Learning how to offer free shipping on Etsy is a proven method to attract more buyers. Some top marketplaces for selling products, like Amazon Prime and Walmart, have free 2-day shipping. Hence, customers are expecting more free shipping. Plus, the primary reason why people abandon their shopping carts on Etsy is due to the shipping costs. So, offering free shipping on Etsy has become a must for sellers on this platform. Then, how to add free shipping on Etsy?
This article will help you find the answer. We’ll discuss:
- Why should I offer free shipping on Etsy?
- How to offer free shipping on Etsy?
- How to set up Etsy free shipping guarantee?
- How to create shipping profiles to offer free shipping on Etsy?
Don’t wait for anymore. Check it out now to learn how to offer free shipping on Etsy with easy steps.
Why Should I Offer Free Shipping on Etsy?
Is it better to offer free shipping on Etsy? Many online retailers now include free delivery for almost every item they sell. It is true when it comes to best selling platforms like Etsy. However, before starting to learn how to offer free shipping on Etsy, it’s worth weighing the pros and cons of this option for your business.
Pros
- Enhances the appeal of your listing to customers
It’s no surprise shoppers love free shipping. When you offer free shipping on Etsy, your listings showcase a free shipping tag in search results. This simple move makes your products much more appealing to buyers on the search result pages.
- Elevates your search ranking
Since July 2019, Etsy has implemented a search function that prioritizes product listings offering free shipping and shops that guarantee shipping for orders exceeding $35. As a result, if you offer Etsy free shipping, your listings receive increased exposure compared to competitors who do not provide it.
- Provides a simple purchasing journey
Simplifying the purchase journey for your customers should be a priority. You can consider combining all costs when pricing your products, including shipping costs. This transparent pricing will eliminate any confusion or surprises during the checkout process.
As an Etsy seller, you might also want to read:
Cons
- Involves a complex pricing process
Pricing products and shipping correctly on Etsy is quite complex due to fluctuating domestic/international delivery rates. Failing to calculate shipping costs accurately can result in long-term losses. To avoid any complications, you better thoroughly research Etsy free shipping costs across different destinations.
- Incurs costs related to returns
While returns may not occur frequently, they can be costly. Therefore, it’s important to factor in the costs of providing free return shipping when pricing your product. In this scenario, we suggest adding return fees to your product’s prices or requesting that customers cover the postage expenses. Be sure to accurize return policies to clarify with your shoppers.
How to Offer Free Shipping on Etsy?
How do you offer free shipping on Etsy? There are several ways you can employ to do that. Keep on reading for more details.
How to offer free shipping on Etsy without losing money?
An easy way to offer free shipping is to include Etsy shipping fee in your product prices. Depending on your shop’s needs, you can choose if shoppers in your nation or globally get free shipping.
- For regular orders from the US, if you want to offer free delivery automatically, you better include shipping costs in the prices of all products.
- If you want flexibility in setting rates case by case, you can make different shipping profiles so you can customize charges as needed.
For example, selling a product for $35 normally costs $5 to ship. By upping the item price to $40 total, you include the delivery expense without needing a separate shipping charge. This bundled pricing recoups your transportation costs while providing free shipping to the customer.
How to set free shipping on Etsy?
How does free shipping work on Etsy? To align with the shipping price expectations of buyers, Etsy provides three adaptable options that enable sellers to offer free shipping to both local and international customers. They are:
- Provide Etsy free shipping in shipping profiles;
- Set up the Etsy free shipping guarantee;
- Offer free Etsy shipping code.
To learn more about how to offer free shipping on Etsy via these three options, scroll down to the next parts.
How to Create Shipping Profiles to Offer Free Shipping on Etsy?
If you wish to provide free shipping for all orders from your shop, you have the option to utilize free shipping profiles. Saved shipping profiles allow merchants to conveniently apply matching delivery settings to multiple listings simultaneously. If any adjustments are made to a profile, all associated listings will be automatically updated with the changes simultaneously. This synchronized updating saves you time when you need to turn on or off free shipping settings across numerous items.
Here’s how to offer free shipping on Etsy with delivery profiles:
- Access the Shop Manager, then go to Settings. From there, navigate to Shipping settings.
- Select Add profile to create a new one and provide the required profile info. Alternatively, you can choose the Edit option next to an existing profile you wish to modify for free delivery.
- Choose Free shipping from the What you’ll charge dropdown at the location you want to offer it.
- If free shipping will be country-specific, manually enter fixed prices for the others. You can add the country you want to have different shipping settings by clicking Add another location. Select the Fixed price option from the What you’ll charge dropdown and enter fixed prices.
- Lastly, save the updated profile.
If you want to modify free delivery profiles on your listing, follow these steps:
- Access your Shop Manager, then go to the Listings page.
- If updating every listing, check the top selection box. For some items, tap the individual boxes below those you want changed.
- Choose Editing options, then pick Change shipping profile. Select the free delivery profile you created.
- Finally, press Apply to complete the profile update across the selected listings in a quick, bulk manner.
In case you want to know more details about Etsy shipping profile, you can read our guide on how to ship with Etsy.
How to Set up Etsy Free Shipping Guarantee?
If you want to know how to change free shipping on Etsy automatically for any order totally priced from $35, Etsy Free Shipping Guarantee is what you need.
What is Etsy Free Shipping Guarantee?
The Etsy Free Shipping Guarantee is a feature that Etsy sellers can enable on their shops to offer free shipping to US buyers under certain qualifying criteria.
