Seller Handbook

Over the past few years, the holiday shipping season has come with some additional challenges as carriers deal with delays and an influx of packages. We’ve been working to help ensure Etsy’s ready to communicate possible delays so that holiday shopping goes smoothly for both buyers and sellers. We’ve put a few strategies in place to set clear expectations with shoppers and address your feedback (so you can stress less this holiday season).

Updating estimated delivery dates

Etsy uses algorithms to analyze and track millions of Etsy orders to identify possible slowdowns. We’ve also built close relationships with a number of the major shipping carriers and they help to keep us in the loop through frequent updates. Using the data we have, we can adjust estimated delivery dates to account for major delays. This helps us give Etsy shoppers a more accurate estimate of when their orders will arrive.

What you can do:

The best way you can help is to ensure your shipping profiles and processing times are complete and up to date. Choose a specific shipping service (rather than the “Other” option). Update your shipping profiles.

Communicating delays to shoppers

We plan to let shoppers know about major delays through banners across Etsy and in order confirmation emails. We’ll let them know packages may arrive late because shipping carriers—not Etsy sellers— are experiencing delays (due to weather or other issues). If a buyer’s order looks like it will arrive later than expected, we’ll send them a dedicated email letting them know it’s running late. We believe sending these emails will ease their concerns—leading to more happy holiday shoppers.

We’ll also give shoppers a digital card they can send to gift recipients if their order on Etsy is delayed. While it’s not the same as getting an amazing gift from Etsy, we hope it helps if unavoidable delays arise.

What you can do:

As always, communication is key. If you think your customer’s order will arrive late, send them a message to let them know. That personal note is one way you can provide excellent customer service and lets them know you’ve got insight into what’s going on with their order. You can also share the digital card with your customers. We understand you may be too busy to send messages to all your customers, so keep in mind that they’ll also receive a note from us about their order.

Save the digital card now so you can quickly send it to your customers when they need it. It’s available in multiple languages:

• English
• Spanish
• German
• Canadian French
• French
• Italian
• Portuguese
• Polish
• British English
• Japanese
• Russian
• Dutch

Offering extra protection when something goes wrong

Etsy’s Purchase Protection program, new this year, means you can worry less about issues with holiday orders. For qualifying orders below $250, Etsy will refund the buyer and you’ll keep your earnings if the buyer never received their package or the item arrives damaged (for the first instance per calendar year). Learn which orders are eligible for Etsy’s Purchase Protection program here .

What you can do:

Review the criteria orders need to meet to qualify for Etsy Purchase Protection to see if your orders are eligible.

Wishing you your best holiday yet

The entire Etsy team wishes you a successful holiday season. If you have any questions or need some additional support along the way, you can chat with a member of Etsy’s support team 24/7 from Etsy’s Help Center. If you’re looking for more tips to help you make the most of the holidays on Etsy, check out the Ultimate Guide to Holiday in the Seller Handbook.