Adventures in International Selling

Great post! Shipping internationally is easy!

I have offered international shipping from the start and haven't had even one order except for an APO one. *Puzzled*

International order that is. Well, except for my sis-in law in Norway.

I totally agree! When I first opened my shop, I read all there was to be read about shipping and started to offer international shipping from the get-go. My very first sale went all the way to Israel! And I haven't stopped, I have sent items to Canada, China, Japan, Singapore and even Australia! Just try it!

International shipping is easy, no one should be intimidated by the slight extra work involved.

Great advice! I frequently ship to Australia.

Great info!!! It can be a bit puzzling at first, but once you dive in you'll see how easy it is. :-)

Love it! The only downside is shipping from the US to UK is very expensive. I've lost several orders because of that.

Great advice!! Half my sales are international!! :)

I love my international customers! I've offered international shipping from the start, but my orders that ship overseas have increased to about half of my business now. If I ever have questions, I just ask the customer or my local P.O. I really appreciate this article, because I think it's important to give both buyers and sellers the most options possible - then we can share and experience pieces of each other's cultures more readily.

I get a lot of orders from Australia, and yes I agree that it is very exciting thinking about multiple ladies down there wearing my pieces! I have never had issues with international shipping, but there are many countries I don't ship to.

Such a great article about international shipping, from a seller's point of view. I am located in Romania and about 85% of my buyers are from US. The rest of the orders go almost entirely to Australia and Canada. I can't see how my shop would make sales if it wasn't for international shipping. I am also very excited to receive orders from other countries. Knowing that items I make in my small flat in Europe are wanted across the ocean it's very rewarding and always keeps me motivated.

thanks for the info!!!

I haven't been lucky enough to ship anything here yet, but I used to mail things to the UK all the time. English addresses seemed much more specific than ours. That's good--- things like no zip code would freak me out, whether the person told me it was normal or not :P

Selling internationally has been a huge boon for my shop - who knew vintage cameras were so hard to find in other countries? Absolutely right about asking the buyer questions - it's so much easier to clarify and correct before you ship then to potentially lose or incorrectly route a shipment!

Great advice! x x x

Great post, some very useful information.

Thanks you - this is excellent advice. I live in the UK and have just guessed at what to charge for international shipping, but I will follow your advice soon and work out more specific costs.

I think that close to half of my customers are international. It's so fun to know that something I made is going to be treasured by someone across the world! Shipping to some Countries can be really pokey, but most customers are aware of this and are patient as long as you keep a good line of communication with them.

I absolutely agree with this article. I have mailed things all over the world, Australia, Singapore, Ireland, Canada, Greece without a hitch. The only place I have had a problem with is Brazil. It's empowering to know that things I have made are being enjoyed around the world. Sally

Love the info!! I'm a new seller but so far I've had more success with international sales. It is so exciting to have my products go all over the world! I"ve been wondering how to get the shipping prices right. So glad to hear advice from those who have fine tuned it :) Thanks

Nice tips!

Great information! I need to list the measurements in metric, didn't think of that! Thank you for sharing this!

half of my orders have gone overseas, I was really nervous the first time but now it really isn't a big deal, the customs form is the only thing that is different and it isn't difficult!

great article! thank you for sharing your ideas! 99%of my orders are international out of japan. so it is always nice to hear how other sellers organise international shipping.

I was scared to death about what the postage would cost when I got my first international order, but I when I went to the U.S. Post Office, it was surprisingly cheap. I've mailed small art prints, original works on paper and necklaces to Europe and Australia for only $2-$5. I use the same protective stiff cardboard photo mailers ($1-$2 each, depending on size) that I use for U.S. shipping and ask Post Office workers to stamp on lots of “Do Not Bend” messages. Filling out custom forms is as simple as writing my address, the customer's address and listing what's in the package.

I've shipped internationally (free of charge) since I first opened my shop 4 years ago, and my jewellery has been sent all over the world! I'm proud to say customers are wearing my creations, which I've sent from here in a rural part of the UK to Australia, Japan, Norway, USA, Canada, all over Europe and all points in between! I also buy lots of stuff on Etsy too (mostly from USA/Canada and to a lesser extent from the UK) and it always upsets me when I see something I like, but the seller won't ship to the UK :)

I think 95% of my sales are overseas! (including yours Kelly! :)) It can be a little bit stressful the first time you send to a country you never did, you cross your fingers hoping that everything goes smoothly, but most of all I think it's SO EXCITING! Thank you for all the tips, great you mentioned the metric measurements, it's a pleasure when I see them in an item I'm about to buy and I don't have to find the calculator. I hope your big success keep growing and growing! xoxo

Great tips and positive outlook. I agree that it's exciting to ship internationally.

Shipping to Germany went well. To the UK for the first time was a bit of a shock to both customer and myself. I learned by trial and error and gave the customer a break on shipping.

international shipping is essential for me - I've shipped to Australia, Austria, Belarus, Canada, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Norway, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Tasmania, USA and of course UK where I live. There are websites to tell you the cost for each weight and size, it's easy!

I work for my wonderful friend who owns a successful Etsy Shop. I handle all the shipping, the local USPS and the International. My only word of caution re: International Shipping would be for sellers to be aware of the policies and codes when mailing anything, any where. Checking on-line or via phone will not consistently provide accurate information. My personal "Once upon a time..." did have a happy ending but it took time, perseverance and patience to get there! One late, hot Friday afternoon... after making a personal trip to the post office with an international address in hand, a weight and measurements for my pkg. a USPS postal clerk told me that my package would ship first class internationally without a hitch. Yippee! NOT My happiness was short lived; less than 24 hours later when I handed a different clerk the package the price to ship it had doubled, 1st class was not an option and insurance wasn't available! Having made a special trip the day before to confirm charges & policies I was dumbfounded. Immediately I presented the details I jotted down the previous afternoon including the clerks name. My mindfulness did not pay off however, I was told that I had been given misinformation and I ended up leaving the post office with my package in hand. After that experience I went on-line to check Fed-X and UPS fees. The best rate I found was UPS so off I went to the local store to ship my pkg. to Canada. The UPS clerk happily scanned my pre-printed label and took my shipment, easy peasy right? WRONG. Days later the customer called stating that UPS was demanding $139 in customs fees. After talking with UPS over a 3 day period I was able to get the pkg. returned to the shop and resolved the issue. The primary problem being that the UPS policies and shipping restrictions were not presented clearly on-line nor were they reviewed by the UPS clerk. Long story short, and believe me this is the short version; the customer did eventually receive her goods and thankfully she was pleased with our customer service and her products. The End. The moral for me: Stay updated with ever changing postal codes, become familiar with various shipping policies and keep in-tune with escalating prices. Above all; breath, smile and maintain open, honest communication with customers around the world.

if a customer wants something, sometimes shipping is not a concern. I have been surprised, more than once, that a UK customer was willing to pay more for shipping than the item cost, as it was something rare. if something is heavy, I will ask them to message for rates, and I always refund shipping overcharges. Strangely enough, no one ever offers to pay more if I make a mistake :) i do wish there was a way to track international shipments; I have had more than one package go 'missing', and have had to eat the cost, though, I did have proof of shipment, paypal generally sides with the customer.

Great and thanks :) I am shipping everywhere from France,Paris and 99% with UPS EXPRESS and secure, fast shipping . If i cannot always with secure box, LA POSTE priority mail and with tracking number.

