32 min
[153] The New Etsy Seller Fees – Let’s Compare the Cost… The Create & Thrive Podcast
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- Entrepreneurship
So – Etsy are putting their fees up for the first time in 13 years. And a lot of people are unhappy about it.
I’ve shared my brief thoughts on this already on social, but I thought it would be helpful to put together an episode outlining my thoughts – as well as some financial comparisons so you can make an informed choice on this change.
I’ve researched and compared the fees of Etsy, Shopify, Amazon Handmade, Bigcartel, Ebay, and your own website (using wordpress and woocommerce) to give you a feel for where Etsy stands in the marketplace after these fee changes. (I’ve shared the maths below for you, as well as some comparisons of old/new fees).
In short: I don’t think this is a big deal. Considering Etsy has NEVER put their fees up in 13 years of business, and the fact that it’s a minor increase hasn’t got me worried, personally. I know that’s different for some folks (especially those who sell inexpensive items or supplies) but I share my detailed thoughts on this in the episode below.
My main point for you to take away from this episode: if your price is so low, or your margin is so tight, that this small fee increase will break your business – you need to review your pricing!
If you have feedback or thoughts to share, please do so over on Instagram (look for my post about this @createandthrive) or on Facebook. And if you find this episode useful, please do share it so other people can listen in, as well. Pin an image from the page, or take a screenshot of this post or your podcast app and share it on your IG story.
Love the show? You can show your support by:
* Leaving a review on the C&T FB page.
* Leaving a review on Apple Podcasts.
* Donating a few dollars towards the costs of producing the pod.
* Joining the Thriver Circle – without the members of the Circle, this podcast would not be possible.
Quotes & Highlights from this Episode:
1. I am not overly bothered by the fee increase – it’s small, and still very affordable compared to other venues. It will ALWAYS cost money to do business, it’s about finding the best value for money. Etsy brings me customers. Most of my sales there come from Etsy search, so the work they do to advertise the platform and bring shoppers in works for me, and I’m happy to pay for that. Let’s do a comparison…
Etsy: 20c listing fee. 5% transaction fee. Plans – Plus starting at $10 (going up to $20) (CORRECTION – I believe I may have referred to the Plus plan as the Standard plan in this episode. Etsy will have Standard (free) Plus (as costed here) and Premium (as yet uncosted) plans.)
Amazon Handmade: 12% transaction fee – this may be 15% for some (or min $1 referral fee)? I found details a bit conflicted and hard to come by. $39.99 pm as of Jan 1 2019.
Ebay: 50c listing fee. Up to 9.5% transaction fee. $24.95 pm biz seller (This is Australian and in AUD, all others fees here are in USD)
Shopify: Basic plan is $29 pm (up to 100 listings). CC and other payment gateways like PayPal range from 1.75% to 2.9% and a 30c transaction fee (free if using Shopify payments with stripe).
Bigcartel: Up to 100 products $19.99 pm
So – Etsy are putting their fees up for the first time in 13 years. And a lot of people are unhappy about it.
I’ve shared my brief thoughts on this already on social, but I thought it would be helpful to put together an episode outlining my thoughts – as well as some financial comparisons so you can make an informed choice on this change.
I’ve researched and compared the fees of Etsy, Shopify, Amazon Handmade, Bigcartel, Ebay, and your own website (using wordpress and woocommerce) to give you a feel for where Etsy stands in the marketplace after these fee changes. (I’ve shared the maths below for you, as well as some comparisons of old/new fees).
In short: I don’t think this is a big deal. Considering Etsy has NEVER put their fees up in 13 years of business, and the fact that it’s a minor increase hasn’t got me worried, personally. I know that’s different for some folks (especially those who sell inexpensive items or supplies) but I share my detailed thoughts on this in the episode below.
My main point for you to take away from this episode: if your price is so low, or your margin is so tight, that this small fee increase will break your business – you need to review your pricing!
If you have feedback or thoughts to share, please do so over on Instagram (look for my post about this @createandthrive) or on Facebook. And if you find this episode useful, please do share it so other people can listen in, as well. Pin an image from the page, or take a screenshot of this post or your podcast app and share it on your IG story.
Love the show? You can show your support by:
* Leaving a review on the C&T FB page.
* Leaving a review on Apple Podcasts.
* Donating a few dollars towards the costs of producing the pod.
* Joining the Thriver Circle – without the members of the Circle, this podcast would not be possible.
Quotes & Highlights from this Episode:
1. I am not overly bothered by the fee increase – it’s small, and still very affordable compared to other venues. It will ALWAYS cost money to do business, it’s about finding the best value for money. Etsy brings me customers. Most of my sales there come from Etsy search, so the work they do to advertise the platform and bring shoppers in works for me, and I’m happy to pay for that. Let’s do a comparison…
Etsy: 20c listing fee. 5% transaction fee. Plans – Plus starting at $10 (going up to $20) (CORRECTION – I believe I may have referred to the Plus plan as the Standard plan in this episode. Etsy will have Standard (free) Plus (as costed here) and Premium (as yet uncosted) plans.)
Amazon Handmade: 12% transaction fee – this may be 15% for some (or min $1 referral fee)? I found details a bit conflicted and hard to come by. $39.99 pm as of Jan 1 2019.
Ebay: 50c listing fee. Up to 9.5% transaction fee. $24.95 pm biz seller (This is Australian and in AUD, all others fees here are in USD)
Shopify: Basic plan is $29 pm (up to 100 listings). CC and other payment gateways like PayPal range from 1.75% to 2.9% and a 30c transaction fee (free if using Shopify payments with stripe).
Bigcartel: Up to 100 products $19.99 pm
32 min