do I have to buy shipping labels through Etsy?
Buying shipping labels through Etsy is optional. You can buy postage from the carrier or a post office and mark the order as shipped with its tracking details instead. Labels bought on Etsy mark the order as shipped automatically, and the Star Seller standard asks that 95% of orders ship on time, with valid tracking or a shipping label purchased on Etsy, when required.