Really great tips! Shipping definitely seems like a learning process. Even with shipping in the US it can be am adventure. I will have to look into buying a scale, or maybe borrowing one from my mom :) Thanks!

This is a very insightful article - including the comments. I waiver back and forth on the international shipping subject. This may have coerced me into making it an option

Im in Scotland and 80% of my sales are international (mainly US customers). It has always been that way and I never worry about postage because when you see something you love and it's not on your street, well, postage is just part of the parcel :) Thanks to etsy and the internet my hares are all over the world and that is so exciting!!

As an international customer... we're used to the high shipping fees! No, really! And most of us know that an item coming from across the globe will not be there within three days. As an international seller, the only time someone has asked me why it was taking so long was when they thought I was in America as well. When I told them how long shipping from Holland usually took, she got all excited and said that her item was even more special now, and that nobody else on the block would be wearing something from Holland!

I have shipped many of the items I have sold to International customers and there was a point that about 30% of my sales were outside the U.S. It is absolutely worth the time it takes to learn how to fill out the customs paperwork properly (luckily, I had learned all of this at some former jobs I had held). The one thing I do is give a base price under the "Everywhere Else" shipping option and ask that they convo with me so I can calculate the exact charges for them. There is just no way to estimate how much postage will be when you don't know if it is going across the border to Canada or to the other side of the globe. Sometimes the shipping charges have turned out to be three times the cost of the item, but the customer wanted the item, clearly knew to expect the charges and luckily, all of my customers have been great about knowing about the extra shipping time. I just love the idea that these vintage items now live all over the world, including France, Germany, U.K., Russia, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand! And I have had some of the nicest convos from my customers, telling me how happy they were to have what they they bought from my shop! It always makes my day!

I am so glad I added International shipping to my store several years ago. My International customers are the greatest! I stared out using the Everywhere Else option and finally took a full day to calculate shipping for 19 different countries. It was a lot of work, but my customers appreciate it.

I did not start out selling/shipping internationally, fear of the unknown. Within my modest 270 sales I've shipped to ::Queensland, AUS; Richmond, BC; Montreal, QUE, Victoria, AUS; Kingston, ON; Rotterdam, Netherlands; Toronto, ON; Dublin IRE; Bermuda; Vancover, BC; Australia; Cyprus; NSW, AUS; Sussex, UK, Roma, Italy. Not one problem in shipping. It generally takes 2-3 weeks to receive and I communicate with my customers when they message me with questions about shipment. Had I not "jumped into the deepend" and started selling internationally I would not have my quilts, totes, pouches, pumpkins gracing homes around the globe. I do estimate shipping a bit higher and have never been too far off the mark. If there is a difference I refund that to the customer. They are even more please with that customer service and several have become return customers. It is a bit unnerving when the shipping costs more than the item purchased but international customers understand that so don't underestimate international shipping. You and your will be happy with the transaction. Plus you will be exited to know your shop has international flare.

In both my shops, Scout & Rescue and Dahlila Found I ship international by request. I think this may deter some sales, because it does take an extra step, but I'm more likely to get shipping calculations correct for that exact country than by guess-timating. (And yes, a scale is a must have). Still it's fun. I love knowing one of my pieces is going off to--or back to!--a far away land. :)

Easy read, great tips.. Thanks for this! :)

I'm based in the UK, and probably 90% of my sales are to the USA. I have shipped to manyother countries including Australia, Spain, Holland, and Taiwan. Overseas shipping can be expensive, but for unique items I think that people are prepared to pay the extra cost. I've also bought many overseas items via Etsy, and generally parcels arrive quickly, even from the otherside of the world. I love that I am able to get truly amazing things that not anyone/everyone else has.

I've recently starting selling on etsy and I love the connection with people all over the world. I am still learning the rates and I ask questions, send messages to the buyer, and nervously wait until I get confirmation that the package arrived to it destination. I found that when I do my follow up email to the client, I not only learn more about the shipping length but I am also building a stronger foundation for my business, and best of all ~ I am connecting with another person. Its important to know the weight of item, packaging, and what forms are needed for customs. USPS has amazing clerks that love helping out. Great article! Thank you

last year, i moved to Netherlands to study there for one semester.... i wasn't able to move to NL with the whole etsy shop :::-) therefore all of the goods were shipped from Slovakia. my mother helped me A LOT with that :) & international shipping is MUST, i think :) it's great to send piece of my heart with these creations of mine, somewhere overseas. if you know what i mean :)

Very Helpful! Thank you

I appreciate the good advice! :)

I appreciate the information in this article and the tips from other sellers in the comments. International shipping still intimidates me though! I've started offering it for my prints but not yet for canvases and painted crafts. I'd like to, but I'm worried I'll make costly mistakes I can't afford. Have more research to do, I guess.

wow so helpful... i have had one international sale- and i was equally excited and nervous. glad to hear I am not alone!

II'm based in Italy I ship all around the world ( and buy too) since I opened my ship in 2009 without problems!!

I am based in Singapore and I must say almost 99.9% of my sales are from international buyers! I love discovering a new "country" or location that I have not sold my item to before. I keep a little map of all the places that my items have travelled to. =) It keeps me going and excited knowing that someone half way across the world will be opening my beautifully wrapped item =)

Would like to start importing high end gifts from thailand-thanks for the motivation! Have a great day on purpose..

I have met the nicest buyers from Australia, France, Sweden, Russia and England via etsy. I do not hesitate to ship internationally. It is actually very simple. It may seem that shipping is expensive to us (the seller) but many countries have more buying power because our dollar has lost value. The dollar, being low right now is the reason international buying is soaring and a good reason to extend your market internationally.

Good article, great advice from the members!

Great tips!

I haven't had any problems selling internationally. That is great advice..if you are unsure,, ask questions or check the forums. :))

I, too, have invested in a postal scale. I allows you to calculate the postage in advance. Love the inspiring article. from Lynne

I'm still quite new, having opened in February this year. I decided to sell internationally from the start. Royal Mail's website is helpful or if I want to talk to someone face to face, the local post office are very helpful, including giving me a bunch of Airmail and Customs form stickers so I can get parcels ready at home. I have so far sold 3 items to customers 'locally' in the UK, 4 to the US and 3 items went off to Japan! I love reaching out across the world :)

In all honesty, I'm not seeing the "easy" part. But that could just be me being blind to something obvious, so any help is greatly appreciated. I started this shop four years ago for my daughter (hence the silly CookieCream name — it's hers), but took it over recently just to make getting on Etsy easier. I'm actually Lindsay (wish I could change that name!) So, made my first listing today and decided to go with international shipping. But I could find nowhere that just gave me a straightforward general price for...3/4 of the globe. I used to own a retail store and recall shipping to Japan a 2 lb package and it was like $40 bucks or something. Is this what I should estimate for "everywhere else?" Am I really going to sell a book to someone in Greece and expect them to pay $40 for shipping? Or, is there some way to not charge until you ship...any tips on an actual link to an actual destination with very descriptive pricing would be a help. I apologize if I seem very thick on this front, I just remember getting badly dinged on extra shipping with my other store and would like to avoid that.

thanks so much for your sharing...

Have just put my shop brambles and oaks up with international shipping. Very exciting. Must check with post office that I am not too much off the mark!

To Lindsay from the UpCyclist Take a look at USPS International Flat Rate Fees. For a Flat Rate Envelope you can ship pretty much anywhere for $16.95. Postage can be paid on line and labels printed at home. Be watchful of weight limitations but basically if it fits, it ships! Hope this helps.

Does anyone know of an EASY way to see what is allowed as far as living items to other countries? Thanks Teresa

We have always shipped worldwide as we are in Australia and have never had an issue. We sell a lot to Asia and Europe as well as the US and locally. We Make sure we are clear about customs charged, some European countries charge these. I am often surprised at how few people ship internationally, they are missing a lot of sales. They miss the impulse sales if someone has to ask about shipping cost it takes time. The other thing is to be accurate with the cost. It is very frustrating to be overcharged when you can see on the envelope how much it did really cost.

I sell to people all over the world and I love it every time I get a country that I've never sold to before. I keep thinking I'm going to get a map and put little red dots on the places I've sold to. I still might, I just think that would be fun. This week I've sold to someone in Singapore and Australia.

I haven't offered international shipping. Im afraid of the cost and under estimating. I think I will educate myself more so I am more comfortable. This info is helpful!

Yes, I too was once intimidated by international shipping but now I have been doing it at least a year and am not looking back! Yes, I still get concerned when that package to Singapore or wherever seems to take awhile but so far so good. You open up your customer base just by adding that "Everywhere Else" shipping option. I too use a digital food scale and go to usps website to calculate the price. I also state in my listing that shipping overages will be refunded. I think that shows you are trying to be fair and honest and not trying to gouge anyone. Customers appreciate your honesty.

Thank you so much for this article, and for the useful tips! I was so intimidated by international shipping, and when a really kind person from New Zealand message me and asked if I could please ship to her country (she loved my hand-painted wallets, yay!) I took the plunge and went for it. I'll never look back, it's so much easier than I thought. Then again, I haven't shipped anything heavier than 8 oz.!

I would say that international purchases make up for about 20% of my orders. Just make sure to fill out the customs forms correctly and use lots of bubble wrap and sturdy boxes. Limit post office trips by sending international packages maybe twice a week. It's definitely worth it : )

I just began to ship international and I'm so excited about it! I can't wait to start selling all over the world.

Im a new seller at ETSY from Europe(Greece) and for me on the other side of theglobus its a matter of course to offer international shipping. Its really exiting and funny ,so Im very curious, who will be my first customer

I made the plunge to offer international shipping after people kept messaging me asking if I offered it. I would say about 40% of my sales are now international. I'm so happy I took that plunge! However, I do wish there was a cheap way of tracking the packages. I hate sending something out into the world without someway to trace it. I don't think it's right to charge so much money to trace something. Especially when tracking here in the US is basically free when you purchase a shipping label online.

I've felt that excitement too of sending my items to a farflung corner of the earth; love it! But it seems it is not affordable to have any tracking on small packages of beads. Amazingly, so far nothing has ever been lost, but some of my customers have inquired about affordable tracking, and I don't like to disappoint them. Perhaps someone with more experience has some input on this...?

I'm in Australia, and when I make purchases on Etsy I often have to convo the seller for an international shipping cost, and wait for their response. And with the time zone differences this takes a while. Most of the time shipping costs are very reasonable. Things only get expensive when the object is large or heavy. I often find that supplies are cheaper, even factoring in a higher cost of international shipping, when I purchase them internationally.

I found out the hard way that the price jumps exponentially after 4lbs I had a package that was one ounce over and the cost tripled. I ended up taking a loss on the sale so yes get yourself a scale but get a good postal scale.And by the way USPS International is a fraction of the cost UPS charges

Great post!! I love shipping international.

great article! I ship in sales probably 50/50 international vs US. I always mark my customs forms as "gift" and make sure I put "handmade" in the item description. I learned to do this 10+ years ago when I started craft swapping with others...they said there was a less likely chance the package would be opened by customs if marked that way. I've never had any issues.

I started slowly with countries where English is spoken assuming that problems would be easier to resolve. Then I added by request with experienced buyers. So after 7 months I was up to quite a few countries. I still hesitate to add countries whose postal service is questionable. But overall it has been profitable and entertaining to ship internationally.

Enamorwedding. It is illegal to mark merchandise as a gift

Is there a way to say that you would be happy to ship internationally - but please ask for a quote on the cost? I have been selling other types of items on ebay and have shipped to Norway, France, Australia, China, UK, Hong Kong, and New Zealand........But I am able to quote the actual cost instead of guessing and listing a "blanket" cost. I agree with another poster Brazil can be a nightmare.

I have shipped 3 times internationally at the buyers request. No one balked at the cost. I actually take the item in the box with packing material but untaped to my local post office. They cheerfully tell me the cost and I can relay this on to the customer. They have the option of saying yes or no to the cost of shipping. Everything has arrived in great condition and I have shipped glass bowls (France) camera (Australia) and can't think of the last item. I order without thinking about it from other countries.

I still struggle with shipping internationally. I know that my shipping will far outweigh the price of my product to ship, so why would people outside of NZ want to buy from me? I have $4.50NZD on my postage, but know that due to the nature of my products they need to go into box that are bigger than the product to protect them. Therefor my last package was $9.00NZD (tracked) in shipping, for a product that is only the same price. Someone please help me to justify that. That price was just to ship across town. Can't imagine what it will cost to send it to the US, or Canada.

I have been shipping international for a year now and have come to the conculision that the ONLY safe insured way to ship is REGISTERED MAIL with the good old USA post office. Simple and secure, no more lost packages EVER and all for under 18.00.

Great article. Thank you for the new information. I have some reevaluating to do :D

I actually just stopped selling Internationally besides English speaking Countries. I am dealing with a horrid transaction gone bad to France where a language barrier has completely thwarted communication between my unreasonable buyer and I resulting in an ugly situation. It's a sad day for me since I have sold hundreds of orders Internationally from my Etsy shop but it is just no longer worth it for all the stress :(

I feel I should have added a couple of tips on my earlier post. If someone in another country inquires about purchasing an item from me, I go ahead right then and put the item on reserve so it won't be sold in the meantime. I always ask the customer for their full mailing address explaining that I need this in order to know the correct amount to charge for shipping. As in earlier post, I take to P.O. and have it weighed and know almost certainly what the shipping will be. I relay this information to the customer. If they still want to purchase the item I then go into etsy and put the shipping price internationally and unreserve the item. Then they can purchase it. No one has complained about my way of doing this and seem to appreciate the fact that I am willing to work with them. Hope this helps someone.

Thanks for this article. I have been thinking to ship internationally too!

Great article! I completely agree, opening up your shop to international orders is a great for sales and also a lot of fun. I offer free shipping in the US and really reduced shipping rates internationally, so somethings do not apply to my shop. However, shipping internationally is always fun, just make sure to check out the countries import regulations. I always ship USPS Priority unless something else is specifically requested and have never had a problem. In regards to why bother if your items are not expensive enough for you to justify, if your item is unique enough and the buyer connects with you it will happen. I can say this because it has happened for me a few times.. Mind blowing yes, but very thankful!

"enamorweddings from enamorweddings says: great article! I ship in sales probably 50/50 international vs US. I always mark my customs forms as "gift" " -------------------------- WOAH, that is mail fraud & can result in a $500 fine or more, better be careful with that one..

