To buy items, you'll need to create an Etsy account (it's free and easy – see the
General FAQ for details). You purchase items on Etsy directly from the
seller, using whatever payment method you specify when checking out (e.g. PayPal,money order, check etc.). Keep in
mind that every seller must be paid individually; you do not pay Etsy.
Each seller may have their own return policy, shipping options and payment options. Be sure to check the seller's
Shop Policies page for that info. If you have questions about any of these, it's best to contact the seller
directly before making the purchase.
Why am I required to register before being able to buy anything?
Our feedback system relies on being able to identify the parties involved in every transaction. Your username is the
unique identifier which makes this possible.
It easy and free to register. Check out this step-by-step guide to learn how:
The shopping cart allows you to gather items you want to
buy in one place and facilitates the checkout process. To add an item to your shopping cart, click on the green Add
to Cart button on the right side of the item listing page. If you change your mind, click the blue Remove link near
that item in your cart. Once you've got everything you want, click the big green Checkout button and following the
on-screen instructions. You'll need to buy everything in your cart at one time.
If you are just browsing, save the items to your Favorites instead of your shopping cart. When you are ready to make
a purchase, you can go to Your Etsy >
Favorites, and then add the items you'd like to buy to your shopping cart. For more information on using
Favorites, see the General FAQ.
See here for a detailed walk through of purchasing an item on Etsy:
Items in your cart are not removed from a shop or reserved for you until you complete the checkout process. The
majority of items on Etsy are one-of-a-kind and thus tend to sell out quickly, so it's a bit risky to leave items
in your cart for too long.
If a seller sells an item you have your eye on, check their shop to see if they have restocked the item. You can
also contact them through Conversations to get
more information.
If the listing was not sold, it is possible that the seller edited the listing while the item was in your cart.
Simply remove the item from your cart, then re-add it from the seller's shop.
How do I ship to multiple shipping addresses?
When you checkout at Etsy, you can only ship to one shipping address during checkout. For example, say you had items
that you wanted to ship to yourself and your friend as a gift, do the following steps:
Make sure you are logged in to your Etsy account. You will know you are signed in when your account name
appears in the right hand corner of the browser when you are on Etsy.com.
View items in your cart. A link to the cart will always appear on the upper left corner of your browser when
you are on Etsy.com.
Move items from your cart to your favorites. Each item will have a link called "move to favorites". When
clicked, this will take items from your cart and put them in your favorites list. You would move all items you
wanted to ship as a gift into your favorites list.
Checkout using your address as the shipping address.
Go back to your favorites and add the items for your gift address back in the cart.
Checkout using the gift address as the shipping address.
How do I pay the seller?
On the final page of the checkout, there will be instructions on how to pay depending on the payment method you
chose. Please note that if you purchase items from multiple shops, each seller must be paid individually. If you
navigate away from the check out page, you can access this information by visiting the Invoice page for this
transaction. Just go to Your Etsy > Purchases, and click the Invoice link next to the transaction information.
If you're paying by PayPal or credit card via PayPal, there will be a big green button that says Pay Now with
PayPal. Click here to be transferred to a secure PayPal page where you can pay the seller.
If you are paying by check, money order or another method, please contact the seller via
Conversations to arrange payment.
Is Etsy in USD? How do I handle currency conversions?
Right now you can only list items in United States Dollars (USD) on Etsy. PayPal (also used for credit card sales)
will automatically convert your currency, but all other sales, such as money order and check, need to be
calculated by you. We hope to offer built-in currency conversion in the future.
What is PayPal, how does it work on Etsy, and how do I buy items with it?
PayPal™ is an online payment processing company widely used on the Internet to
facilitate sales transactions, including credit card payments. You might think of PayPal as a big credit card
machine. They will "run" your card for the seller. The seller will never see your credit card number. Etsy is not
affiliated with or subsidized by PayPal.
For more info and assistance with PayPal, check out these resources:
Do I need to create a PayPal account before I checkout?
No. Just click on the PayPal option upon Etsy checkout and follow the instructions.
Do I have have to be a member of PayPal to submit a payment by credit card?
No. However, if you'd like an account, follow PayPal's instructions for set up. You'll just need an email address
and a password. Creating an account will entitle you to PayPal protection services and other perks.
Buyers can submit payment by credit card through PayPal without having a PayPal account. Check out this helpful
walk through of that process:
No. At this time, we are unable to offer site-wide gift certificates. We love this idea though, and we are working
to find a way to offer gift certificates in the future!
As a buyer, how I do I report a problem with a transaction?
If you have problems with your transaction, please contact the seller directly via Etsy
Conversations to work toward a resolution. If
the seller does not respond to your Conversations, and you believe that items have not shipped as promised,
you may file a Transaction Report. If
you paid with PayPal, you may contact their customer support
to inquire about a claim for refund. Please use the feedback system to review the seller's product and service.
For more info and assistance with PayPal, please visit:
How do I report a problem with an item I received?
If you have problems with your item, contact the seller via Etsy
Conversations to work toward a solution. Please
use the Etsy feedback system to review the seller's product and service. If you paid with
PayPal, you may contact their customer support to inquire
about an "item not as described" claim. If you believe you have received an illegal or
harmful product, please contact qualified authorities.
For more info and assistance with PayPal, please visit:
