Easiest Shipping Software for Etsy

Selling on Etsy can be very rewarding, but it’s quite different from selling on other platforms like eBay or Amazon. If you are a beginner on Etsy, it’s best to start out with all of the shipping tools in hand. Prepare yourself by thoroughly understanding Etsy shipping solutions and how you can economize how Etsy shipping works. These tips will get you started so you can save money and time while shipping to customers with these economical Etsy shipping solutions.

How to Ship on Etsy for Beginners

Shipping can be complicated especially if you are figuring out the cheapest way you can ship your products safely. Depending on what you sell, shipping can be a huge factor in pricing and keeping products in perfect condition from your shop to your customer’s door.

Use These 4 Steps to Ship on Etsy

Shipping can be expensive and cut into your profit margin as you compete for sales on Etsy. Here are 4 steps you should take to ensure success:

1. Start with the Basics

What do you need to ship on Etsy? To start out, you need shipping supplies. To determine the shipping cost, you need to know size and weight. That means you need to package your products, then measure and weigh them. As a minimum, you need a measuring tape, scale, and packaging materials. You also need a printer to print shipping labels.

Depending on your needs, you can determine which packaging materials work best for your Etsy store. To ship any package, you need:

Exterior box or envelope
Interior cushioning material
Interior wrapping material
Shipping tape
Shipping labels

You will need to research materials to find the best solution for shipping your products while minimizing the cost. Since all shippers use size and weight to determine the overall cost, your goal should be to find a way to package and ship your products in the smallest and lightest-weight package possible.

Setting Up a Shipping Station

If you plan to ship your Etsy products yourself, use this Etsy guide to learn how to set up a shipping station.

Branded Marketing Materials

It’s also important to introduce your brand when you ship to customers. Whether it’s a logo or just your company name, including branded materials like a business card, brochure, or a thank you note will help your customers remember your business. Etsy has a guide to help you use branding to market your shop.

2. Determine Postage Rates and Shipping Policies

Etsy claims that you can save 30% on postage by using Etsy shipping labels. That is a good way to save money but you should also check into other Etsy shipping solutions. Saving 30% on the USPS retail rate may not be your least expensive option, for instance Ordoro offers up to 67% off USPS shipping rates. Other shipping carriers may be cheaper in your region than USPS. Etsy shipping labels do include tracking and a free pickup by your postal carrier.

3. Staying in Touch with Customers

It’s a best practice to communicate with customers whether it’s good news or bad news — we suggest airing on the side of transparency. Thanking them for the order and keeping them up to date regarding their shipping status will ease their minds while waiting for their order.

4. Go with the Flow

The longer you run your Etsy business, the more you’ll understand that some orders end up with problems. Some of those problems will be with shipping. To facilitate the best resolutions possible, keep accurate records, and consider insuring your shipping. Etsy’s seller protection policy can be helpful.

How Does Etsy Shipping Work?

Shipping is an integral part of your Etsy shop, and part of your procedure when selling. To determine your shipping strategy consider these logistics:

Which carrier is the best (for your shop)?
What is their pricing and pickup/drop-off system?
Can they meet your customers’ delivery preferences?
Should you ship yourself or use a third party?
What are your preferences for delivery timelines?
Can you create a workflow to meet these requirements?
What does your packaging look like? How long does it take to receive?
What policies and shipping profiles do you need to create?
How will you manage packaging and shipping for your sales?
What way do you want to communicate with customers?

Etsy Shipping Options

Etsy only offers three carriers for shipping.

USPS
FedEx
Canada Post

You are ultimately responsible for delivery of an order to your customer.

Why is Etsy Shipping So Expensive?

Etsy encourages sellers to offer free shipping, and they now use free shipping as a method to rank businesses higher in their listings. To offer free shipping, you do have to add the shipping cost to your pricing somewhere, for the item itself or in handling fees.

Sellers are responsible for setting shipping fees for their shops using:

Calculated rates — Set your shipping to “Calculate them for me” and Etsy calculates your rates using zip code, size, and weight
Setting your own shipping rates — If you don’t qualify for calculated rates, you need to set your own rates.