As a customer not living in the US, I really apreciate international shipping. It would help if sellers that have noted shipping within the US as the only option in the ad would include whether or not they are willing to ship internationally. It need not be stated the applicable shipping cost per country, just that it's possible and send a convo to work out details. I've bought several items by making up details per convo. Most items I've bought have been from the US and some out of Japan.

I am not a seller but I'm an avid buyer. I always buy from overseas sellers because the talent is just mind blowing.This year all my christmas gifts will be bought from etsy sellers. I get turned off when a seller overcharges on shipping and does not acknowledge that. I dont mind if it's a few extra dollars but when it's $10 and above then I think there should be some form of reimbursement or credit towards a next purchase.

We're located in Germnay, so we ship international from our first day without any doubt. Being 3 years in business now, we're just disappointed by not being able to give a correct shipping time. New York used to be less than one week. Lately we're happy if it's 2 weeks.

I'm in Australia! I'm going to have to ship internationally, aren't I? :P Where can I find out about what I'm allowed to ship overseas? Coz I know our border security here is tight... I'm worried about sending soaps overseas... Does anyone know?

Unfortunately, fine jewelry is problematic to ship overseas!!! Many countries don't allow its importation, or require methods of shipping that aren't well tracked. Sometimes it's not allowed to insure packages going to certain countries by certain shipping methods. It's very hard to ship an item valued at hundreds of dollars to an Unconfirmed address. If anything were to happen, tracking doesn't update, etc, I would be left holding the bag. As this is my only income (and my items unique and difficult to come by), it's hard for me to accept that kind of risk. I wish I could ship internationally, I really do, but there aren't adequate seller protections in place for many countries. AuldBaubles

Great article. I've had many, many international sales and so far, so good. Thanks for reminding me that I really should go thru all my listings and add metric.

I am located in the UK, have sold online for 11 years on various platforms including my own website. I have never NOT sold internationally and buyers from the USA were among my first customers. Because I sell collectibles my stock has worldwide appeal and only a small proportion of my sales have ever come from the UK. A set of small digital scales is available cheaply enough and there are a number of sources to enable sellers to print their own postage. I print mine direct from Royal Mail but they can also be printed from Paypal. All my stationary (but not packaging materials) also comes direct from Royal Mail in huge rolls. Shipping international need not be more complex - it takes longer and requires a little patience. Communication and a little hand holding with buyers throughout the much longer shipping process is essential. I love my international buyers.

Thanks for the info!!!! Im gonna work on this!!!

I just wish that Etsy would catch up with eBay on international shipping. Ebay let's you print your labels on line and gives you the customs forms at the same time. It's so much easier that having to go to the post office.I ship everything from my house .

I sell a lot of items internationally because of my Russian-language blog. I definitely prefer domestic sells but I love my customers from Russia and Europe and don't mind. I do all the domestic postages at home - weighing, calculating the price, paying online. I have label printer that print a label with addresses and paid notice on the sticky tape. So I put a label and drop packages at the post office self-service window. It's easy and fast. International packages need to be handled by a post office clerk, you need to fill a custom form ( and to know which one for different packages!) and you have to come there at their hours ( before 6 p.m weekdays or 2 p.m on Saturday) which is not always convenient. You have to think about more sturdy packaging - it will be tossed a lot, and sometimes you will need a bigger package to accommodate a custom form. It helps to bring home a bunch of custom forms from post office so you could fill them at home before visiting a post office. I fill the smaller form by hand, but if the package need a bigger form I do it on-line - it's more convenient - then I print all pages and bring them with me. If you fill it by hand on post office provided forms the clerk will need to put some information from it to their computer system and it will take extra time. If you do it online - it's already there and visit will be shorter ( and others behind you in line will be grateful) The main problem with international mailing is that you can't always predict how much time it will take and that not all countries can follow simple tracking number. Also my advice for those who sell to Russia - send it by the simplest mail, don't do the registered mail - all of additional things make it go slower not faster.

I worry about international shipping. My first and only international sale was to Australia. The customer and I both looked up costs and it averaged $16. It only cost $4. I refunded the extra $12 but how can I offer international shipping if costs can be so off?

That last little bit about your specific steps for figuring out shipping is golden! I had never thought to do it that way, and you've now saved me tons of heartache! Thank you!

International shipping is really easy to do once you've done it a few times. The biggest part of the equation is having the exact weight of the package so you can accurately give a postage quote.

I absolutely agree! We've offered international shipping from the start and have had hundreds of overseas buyers. I get a thrill when we get a lovely new customer from a country we haven't shipped to before... I always wish I could travel along with our package to its destination!!! International shipping costs don't generally seem to put customers off for our handmade items as they aren't too heavy. However, we sell vintage items too and I've sometimes found that, where I've given an international shipping quote for a heavy vintage item, customers may find it too expensive. Thankfully our vintage items are often so unusual and difficult to find elsewhere that customers are still happy to pay the cost of international shipping....

I ship most of my orders from my house, but there has to be at least one priority mail item going out - they'll take all of them, as long as there's at least one priority shipment in the batch. If I have something that's just too much to ship priority - if you go over 2 pounds and ship it from coast to coast it becomes ridiculously expensive. I'm shipping four of my onion baskets to the UK and keep in mind that these baskets are basically a lot of air surrounded by an open weave - a box with 2 of them is $25 to ship. That's not that much more than domestic shipping, but I tried to ship a 2 lb book to the UK and was quoted a shipping cost of $16 for a $7 book. Cheap items are not worth shipping internationally unless the buyer just has to have it.

My grandmother (a seller here on Etsy as well) was recently contacted by someone in Switzerland wanting her baskets, though she only has US shipping listed. This article reminds me I should take time to list some international shipping prices on my item pages to possibly encourage other buyers that might not bother to ask.

I recently launched international shipping along with direct check-out, and this combination has made a tremendous difference in my sales! I've had more sales than ever before- and it's so exciting to send something off to somewhere new and know that Littlewings is heading around the globe!

My farthest client/customer was from Japan so the address and name were in Japanese I had to translate it for my local post office so it could be sent, lol I love it when somebody far away tells me how the weather is? I usually loose on the postage but sometimes I break even but it is all good! peace and love, karen

International shipping has been a great addition to my shop. The first year I had a sale in England, Japan and Canada! It's so exciting to say " Yes, I sell internationally! " Only here on Etsy! Figuring out the cost was a bit tricky at first, luckily felt doesn't weigh much, and the USPS has a great web site to help with the calculations. I find it's helpful to mention that around the holidays shipping to other countries takes a bit longer so customers can plan ahead.

This was a really good article. Thanks!

I've always offered international shipping, except on the very large, heavy items. One thing to keep in mind is that while I've had almost no problems with domestic shipments, though a far smaller percentage of my orders are international I've had a few problems with international orders that never arrived at their destination.

Like many others here, I Love to think about where my drawings will be. I always get a thrill to address an envelope to send overseas! (I also love to send them in Australia too!!) I am lucky because my drawings are a consistent weight and size. Calculating postage is much easier. Another heads up -- check quarantine regulations too. Quarantine into Australia is very tight, especially for plant and animal products. Other countries may have restrictions.

Encouraging! Thankyou. I have offered to ship anywhere in the world and am still waiting for takeoff. My first and only sale so far went from here in New Zealand all the way to Germany.

I'm french and I live in Thailand so I only do international shipping. I have customers from Denmark, USA, Singapore and Canada. Nowadays it's very easy to ship for long distance, it's fast and with a tracking number customers can follow their order. ......

I have always shipped international since day one. Maybe because being in the travel / hospitality industry for so many years, I have always dealt with clients overseas. I have had plenty international customers and have lost some money here and there but have learned a lot. I have also found that you can ship many items via Flat Rate Envelope for only $16.95. It works for some clothing, Jewelry, magazines and other things under 4 lbs I get such a kick out of shipping international....love it.

I just had my first international shipment two weeks ago to Australia. I didn't ship outside of US prior (too scared) but Australia convo'd me so I said 'why not'. I use my bathroom scale to calculate an items weight. I stand on it first to get my weight then hold the item in hand and do the math. Heavier items (like tables my husband weighs in). This really helps when going online then to calculate shipping costs. It also helps keep my weight in check because I'm on the scale more. :) International is sooo easy just don't forget the customs form. You can order them online or pick up at your local post office.

International shipping is awesome, and I would recommend to every-one! Great article :)

I am actually a customer and I find it intensely frustrating when US shops don't offer international shipping. When I first started buying on Etsy about three years ago a lot of shops didn't offer international shipping, but thank goodness most do now. The only thing that frustrates me is the amount of shipping sometimes on the product knowing qyuite well is is WAY excessive. If this is the case I usually convo to ask if we can do better (very nicely, I never want to offend) and most are willing, but I find it a bit stressful asking. I normally buy multiple items to make shipping worthwhile, but sometimes when you keep adding things the shipping gets really over the top. Global International bags are great ... for Australia it is about $14 (I think) and you can fit a lot in there. Offering those are fabulous.

The only reason I haven't added an international shipping rate is that I have absolutely no idea what to charge. My items all weigh different amounts and some would require extra packaging and tracking and insurance. I wrote on my listings that a person can contact me if they want an order shipped internationally and I would then calculate the price, but I am not sure if shoppers from other countries will even see my listing if I haven't listed a postage price. I went to the USPS web site to try to estimate, but in order to do that I had to provide the country and city and zip codes and type of shipping....it was just too complicated to do it without knowing exactly where it would go. There should probably be a guide somewhere here on ETSY to show estimated shipping costs.

International shipping was worth figuring out! It helped boost my sales and it is SO exciting to know my things are traveling around the world! I am so thankful for my first international buyers who worked with me while I figured everything out.

Actually, on some of my lighter weight items I did offer "everywhere else" shipping....but I'm nervous,

This is valuable information but comments are all over the place in terms of how easy or difficult and even risky it is to ship internationally. With that said, I am at least inspired to give it a try. Thanks for the posts.

ok am I the only one that has had a problem? I have had one international order to spain. It was approx. a $200 order and the customer said she never got it? The P.O. told me there was no tracking out of the country . Since I was new at this and didn't want to lose the sale, I sent her the order for the 2nd time at my expense. I know she was lying to me because she was upset and said it was a gift for her sister and now it wd be late. When we talked abt that later, she said she had no sister?? Then she changed it and said, oh yea, it was the sister at the convent. She also gave me 2 different addresses? t alk sbt a hard time. For me, it was a loss. On top of that, her feedback wasn't great!

For my customers, 99% are from overseas! I love it. (From Japan to the world)

Barbara the same thing happened to my husband. He sells books online. It is a scam. The woman gave him bad feedback because she said the book "stunk so bad she had to put it in a window to try to get the smell out." He offered to pay postage for the return but she refused to return it because she said it was a gift and she didn't have time to get anything else even though the book had arrived 2 days ahead of schedule. When he offered to allow her to keep the book and refund her money she removed the bad feedback. Before this my husband's rating was 100% and this helped his sales. When her rating lowered his score his sales stopped. In a sense, she was holding his feedback hostage to get the book for free.

We've had great success with international shipping. Without costing a small fortune, the tracking number will prove that the order was shipped from your location, but doesn't prove that it was ever delivered. Workaround? We use stamps.com for processing our orders and insure each international order. We've only had a couple 'not make it' and since they are insured, we file a claim with stamps.com and are reimbursed the amount of the total insured order. There's obviously a delay from the time we file the claim until the time we get refunded and we immediately send out another order to the person that says that never received the first order, but it's worth it to us to offer international shipping and still have piece of mind knowing that we're covered in the event the project doesn't arrive to the buyer.

My first international sale went to Australia and it was easier than I thought it would be. No problems at all :-)

Such a shipping newbie here! Wonderful info!!

So happy to have this information and everyone's comments! I've been shipping internationally for about a year now and at first I just guessed on what to list for prices (I made them the same as within the US!), because I was willing to 'eat the postage' costs. It was a valuable learning experience (and still is! as more countries are added to the list), and so exciting to get an order from an excited customer from another part of the globe! It is excellent advice to just keep tabs on the postal/shipping rate changes. And to write that you ship internationally on every single listing - not just your policy page.

Good to know Wall Star. Thanks.

I was really hoping this would give some insight into customs guidelines, fees and how on earth to fill out the customs forms. That's what I have the most trouble with. Actually figuring out shipping is not problem with the USPS online calculators. But having to explain to international customers that I have no idea if they are going to have their package inspected, be charged additional fees... or worse, taken by customs... is something I'd really like to get cleared up. I've researched this info for literally YEARS now and straight forward answers are not easy to find. Also, sellers need to understand that not everything is OK to ship internationally. Things like feathers, herbs, seeds, fur, etc may hit a brick wall at customs. I think that's an important fact that needs to be mentioned.

no one has said this yet. if you take pay pal you have to ship priority or express(traceable & insured). if you ship first class and the buyer claims not to have gotten it, you are out the money, the shipping and the item.

I don't have a problem figuring out shipping after I know where the product is being shipped to. My problem is knowing how to set the price without knowing where it is going to go or which countries to include. I also don't know if my products will be seen by people in other countries if I don't set a price for international shipping. These posts are very informative though. Thanks.

I'm just glad I'm not the only one that gets that little thrill when I see an order from a new country! I love offering international shipping and agree that I'm a little over and a little under, but it all tends to even out! ^_^ I've shipped to the Netherlands, Turkey, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, and most frequently to England, Canada, and Australia! ^_^

I use stamps.com which allows you to fill out the customs form online and print it and the postage from my studio. It's a great way to see what the exact cost is to any country and it imports the address directly from Etsy.

I completely agree with Jana Miller! How do we fill the customs papers out properly? I have shipped overseas before and never had trouble until recently when I tried to ship to the UK. My customer got slapped with a huge customs fee for much more than item was worth! Never has happened before but it makes me nervous to try that again. Any tips on this would be much appreciated!

This is a great post! I just got my first international sale for Australia. I am super excited!

I absolutely love that we know have so many opportunities to buy and sell all across the world! The costs have greatly decreased in the past several years, so that, by not taking this opportunity of selling internationally would be a shame! Great article, very informative and well put! All of my customers are international sellers from the US and Canada, few from Europe. So it is a real accomplishment whenever I put a smile on someones face across the Globe from Romania! :-D

My most recent orders were overseas. I have had shipping for everywhere else from near the beginning and had just made a rough guess. When an order shipped to Australia cost more than I expected (I lost money), I revised my shipping costs.

