Seller Handbook

I’m Brendan Mulryan and I’ve been leading Etsy’s Support team for the past six years. We support buyers and sellers at every step of their journeys, ensuring our users have reliable experiences on Etsy.

Every day our team works to ensure Etsy is a safe and trusted place to shop—so your extraordinary items can shine. We know every order is an opportunity to make an impression on shoppers, and that’s as important to your business as it is to ours. That’s why in 2024 we’re making updates to the shop onboarding process so we can better protect the amazing marketplace, and community, we’ve built together.

We’ll be making these changes over the next few months and they’ll only apply to newly created shops. That means your existing shop won’t be affected. But if you decide to open an additional shop, your NEW shop could be subject to these new requirements—even if you’ve been selling on Etsy for a while.

Read on to learn more about each of the updates we’re making to strengthen onboarding for new shops.

1. Adding an enhanced identity check to the shop set-up process

We’ll be introducing a new method of identity checks to the shop set-up process so we know that new shop owners are who they say they are. They’ll be asked to upload a photo ID, like a driver’s license or passport, and take a selfie using their computer or phone. To complete these checks, we’ve partnered with Persona, a third-party company certified to the highest industry standards for security.

We prioritize working with vendors who share our values and put people first, and after vetting multiple potential vendors our team feels confident Persona does both. Learn more about Persona’s security standards.

2. Introducing a shop set-up fee to support enhanced security and verification

We’re committed to keeping Etsy safe and secure so sellers can feel confident building their businesses here. We’re rolling out a new-shop set-up fee, which will help us provide enhanced security checks and continued support for new shops.

We’ll start by introducing this fee to some new shops. They’ll pay a one-time set-up fee of $15 before they can open for business. We’ll clearly communicate if the fee applies during the shop set-up process. This nonrefundable upfront investment will help to ensure new shops are committed to running a business on Etsy.

3. Exploring changes to payment schedules for new shops

We want to create a better, more trustworthy experience for buyers who purchase from brand-new shops. We’re exploring changes to payment schedules for new shops until they have a proven track record of sales on Etsy. These changes may affect how long new shops need to wait for their funds to become available. We’re making these updates to help ensure sellers who are just getting started can fulfill their orders or provide refunds when needed.

New shops will see their payment schedule right in their Shop Manager after they complete onboarding.

What’s next

We’ll be introducing and testing out these changes over the next few months. And while we’re working to raise the bar for new members of our community, we’re equally committed to keeping them safe and helping them thrive once they’re here. We’ll continue to focus on education and adding protections to help sellers avoid scams that target new business owners.

These updates are critical to keeping our marketplace safe and we’re excited to continue our efforts to strengthen the Etsy seller community so that everyone can thrive on Etsy. And one more quick reminder: These changes ONLY apply to newly created shops.