Specifically, the Free Shipping Guarantee provides complimentary delivery in the US for:
- Individual items are priced at $35 or more.
- Total orders worth $35 or more.
Any new listings an Etsy seller creates priced over $35 will automatically qualify for free shipping to US buyers once this feature is turned on.
The Free Shipping Guarantee applies to domestic and international US sellers shipping to the US. It helps Etsy sellers compete with big retailers that offer free shipping minimums. However, shipping prices for other countries are not altered.
Enabling this feature streamlines the free shipping offer for qualifying US orders while sellers retain control over other shipping profiles and options. Then, how to set up free shipping over $35 on Etsy?
How to do free shipping on Etsy with Etsy free shipping guarantee?
Here are the steps on how to offer free shipping on Etsy by enabling a free shipping guarantee in your Etsy shop:
1. Access your Shop Manager via your Etsy account.
2. Select the Settings option.
3. Choose Shipping settings
4. Click on the Free shipping guarantee tab.
5. Select Next and then Set free shipping.
You can disable the free shipping guarantee from this same tab as well. After enabling free shipping, you can use Etsy’s smart pricing tool to automatically adjust listing prices for items $35+ to recover shipping costs. Adjusting prices this way will not be undone if you later disable free shipping.
You can also use shipping profiles to recover shipping costs, including shipping prices for international orders or offering free shipping for all orders from your shop.
Let’s take the example of a crochet tote bag priced at $45. And the Etsy shipping fee for it to the US is $10. Since your product qualifies for a free shipping guarantee, customers will not be charged any shipping fees when they order this bag whose price exceeds $35. So, if you don’t want to decrease your profit margin, you better list the product at $55 ($45 + $10).
If you are uncertain about the calculations, you can use the Etsy smart pricing tool to assist you.
How to use the smart pricing tool when offering Etsy free shipping guarantee?
The smart pricing tool is an Etsy feature that helps modify item prices in bulk to offset the expenses associated with providing free shipping. You can use this tool if:
- Your shop is based in the United States
- You haven’t already implemented free shipping for items priced at $35 or higher.
- You have set up the free shipping guarantee.
Here is a guide for Etsy sellers who intend to adjust their item prices using the Etsy free shipping calculator:
- Begin by setting up a free shipping guarantee for your shop.
- Click on Edit item prices.
- On the Edit item prices page, choose whether you want to modify the item prices for items priced at $35 and above to recover postage costs.
- Proceed to the next tab.
- The Etsy free shipping calculator also allows you to recover postage costs on orders that include items under $35, which are delivered for free. You have two options: You can select the amount calculated by Etsy’s data analysts to recover delivery costs over time gradually, or you can choose to retain your current prices.
- Click on Review & Edit.
- Under each item image, you will find the new list price you have selected. The previous list price and postage price are also visible.
- If you wish to modify individual item prices, click on the price below that specific item and enter the new desired price.
- If you prefer to adjust multiple item prices simultaneously, click Edit item prices. Then, select the items you want to edit and set their new list prices by the specified amount.
- Once you are satisfied with the new prices you have set, click on Publish.
How to Offer a Free Shipping Code on Etsy?
If you intend to provide free shipping to specific customers during certain times, you can consider offering free shipping on Etsy code. Below are steps on how to offer a free shipping code on Etsy:
- Access the Menu bar and navigate to Marketing.
- Select Sales and discounts.
- Click on Create a promo code.
- In the Discount amount dropdown menu, choose Free standard shipping.
- Fill out the remaining information, including the order minimum, duration, and custom promo code, as required.
- After reviewing, hit Review and Confirm.
Additional note: If you set up a free shipping coupon code, it cannot be restricted to specific items in your shop. At checkout, the code can be applied to all listings, including customized and private orders.
How to Offer Free Shipping on Etsy
- Should I do free shipping on Etsy?
Whether to offer free shipping on Etsy depends on the individual items. It can increase your product’s rankings on the search result page. However, if you combine shipping costs for small, inexpensive items’ prices, customers may find them not worth the investment. Testing free shipping selectively on high-margin products first lets you see the impact without losing money on unsuitable listings.
- Does Etsy cover shipping?
No, Etsy does not cover shipping costs. As a seller on Etsy, it is your responsibility to handle shipping and cover any associated expenses.
- How to set up free shipping on Etsy?
If you just start selling on Etsy and want to know how to offer free shipping on Etsy, here are three methods you can choose from:
- Creating free shipping profiles;
- Setting up the Etsy guarantee;
- Offering a free shipping code.
- How to offer free shipping on Etsy and still make money?
One common way to offer free shipping on Etsy while maintaining profitability is to incorporate the shipping costs into the product price.
If your shipping cost is approximately $5 and your product is priced at $40 or more, a simple price increase to cover shipping expenses is unlikely to impact your sales.
However, if your shipping cost exceeds your product price, you’ll need to consider alternative approaches to raising prices without discouraging potential customers.
Free Shipping Matters!
Offering free shipping allows sellers to differentiate themselves from others on Etsy. How to offer free shipping on Etsy may depend on your choice since Etsy provides various ways to do so. Take the time to explore these options before making a decision that suits your needs.
If you’re seeking further information about Etsy, like Is selling on Etsy worth it, you can visit our Retailers Blog or contact us anytime. LitCommerce is delighted to provide support to you.
Plus, you can join our Facebook community to frequently update the newest eCommerce trends and discuss any related topics with other sellers.
