Two parties take a cut, not one

Your provider takes a fixed amount for the product, and Etsy takes a percentage of the order on top. Handmade sellers only face the second one.

Provider shipping is easy to forget

The base cost you see on the product page is not the full bill. Printful and Printify charge shipping per order, often $4-5 for a single item, and it comes out of the same order.

Etsy charges fees on shipping too

The 6.5% transaction fee applies to the shipping you charge the buyer, not just the item price. Passing the provider's shipping cost straight through still costs you a slice of it.

But your base cost never rises

This is the part that works in your favour. Printful charges the same whether you sell at $22 or $38, while your profit grows with every dollar. POD margins improve faster than they look at higher prices.

How do I calculate print on demand profit on Etsy?

Take what the buyer pays, subtract Etsy's fees, then subtract what your provider charges you for the product and shipping. What remains is yours. The mistake most sellers make is subtracting only the base cost and forgetting that the provider bills shipping separately, which on a single item is often $4-5.

What is a good profit margin for print on demand?

Aim for 30% or higher of the sale price. POD margins are structurally thinner than handmade because the provider takes a large fixed cut, so anything under 20% leaves nothing once a return or a reprint happens.

Why are my Printful margins so low on Etsy?

Because two costs stack. Printful takes a fixed base cost regardless of your price, and Etsy takes roughly 10% of the order on top. On a $22 shirt with a $13 base cost and $4.99 shipping, Etsy's fees leave almost nothing. Raising the price is usually more effective than switching provider.

Should I offer free shipping on print on demand items?

Etsy promotes listings with free shipping on US orders over $35, and buyers compare the all-in total. Free shipping means absorbing the provider's shipping charge into your price. The calculator lets you toggle it so you can see what price keeps the same margin either way.

Does raising my price help POD margins more than handmade?

Yes, and it is worth understanding why. Your base cost is fixed — Printful charges the same $13 whether you sell at $22 or $38. Etsy's fees are percentages, so they grow with the price, but far more slowly than your profit does. POD margins improve sharply at higher price points.