Types of Fees

There are several types of fees that you are required to pay Etsy. These include:

Listing fees: $.20
Transaction fees: 5%
Advertising and promotional fees: Variable
Subscription fees: $10/mo
In-person selling fees using Square: 2.6% + $.10
Payment processing fees: 3% + $.25
Shipping fees: 5%
Regulatory fees (in some countries): (Not in US)
Pattern fees: $15/mo
Currency conversion: 2.5% (if not PayPal)

Do I Have to Use Etsy Shipping Labels?

Sellers who are in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, or India who accept Etsy Payments or PayPal are able to purchase Etsy shipping labels, however, no one is required to use Etsy shipping labels.

If you choose to use Etsy shipping labels, you have to agree to these terms.

Is it Worth Purchasing Etsy Shipping Labels?

Using USPS shipping labels bought through Etsy gives you a savings of 30% from retail pricing. Aside from Etsy shipping fees, there are no extra fees for using these labels.

Can I Use My Own Shipping on Etsy?

There are several reasons you may be looking for a new Etsy shipping solution.

If your business is growing, you may need a platform to organize your orders.
You’re interested in finding a inventory management solution.
Or maybe you’re looking for a faster way to fill orders.
What about shipping rates?
Do you want lower costs or better options for shipping?
Are you looking to scale production, moving your handmade product to a manufacturer that is apart from Etsy’s limited manufacturing options?
You might be eager to expand your business to include other products that you don’t make yourself.

Ordoro Offers Etsy Shipping Solutions, Order Processing, & Inventory Management Platform

Ordoro can help you with any and all of the issues above, starting with the desire to use your own shipping for your Etsy store. Ordoro is a shipping, order processing, and inventory management platform — an all-in-one solution.

Ordoro has been helping us sell on multiple ecommerce channels for a few years now, and we couldn’t be more satisfied! All orders from Etsy, Amazon & Shopify come to one place to ship and track inventory. It makes everything easier.
Sean Lowery, Owner of United Tees

Ordoro is the Easiest Ecommerce Shipping Software

Ordoro Shipping Solutions

Ordoro gives you a platform to organize and check each order. As you import orders into Ordoro, you can manually or automatically assign filterable tags so you can search to view every shipment’s status or activity.

Ordoro gives you the ability to accelerate your process with Shipping Presets. You can auto-fill your shipping parameters when you create your shipping labels and set up Automation Rules that will work automatically when orders arrive.

Ordoro also auto-audits your orders, documenting actions and showing a timeline for each one. You can handle every part of your shipping operation through the Ordoro app, including buying shipping postage and affordable shipping insurance.

Once you’ve created your shipping labels — individually or in bulk — you don’t need to do any copy and pasting. The Ordoro app automatically relays the shipping status and tracking numbers to the right sales channel, so the customer stays apprised.

Multichannel Operations

You can work with all of your orders, whether they’re from an Ordoro-supported sales channel, a CSV upload, or a custom API integration. Import your orders into the application and then ship them out with Ordoro.

You can also connect your supply-side channels or warehouses, and route orders to your third-party logistics and dropshippers, with your choice of which warehouse to ship from.

Ordoro Inventory Solutions

Ordoro allows you to keep inventory information automatically flowing to and from your integrated channels, on the sales or supply side. You can confirm inventory amounts are updated, synced, and accurate between Etsy and all of your sales channels.

Keep your inventory organized as you kit, link, and market your products. Bring Ordoro’s inventory management right to your customer-facing storefronts.

Ordoro lets you better handle your supplier relations, product flow, and speed up your workflow. You can batch set up suppliers, rapidly restock your inventory, and analyze your inventory costs in one app.

Barcode Scanning Feature

With Ordoro’s Barcode Scanning Feature, you can reduce costly fulfillment errors. With just one button, select one or multiple orders, and the app will pull up the items for picking, scanning, and packing. Orders are marked complete once all items are accounted for.

Learn how Ordoro can help streamline your pick and pack workflow with our barcode scanning feature, here.