Etsy has some quirks related to shipping that can cause confusion on the part of sellers (and buyers). Etsy still hasn’t updated its system to show USPS Ground Advantage (“GA”), which replaced First-Class Packages and Parcel Select Ground in 2023. And sellers may panic when they see Etsy hasn’t charged buyers for shipping, followed by a feeling of relief in cases when they realize it is a loyalty-program transaction.
In this thread from Friday, a seller asked, “Ground Advantage is not being offered for shipping on my end when I set up shipping profiles & also on the buyers end in the checkout cart. I’ve had a few buyers ask me about it. Does anyone know if this is a new rule by Etsy or is it a glitch in the website?”
Luckily for the seller, a colleague quickly replied, “If you are using fixed shipping GA is listed. If using calculated you have to use Parcel Select and First Class Package. The buyer will get the GA pricing.”
In situations like that, buyers will see a choice of USPS Priority Mail or USPS First Class Mail when choosing their preferred shipping method. The misleading term carries over into the invoice and tracking when they have chosen not to spend more for Priority Mail. A buyer would have to enter a tracking number into the USPS website to see the shipping method is actually Ground Advantage.
As for the other “quirk,” an Etsy seller recently asked on the discussion boards, “Shipping cost is wrong at checkout. Just sold 3 items. The shipping cost is $4.00 plus .75cents each additional item. The total came to $0 for the customer. I double checked the listing’s shipping profile and it is correct. The buyer should have paid $5.50. They paid zero. What’s up, Etsy?”
Almost instantly, colleagues responded, with one writing, “It may be an Etsy insider order. You should have the funds to ship the order as Etsy pays for the shipping.”
Another explained how to confirm whether it was an Etsy Insider order (“go to the very bottom of the order, and you’ll see where the shipping is paid by Etsy”). The grateful seller confirmed it was an Etsy Insider order (“I never in my life heard of this. I want in!!!”), and thanked the sellers who responded.
What the seller may not realize is that the “free shipping” does come with a cost. Etsy charges for Etsy Insider membership, which remains an “invite-only closed beta membership program.” The annual plan had cost $72 when it launched last year; it’s unclear how much Etsy is now charging.