Etsy Share And Save Program: What Is It? Should I Care?
Looking to increase your profits as an Etsy seller?
Look no further than the Etsy Share and Save program!
By participating, you can share links to your shop and enjoy reduced transaction fees. It’s like having your own personal affiliate program.
Boost your profits and take advantage of this new way to save!
But, it’s not for everyone. Read on to see if it’s right for you.
TL/DR
- Etsy launched a new program called Share And Save
- The program is free and easy to join
- It enables you to earn a 4% refund on orders placed on your store via a link you have shared outside of Etsy.
- As Etsy transaction fees are 6.5% I feel the 4% on offer is pretty low.
- Not everyone should participate in the program; Website owners and those who use the affiliate program
What Is The Etsy Share And Save Program?
The Share and Save program on Etsy provides a platform for Etsy sellers to share links as they typically would to attract customers to their shops. However, participating in this program offers an added benefit of a reduced transaction fee.
By driving traffic to their Etsy shops, sellers are rewarded with a 4% refund on orders that came through a valid link.
Although similar to an affiliate program, the Share and Save program differs in that affiliate programs generally focus on promoting others’ products, whereas Share and Save is for promoting your own products.
The program solely allows sellers to direct traffic to their own shops.
Etsy refers to the benefits received in this program as refunds, rather than affiliate payments, as it operates on a rebate system. This distinction is highlighted in Etsy’s Terms Of Use.
Example Savings
If a buyer clicks through to your Etsy Shop via a correctly formatted link and purchases one of your items, here is an example of how much you could save:
Sale: $100
Etsy Seller Program Refund: $4
Pretty simple right? It is, but make sure you read the small print and understand what does and doesn’t count.
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The Small Print
- Shoppers must order within 30 days of clicking your link for it to be counted as part of the Share & Save Program.
- You will only receive the 4% refund from traffic you drive from outside of Etsy.
- The last click counts. If a buyer’s last click from an offsite ad, that order won’t be eligible for Share & Save and the Offsite Ads fee will apply.
- You will not get the 4% refund if you buy things from yourself.
- You don’t receive any benefit if someone clicks through your link but buys from another Etsy shop.
- If the purchase is refunded, you don’t get to keep the 4% refund.
For the full details of the program check out Etsy’s Terms Of Use page
How To Sign Up to Etsy Share and Save
Joining Share & Save is easy and can be done through the Shop Manager.
Go to Shop Manager > Marketing > Share & Save and click on ‘Join now‘ button and follow the steps to accept the program terms.
Who Can Sign Up?
Nearly all Etsy Sellers can sign up to the Etsy Share and Save Program.
The Share & Save program is available to all shops worldwide in good standing, so unless your shop has been violating Etsy’s terms and conditions or is currently suspended, you should be able to sign up.
Link Format
For sales to be counted for refunds, you must use the correct format for your links.
Share and save links must be shopname.etsy.com
It is a unique link just for you as no one else has your Etsy Shop name.
Links formatted etsy.com/shop/yourshopname are not valid.
Go and update your social media profiles with the correct link format to make sure you aren’t missing out.
Where To Share Links?
Etsy Sellers should share links on social media, e.g.
- Facebook pages
- Facebook profiles
- Instagram profiles
- Pinterest accounts
- In all social media posts
If you send out a newsletter make sure you include it in there.
Email your customers? You should also include the URL in your email signature.
Check Out Etsy’s Ultimate Guide to Social Media for more social ideas
Any offline marketing. If people type them incorrectly it will still work.
Etsy also provides a QR code for your link which can make it easier to direct friends to your store using the correct link format.
To find your QR code just go to Shop Manager > Marketing > Share and Save
Is The Program Right For Me?
The Etsy Seller Program is not right for everyone, especially the following groups of people:
If you sell on your own website and on Etsy, there is more benefit to you in driving traffic to your website and not to Etsy.
If you are a member of the Etsy Affiliate program and share your affiliate links on all your social media then I would not use the share and save program as the Etsy Affiliate program offers better returns and pays regardless of what the shopper buys (i.e. if they buy from another shop).
How To Opt Out of Share and Save
To opt out of Share & Save, go to Shop Manager > Marketing > Share & Save.
Click on ‘How can I opt out of Share & Save?’ in the FAQ section and then click ‘Opt out‘.
How To Track Savings
There are a number of ways to track savings.
You will see the Share & Save badge on the orders page to indicate the order that came from Share & Save.
Details about each order and the 4% refund can be found in the payment account section ( Shop Manager > Finance > Payment Account )
Why Has Etsy Released The Etsy Share and Save Program?
Etsy wants to drive more organic traffic to the marketplace.
With millions of Etsy Sellers, the program encourages shop owners to share their store and listing links more often to drive traffic to their Etsy Shop and increase organic traffic to the platform.
The 4% on offer by Etsy is cheaper for them than paying for traffic through ads.
Wrap Up
Etsy Share and Save is a free program that rewards and encourages sellers to share their links outside of Etsy and send traffic to the marketplace. In return, Etsy will give sellers a 4% refund on your Etsy bill for all eligible orders.
If you want to share your links and bring traffic to Etsy listings in your shop the program could help reduce fees.
You need to make sure the link is in the correct format SHOPNAME.etsy.com and orders must be placed within 30 days of clicking on the link.
However, the program isn’t for everyone. If you own your own eCommerce store, you are better to continue to drive traffic to your website instead.
If you are a member of the Etsy Affiliate program offered via Awin, you are more likely to be able to earn more through that as it offers more flexibility e.g. ability to earn from purchases from shops other than your own.
Will I be using the Etsy Share and Save Program? No, I use the affiliate program and have other ecommerce stores so my efforts are better placed to continue to drive traffic to those.
But for most people, a 4% reduction for simply using a URL in a certain format, is a no-brainer. Thanks, Etsy.
FAQ
Do I Need To Participate In Offsite Ads To be Eligible for Etsy Share and Save?
No, You do not need to participate in offsite ads to be eligible for Etsy Share and Save. All Etsy shops that are in good standing with Etsy can join the program.
Are Links In Etsy Messages Eligible for Etsy Share and Save?
No, links in Etsy Messages are not eligible for Etsy Share and Save as the traffic must come from outside of Etsy.
Can I use a URL shortener like Bitly for Etsy Share and Save?
Yes, Etsy has confirmed that you can use a URL shortener for your Etsy Share and Save Links.
