More than 90% percent of US-based Etsy sellers rely on the United States Postal Service (USPS) to deliver packages to their customers. However, long-standing funding shortfalls and the impact of COVID-19 mean sellers, and millions of Americans, are experiencing unexpected postal delays.

Etsy is here for you during this challenging time. Find out what we’re doing to support sellers. Plus, get our tips for communicating with customers about delays and learn how you can share your support for the USPS.

What Etsy’s doing

Extending delivery estimates

We know how important it is to communicate clear expectations to your customers. In April we added an extra day to USPS estimates because of delivery delays. We’re continuing to closely track actual delivery times and will add additional days to our estimates if needed. We’ll make sure to let you know if our delivery estimates for USPS change.

In the past few months, we’ve also added extra days to delivery estimates for countries outside the US to give shoppers more info about when their orders will arrive.

Negotiating the best rates for sellers

We work closely with our partners at the biggest shipping carriers to give Etsy sellers access to the best rates and services available. We’re always looking at alternative options we can offer to Etsy sellers to give them the great rates and exceptional service they expect. As always, when you purchase USPS postage on Etsy, you can save up to 30% compared to retail rates at the post office.

We have your back if something goes wrong

These are challenging times for small business owners who rely on the postal service. During this time, we’ve paused Etsy’s order dissatisfaction rate (ODR). This means that low reviews or cases you receive as a result of shipping issues outside of your control will not have any impact on your shop's standing on Etsy.

If you don’t think an order will arrive on time, it’s always best to reach out directly to the shopper to let them know. If you have questions or concerns about reviews or cases you receive as a result of shipping delays, reach out to Etsy Support.

What you can do

Keep your processing times up to date

Make sure your current processing times accurately reflect how long it takes you to prep an order. We combine your processing time and the carrier’s standard shipping time to create the estimated delivery date that shoppers see. Since we’re including carrier delays in our estimate, you don’t need to add additional days to your processing times to account for those. Update your processing times.

Communicate with customers

If you expect there will be a delay with an order, let the buyer know. Etsy shoppers understand that you’re a small business, and sending them a note goes a long way toward making them feel even more confident about both you as a business owner and when their order will arrive. Send a message as soon as possible if you think the order won’t arrive by the estimated delivery date.

If you need more time to get an order ready to ship, you can update the ship-by date as long as the original ship-by date hasn’t passed. You should message the customer first to make sure the new ship-by date and estimated delivery date work for them. Here’s some example language you can use in your message. Be sure to tailor it to your unique situation:

• Thanks so much for your order! This is a one-person shop and I need a little bit more time to get your order ready. I’m planning to ship your order on DATE. Does that new date work for you?

If you notice a delay caused by the carrier after the order has shipped, it’s still a good idea to communicate with your customers and let them know what’s going on. You could send a message like:

• I wanted to update you on the status of your order. Due to disruptions from COVID-19 and potential shipping carrier delays, there’s a chance your package may not arrive on the original estimated date. Please feel free to message me if you have any questions.

You can also add a note to your shop announcement letting shoppers know they may experience shipping delays. We moved the announcement section back to the top of your shop home to help you communicate with your customers during this time. Edit your announcement.

Contact your congressperson and stand with the USPS

The USPS provides essential services to small business owners. Etsy supports the bill introduced in the Senate, the Postal Service Emergency Assistance Act (S.4174), which would provide additional funding for the USPS during COVID-19 and provide more long-term stability. Write your representative to let them know how important the USPS is to small business owners like you. We’ve made it easy with a template letter and tool you can use to find your representative. Share your support here.