I have quite a few ZiBagz out there around the world .. thank you Etsy!! ... it is a really awesome feeling that a part of me is in area I could only dream of visiting. Every time I ship to Australia .. I wonder just how am I going to ship myself along so I can "hand deliver" the package... wishful thinking ♦♦♦

Great post, thank you! I do too work internationally since 1999 and since 2009 on Etsy from Istanbul, TR. This is the big part of my life. It is a great feeling to know that somebody wears my jewelry somewhere around of the world. It is wonderful to have thanks, compliments and friends. I send both items and my sincere positive thoughts internationally. Sincerely, I am thankful Etsy; to be an Etsian adds many positive things to to my humble and hard life. Furthermore, if I could coping for now, it is thanks to Etsy, as well. I have many things to write with this post but enough for now:)

I am from Europe, but I only get sells from USA, Canada and UK.

I am from Europe, but I get sells only from USA, Canada and UK. That's good, but I want more worldwide sellings :D .

Great post! My first international sale was a Day of the Dead necklace that found its home in Austrailia. I wish I could have taken that trip myself!

great info !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!thank you soooooooo much!!!!!i am from europe from day one(6 months ago...) I have offered international shipping and i sold only one piece of jewelery...oh my gosh i am sooooooooooooooo looking forwrd feel the trill and the same excitment again...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thankyou for sharing.. it helps to know your experience..

I have been selling my Fine Art prints from the UK to Usa, Canada, Australia, Japan, Netherlands etc for the last two years. I have had only one parcel go astray and had wonderful conversations with people from all around the world. I love the idea that my artwork is in homes so far from the UK and once you get your postage and packing prices correct (take time with this one) it is as easy as posting to the next village at home. I love it and look forward to many more encounters of an overseas kind.

I am in France and the vast majority of my sales are to the U.S. but also Japan, China, Australia, everywhere really. I couldn't operate without international sales and, once you've done the initial bit of work with shipping charges and customs forms it's simple. I can't understand why, on a site like Etsy, where the world is your oyster, you wouldn't take advantage of having such a large audience for your products. As well as selling internationally, I also buy lots and will pay the shipping charges if I really want the item - it drives me nuts when I only see shipping charges for the U.S. from a U.S. shop and I often can't be bothered to ask if they will ship to me - some don't even bother answering anyway - so they lose the sale. As it says in the introduction to this article, 30% of users are outside of the U.S. so surely it's worth putting in the bit of extra work. One thing I have learnt when estimating shipping is remember to factor in the packaging - it can almost double the final weight in certain cases. Ask me how I know! To Crystal, above, who asked whether international buyers can see her items if she doesn't add international shipping. Yes, we can, but what's the point if you won't ship to us anyway? In answer to the comment about having people lie about having received goods or receiving goods that they weren't happy with - this is not something that only happens with 'foreigners'. I have had similar experiences with selling to people in the U.S. It is not a national trait, it is something that happens sometimes when you sell on the internet - there are dishonest people everywhere. Thankfully, in my experience, it is very rare.

I'm from Lithuania, Europe. I'm making seasonal items - pop color sole felted wool shoes. When it is the summer time in US and Europe, the 85% of my sales go to Australia, New Zealand and Brazil. But when the cold season is coming most of my sales are to US, Canada, some to Europe. I do also like to buy great things from Etsy international sellers, for example mineral beauty products from US, a handbag from Nicaragua, some clothes from US and UK designers, and Christmas gifts from around the world. It is great to have the opportunity and the possibility to show your handmade items to such a big auditory on Etsy!

It is strange how many sellers find selling and shipping internationally a daunting task. One would think that in the global world we live today it is not going to be an issue. Probably 70% of my orders go oversees. As for the shipping costs let us not decide for the customer, it is their choice. Besides, shipping (from the UK) to France will cost the customer the same money as the shipping to Russia (cause it is all Europe) but the distances are very different! I order a lot of supplies from Japan for my silk flower making and I am prepared to pay high shipping fees to the UK simply because I know I won't be able to find these supplies anywhere else. So if a customer falls in love with one of your unique creations they will willingly pay the shipping costs. will they not?

Great post! I have been selling internationally since I started on Etsy. I am based in the UK and I think because we are an island nation us Brits are a bit more confident in selling internationally. I think the key is to be realistic and not promise things on a timeline you know you may not be able to deliver. International customers often contact me worried that they will not get things in time but I try to reassure them and offer priority airsure shipping if a customer needs something stat!

I love the idea that my bridal accessories are worn by brides interntionally. I would estimate that about 2 thirds of my sales are in the USA or Canada where my hair combs are particularly popular. I take the chance that I might underestimate a little on the shipping cost, but so far, I have found my calculations are correct. I don't weigh each item, but most tiaras, most hair combs and most bracelets or necklaces weigh roughly the same so I'm lucky that they fall within the weight limits for the prices I quote.

I always ship internationally too. I'm based in the UK and do think we do it more naturally as we're part of Europe and sending abroad is an everyday kind of thing! I too use a food scale after having underestimated shipping before and its definitely more accurate that way. I think the key to successful shipping internationally is secure packaging. Making sure your items will turn up in perfect condition just as you packed it. I invested in some strong shipping boxes and envelopes and have never had a problem. If its something expensive then I always add on insurance for my own piece of mind.

I have shipped international since I opened at the end of May. Since then all my orders, aside from one I think, have been international despite offering free delivery on some items within the UK. I am often surprised when sellers don't use international shipping.

I've never looked back from adding international shipping to my shop. It a great feeling to know that someone across the other side of the world is buying your product too!

I come from New Zealand and ALL of my sales in the relatively short time I've had my shop open have come from International shipping. If someone likes your products enough they'll pay to ship it.

Great article about international shipping. I really enjoy offering my shop to a global audience. In recent months, half of my sales have been overseas. I too, find it exciting to get an order from a country I've never shipped to before. South Africa was the most recent one for me. Expensive to ship there, BTW. Have a super day!

Hi Kelly, It is a super article! Have a beautiful weekend! :)))

I love being able to see which country my product is going to go to next. I have sometime run into a issue where I lose the sale because I can't ship it any cheaper then what I have posted , but it evens out in the end.

I'm Thai,never selling international before.My first order from USA very excited about it.I just to know etsy.com have the useful for me and i very proud to be working with them.

I ship from France mostly internationnaly , this is why i like selling on Etsy ! ;)

Love my international buyers !

Great post! I have always had a bit of trepidation about shipping internationally, but this raises some excellent points. If you're going to the post office with any regularity anyway, why not? The tip about the food scale is great as well. Thank you!

I was surprised to find a 2 lb. First Class International package to Canada, was actually cheaper than Priority from the USPS, which is how I always ship that size here. I never ship over 4 lbs. international because the price skyrockets but under is very reasonable.

If my sale is a one-off product which cannot easily be replaced cheaply, I always send from UK by Airsure which works for most of the World. You get a number to track and it registers delivery. Mark on your shop description that you use a safer method of sending and be upfront about the extra cost. No-one so far has ever complained and people really appreciate the service even if it does cost £5.30 extra (or £4.90 EU). UK Royal Mail also has an International Signed-For service for airmail or surface mail for only £4.95 + basic post. No-one wants their special purchase to get lost in the postal system. If I sell a paper pattern which does not arrive, I just print another and send it by regular airmail international but also send a pdf by email as a 'sorry' extra.

If an item gets lost, and you send a replacement, do ask your customer to please let you know if ever the first parcel arrives. Tell them to keep it which will encourage them to respond. This will also give you some idea how long parcels may take to arrive to any particular destination for your future sales.

Very interesting, gets me thinkin? Thanks!

International shipping is very easy. I already hat customers from France, Hong Kong and Mexico as well as from Germany. You can go online and check out the postage on the US Postal Service website. It makes it easy to have shipping payments on etsy for different areas in the world. And never ship anything Priority Mail - it is so much more expensive. Use normal shipping boxes; it does not take longer to go where it is supposed to go.

International shipping is easy. I live in The Netherlands and most of my customers live in the United States, Canada and Australia.

I started selling on eBay in 2001 and didn't offer international shipping at first. After one year I decided to expand and offer overseas shipping for my goods and I'm very glad I did. I have a scale so I know the exact weight of the whole package, I calculate the shipping cost and combine it with handling and supply costs , I purchase my overseas postage at the post office (because I send items First Class International primarily and First Class International postage is not offered online), so I have proof of sending the package, and the customs forms are easy to fill out once you go through the steps several times. I've had very little trouble with sending packages worldwide, even to countries that others sellers won't deal with. It's been a very positive experience overall.

Interesting. I will add international shipping.

I would love to ship internationally, but without delivery confirmation and reasonably priced insurance, I can't take the risk. All of my items are one of a kind and cannot be replaced, so I insure all packages over a $20 value. Insurance is just too expensive or not available internationally.

I have always shipped internationally and wouldn't sell on Etsy any other way!

My international client is getting bigger. I am very pleased to have someone from South Africa,UK,Ireland,Canada and Australia buying from me.Couldn't be happier every time i receive a request from them.

In each of my listings I note that the item can be shipped internationally - just send me a convo first-then I calculate postage and place a special order on my page for the customer. I have been able to ship large custom-made orders this way many times to the Netherlands, Germany and Australia. Having a scale it very important to get the cost as close as possible. Always use the post office because most other shipping services (Fedex, DHL...) are door to door and VERY costly.

We agree totally with this posts. Most of our items are fairly light weight and can go First Class. At first we only shipped to certain places, but when I discovered the rates for everywhere else except Canada and the US were the same it made international pricing easy because we only have to show three rates. In our first year we shipped to 18 foreign countries. At least 15% of our sales are international. We have not had a single issue with international shipping even though for first class you can not track the shipment.

Reading this, I am really thinking about adding International shipping! I'm still a little "gun" shy, though!!

My first special order was from France! And I often get orders from Australia, the UK and Canada. You can't print out the shipping labels online like you can for US orders, though.

Thanks LaManche. I'm glad to know my products can be seen anywhere. I will sell to anyone who wants to buy, it's just that I ask on my listings for international orderers to contact me for the shipping fee instead of listing the price before hand. I'm guessing that I would be more likely to make sales if the price was already listed, but I haven't been brave enough to set the price without experience shipping to other countries. I don't want to undercharge, but I don't want to overcharge either. After reading these posts, I think it would be a good idea to just try it and adjust the prices if I am wrong.

I'm from the UK and at least 80% of my orders have been overseas, mostly the US and Canada, a couple even in Australia. Though i expect that will decrease now as since coming back from a 6 month break the shipping price to the US has gone up so much, i couldn't believe it so i now do free combined shipping to try and help encourage people to buy.

I am new Etsy Shop owner & am yet to make my first sell. I am excited....thank you for your wonderful advice!

We just made our first international sale to a purchaser in Finland. It was somewhat exciting. I am so glad that the postmistress at my post office knew exactly what I had to do. Shirley Vick Mary Gary

I had a sale to Australia. It was easier than i thought. But, like someone else mentioned, I wish there was more info on customs ,taxes, etc. This is the part that's confusing to me and makes me hesitate.

I have been wanting to sell internationally but was afraid of the high cost of shipping.Also, I assumed that candles would be subject to search at customs and outrageous fees. Reading all these posts though, I am going to research shipping/custom regulations and hope to start offering internationally. I was amazed to hear how many sales are actually international- for many its more than domestic. I am floored (but happy)!

Adding international postage made a massive difference to my sales - I highly recommend. It's so nice to make contact with people throughout the globe.

Great advice will be checking into international shipping because I really want to tap into that market.

i have no problem selling worldwide but- with just a certificate of mailing as evidence of shipping and no delivery confirmation, paypal charging higher fees for non dollars transactions , i feel unsure about what to charge for shipping and would worry about actual delivery. i have constant problems in usa with delivery confirmation scans- often there are glitches in the systems that allows a package to keep returning to a facility and stays there until a person finds it, hand scans it and sends it to it's rightful place. i spend time on phone dealing with this.

I have just recently started selling on Etsy. I got my first international order from the UK. It was a number of items totaling about $250. When I took it to the post office, they said the only way I could ship and insure and track it was a first class international envelope. I had charged the buyer $9 for shipping, but it ended up costing me $41+ dollars. Then when she received it, she sent an email saying that she was being charged and additional $75 customs and Vat duty. She is angry that I did not make her aware of those charges, but I had no idea that she would be charged such an outrageous fee, and to be perfectly honest, I was not aware that fees like those are charged. This is showing my ignorance, but as Etsy international sellers, are we responsible for any fees? How do the rest of you handle the issue of custom duties? Thanks so much for your help.

I have lots of international sales and actually find that people in Europe are usually much more willing to pay reasonable prices for handmade clothes than people in the US are. I have had a couple of bad experiences with packages getting held up for a long time in customs, but usually it works out in the end. Remember to always fill out your customs forms accurately! It's the only legal way to go.

Great article! I'm an Aussie seller however and am wondering if there are any other Aussie sellers out there who know how to reduce the cost of international shipping? I haven't offered it because p&h is sometimes thrice the cost of my items, it's quite frankly ridiculous. thanks in advance!

We have to sell internationally as we're based in Thailand. Our steel statues are really heavy so a $10 statues might end up costing $50 to ship! It's costing us about 3/4 of orders because, after we invoice customers they decide to cancel. What's frustrating is that we actually hold stock in a fulfillment center in America so we CAN offer our statues faster and cheaper for all customers. Etsy, for some strange reason has confused the idea of selling from a second location with 'dropshipping' therefore won't let us do this. Of course these two concepts cannot be any more different, but until Etsy acknowledge that they really don't know what dropshipping is, we're stuck to selling only from Thailand.

ahh, so excited to see this! Kelly is great and has helped me in the past with international shipping tips. So glad to see her on the blog! xoxo

I was so excited to get an order from Australia. I told my mom I was international and she was stunned! :D

Thank You for the Wonderful Blog article. It really has me thinking. I also loved reading all the comments. Thank you to all of you. Since all my products are light weight, I really should be offering international shipping. Thank you again....need to go. I have work to do.

Great article as well as all the comments. I have not offered international shipping because I figured people wouldn't want to pay the shipping costs. I think I will give it a try. :)

Well, it's been quite and interesting (to say the least) experience for me. Being Italian and moving from Los Angeles, where I could find everything I needed, to a beachtown in Costa Rica, where I can't find almost anything I need, has taken a lot of effort on my side looking for materials and at the same time still making my products of a great quality. I cannot make everything I want, I cannot find all the things I have in mind and the prices here are very high down here. The good thing is that now I can ship with Certified International mail at a pretty decent price and my customers can get a tracking number to see where their purchases are. I have been adjusting during these months, but I still have more to do. Can't wait to be all settles in after all these changes! :)

Great post. Thank you.

