Base cost, shipping, fees and returns worked end to end — per unit, per month and per year.
Runs entirely in your browser — nothing you type is uploaded
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Revenue40 × $32.00 | $1,280.00 |
| Etsy fees$0.20 listing + 6.5% + 3% + $0.25 per order | -$139.60 |
| Cost of goods40 × ($12.50 printer + $4.75 shipping) | -$690.00 |
| Returns cost2.0% of 40 orders = 0.8 refunded × $29.92 | -$23.94 |
| Net profitAfter fees, cost of goods and returns | $426.46 |
A refunded order hands back Etsy's 6.5% transaction fee but not the payment processing or listing fee, and the printed item is already gone.
Hold the shipping you charge where it is and change the item price to hit the target.
Print-on-demand margins look healthy until you add the printer's shipping and the returns you will actually get. This works the whole thing through.
It runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Start from what the printer charges you, not from the retail price. Add their shipping, then the marketplace fees on the full order total, then a realistic returns rate.
The target margin field works backwards: give it the margin you want and it returns the price you need to charge.
The marketplace side of that is broken out separately by the Etsy fee calculator, including the part people miss — the percentage applies to postage too. If the answer here surprises you, what print-on-demand really costs per shirt works the same chain on three price points and shows why the cheap shirt is usually the worst business.
Your base cost is not fixed, either: it depends on the print method and the blank, which is what choosing a print provider is about.
Unlimited lookups, saved lists, rank tracking and bulk listing across four marketplaces.