Great article, exactly the help and push I needed.

I don't know why more people don't ship internationally, I love to do it, always have.

I love my international customers and have enjoyed getting convos from all over the world. I mainly ship to the UK and Austrailia, but recently sent a package to the Ukraine. I always breathe a sigh of relief when I get feedback that they have received their package! I always try to make up an extra item in case something gets lost but knock on wood, have been lucky to far! Great article...have enjoyed the replies also!

I am in the UK, before moving to Etsy my online sales were about 80% winthin the UK. Now my sales are about 90% USA and Canada. If I had not started out as International seller on here I would be very quite and have left a long time ago! The UK is still a big untapped market for Etsy, but hopefully that will change.

Is there a shipper from Canada that can give me some pointers on shipping and costs to post for items please? I am just starting to get a shop together. Thanks

I am so glad to have found this post! I just got my first international order to the UK and I am a bit nervous about the whole process. I am hoping I haven't underestimated the cost too much but SO excited that someone will be sipping their first morning coffee out of a cup I painted just as I am putting my head down on my pillow for the night!

I have been selling on ETSY for just over one year. I sell to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United Sates, I ship from the United States...and I have repeat orders from some of these customers. If you do not ship internationally..do give it a try.

For Sparkle: shipping to Canada - International First Class runs just about the same as shipping to US First Class...maybe a $1.00 or so more depending on the weight.

Cheers to international selling! I've been selling and have purchased internationally through Etsy. It sure makes the world seem a whole lot smaller.

Good post; However, if you own a registered business along with business insurance, you need to check with your business insurance company to see if international sales are covered. Here in Canada, most insurance companies say you can only do international sales if you have an incorporated or LTD company. Sole and partner companies do not qualify for international sales because of potential legalities and lawsuits.

I am inspired to try shipping. The goal to allow international shipping on bagsYOUtote within 30 days.

As a new shop owner, international shipping makes me nervous. After reading this article and many positive comments, I don't feel so intimidated. Thank you for the tips!

Yeah, but what about shipping breakables like pottery? which is also heavier and more expensive to ship. International insurance claims!! Arrgh

Ok so I would like to ship internationally so I researched it and to ship from Reisterstown, MD to Ontario, Canada via UPS for a 1lb purchase in their smallest box holding up to 2lbs cost $115.29!!!! I checked 2 other countries too and they were the around the same cost. Is this true? I was expecting something like $50. Have the rest of you encountered this? Is it really $115 to ship internationally and do customers actually pay this???

I have same problem with Leah Mason. The shipping cost is sometimes more than the price of the product itself.

Leah, did you actually take it to the post office and get their cost??? I wrap my jewelry in bubble wrap and use a light weight cushioned Mailer called Jiffy TuffGard You can call 1800-648-9093 for more info. I don't know how much your products weighs but check it out I signed into International Shipping three weeks ago and got my first order within a week. It only cost me $3.00 to the UK -with a 5-7 day arrival time. It was a scary decision and I immediately had an inquiry from Russia about my Christmas snowflake Earrings so I added Russia! I have Canada, Australia, Germany, Russia, UK, and 2 others. I make jewelry and it's pretty light in weight!! Your work, which is fantastic, shouldn't cost that much. I don't use the boxes- check with you post office for a soft package mailing. Hope you have better luck! JJ

Great article and discussions too! I am new here and located in Indonesia which definitely will allow me to have international sales. So rather than putting 'everywhere else' on the list, it would be a hundred times better to list each country's shipping cost? I sell supplies and it would vary in weight which diverse the costs even more, or is there any simpler way to determine the cost?

this is a great post ! I live in France, and i just opened my shop here on Etsy. I am glad to read this article, i feel like i'm doing it the right way :)

I love shipping International! I had always shipped Internationally by first class, but now ship by priority, which is insured and ships much quicker. Any sale over $100 goes by express, with guaranteed delivery confirmation. Recently, I had 2 buyers one from Germany and another from Turkey open PayPal disputes on merchandise they claim they never received. Well, first class can take a long time, 4 to 8 weeks and varies from country to country, not to mention time spent in customs. Both were very new to Etsy and I should have known better, but in order for this not to happen again, I have to charge a a lot for priority. I feel badly, but I can't afford to give things away.

Great story; thanks for sharing! We use international shipping and find a lot more customers that way. We love including everyone in our shop. We live in the U.S. and have sold a couple of items to Canada and even one to Australia!

Until a Canadian shipping calculator is available for Etsy, it is really hard to estimate, even Small Packet Air as the shipping charges vary from one country to another. Maybe Etsy could team up with Inkfrog???

This is great advise and excellent tip for calculating international shipping - I was concerned on how to determine the international shipping fee to charge - your tip has helped clear the worries! Thank you!

I have been in a bit of ahead spin about the amount of info I feel I need to know before opening up a shop. I really like comment from Debbie (the little market) who said "just dive in". Thank you for a helpful post Kelly! :)

Howdy. Still struggling with overseas prices. Is the USPS the cheapest? I sell jewelry, crystals, my candle holders can be heavy. My problem is the shipping is costing more than the item. I am loosing this business. If someone can help, I would appreciate it. Thanks

Thank you! I will study and wait for the first order, to purchase the first experience of delivery =)

Great blog! GO INTERNATIONAL! It's the best way to turn the whole world into a small, village-like community of artisans! Most people are willing to pay a little more for a product they really want so I strongly encourage shop-owners to do the little homework required to look up rates for shipping internationally. PLUS, it helps Etsy grow!

Great blog post. GO INTERNATIONAL! It helps turn the world's artisans into a small, village-like community where everyone's work is appreciated! Shop owners: take the extra time to look up the shipping rates to various countries. It will boost your sales AND help Etsy to expand!

I'm a UK seller and have always posted internationally via Standard Airmail but I have always had problems with delivery taking too long. Royal Mail claim standard airmail will be delivered within 5 days but most of my US orders have taken between 20 and 28 days to arrive. I've now had to advise of this in my policies and have not had an international order since. I could use Airsure but that advises 4 days and I don't trust it to be much quicker. I've just had my first request for an express delivery to the US I failed to meet my customers requirements as I hadnt looked into it and the time difference made communication slow and missed the deadline. It would have cost $70 to guarantee next day delivery or $40 to guarantee 3 day delivery. It's just too much and there's no cheaper option for it taking slightly longer but still being guaranteed. This customer has now requested delivery within 12 days from today and I've had to basically say take a risk on it not arriving on time for $9.43 with airsure or get it guaranteed within 3 days for $40 with ParcelForce. Any UK sellers have any advice?

Does anyone ship from USA to Panama City Panama? Now that international rates have doubled I am not sure what the cost will be. How do i find info on this. I may have an opportunity to sell to hostels in this area. thanks so much for any help.

Hello. I haven't had any problems with shipping Internationally until this year when the USPS raised their prices so high, that I have lost most of my International sales. Before my sales Internationally were about 25%-30% of my total sales. I cannot figure out a way to reduce these USPS prices, so that I can get more business overseas. I doubled in price. Even to Canada, it use to be about the same as sending within the U.S. and has actually almost tripled to send there. I sold a lot to Australia, and have only sold one item to Australia since the price hike. So does anyone have any suggestions? I sell bath and body products, so they are lumpy, and have to be packaged well, as most are liquids. Any thoughts????

Great article, I will consider shipping internationally, Thank you :)