Is Etsy Plus Worth It? Who Should Subscribe Who Shouldnt
Is Etsy Plus worth it?
If you are an established Etsy seller with a high volume of sales, you’ve mastered Etsy SEO, you use Etsy Ads each month and list many new items, AND most importantly you benefit from the discounts offered then Etsy Plus is for you.
If you are a newer Etsy seller or with lower sales, don’t use ads that frequently, and cant make use of the discounts then Etsy Plus is NOT for you.
What is Etsy Plus?
Etsy Plus is a subscription package that offers a range of benefits.
For $10 per month on top of existing Etsy fees, Etsy Plus subscribers get the following each month you remain subscribed.
- 15 Listing Credits
- $5 of Ad credits
- Ability to use custom web domain
- Restock requests
- Shop customizations including carousel banner and mixed grid of featured items or sections
- Supply discounts on business cards and custom shipping boxes
Benefits Of Etsy Plus
Let’s have a look in more detail at the Etsy plus benefits and features you get for your $10 a month subscription cost.
Listing Credits & Ad credits
Etsy Plus offers 15 listing credits and $5 Etsy Ads credit included in your Etsy Plus subscription.
Ads can be used to boost your listing’s visibility in search, but $5 doesn’t go very far.
Listing credits can be used to add more products to your store or relist items that haven’t sold.
If you’re getting sales on Etsy then the credits can be used to list your item after a sale.
Worth It? Kinda: Listing credits yes, Ad Credits, only if you are running ads anyway.
Custom Domain – Web Address Discounts
Sign up to Etsy plus and you can get a free “.store” domain and 50% off select domain extensions like “.com”, “.net”, “.shop”, “.ca”, “.uk”, “.fashion”.
Hover charge $16.99 per year for a new customer buying a .com domain. 50% means a saving of $8.45
Is it really a saving though? You can often get great discounts on domains for the first year. For example NameCheap sell .com domains for $5.98 for your first year.
So actually you are better off buying your domain elsewhere and redirecting it yourself.
Just go to your Domain registrar (where you bought it from) and redirect it to your Etsy shop URL. This costs nothing if you already have a domain.
Worth It? No – Cheaper to get a domain elsewhere.
Advanced Etsy Shop customization
You can customize your shop’s visual appeal and make it stand out from the competition with advanced customization options available through Etsy Plus.
By subscribing to this service, you gain access to a range of additional features that can help you personalize your shop and create a unique brand identity.
With advanced shop customization, you get:
Multiple shop banner options, including a carousel option – are ideal for showing your customers more products and information about your shop.
Enhanced featured listing layout where you can feature 5 items or sections. This allows you to showcase specific products or shop sections, attracting the attention of potential buyers.
These options are not available to non-subscribers and the advanced customization options make your shop really stand out from other stores once a user clicks through.
Its a nice inclusion of your Etsy Plus subscription but not worth paying for in its own right.
Worth it? It’s nice but not game-changing.
Restock Requests
With restock requested functionality, which is only available through Etsy Plus, a buyer can sign up to be notified when you relist an item that is out of stock.
As an Etsy Shop owner, you will get a notification too, and will be able to see the restock request.
The feature is helpful as it means you are less likely to lose a buyer just because the item is out of stock.
Worth It? – Yes a good feature
Other Discounts & Perks
Etsy Shipping Boxes
Want to design your own custom delivery boxes? Well, you can with Packhelp. Etsy gives 15% off each order.
Worth It? Only if you want to go the extra mile and use custom boxes.
Business Cards & Printables
If you need promotional materials like business cards, fliers etc then you can get 30% off at Moo with Etsy Plus.
Worth It? Only if you need promotional materials and Moo is cheaper for what you need.
With both discounts, it’s worth checking that you can’t get the items cheap elsewhere. As we’ve seen with the domain just because Etsy offers a discount, doesn’t mean its cheaper.
Cons of Etsy Plus
Only $5 ads credit
You can blow through this very quickly. Why this figure isn’t higher, I’m not sure.
Disappointing Discounts
The 15% of PackHelp and 30% off at Moo arent really groundbreaking and won’t provide much value to many sellers. Promotional materials and custom boxers arent top of many sellers’ wishlists.
eRank or Marmalead discount would be far better.
1-year Domain Name Discount
The discount on the domain name is laughable. You can get a domain name cheaper from many other domain registrars. The fact the discount only applies to the first year is also disappointing.
How to Upgrade to Etsy Plus
To subscribe to Etsy Plus is simple. Just go follow these steps:
- On Etsy.com, click Shop Manager.
- Click Settings.
- Click Your subscription.
- Click Upgrade under Etsy Plus.
- Click Confirm.
How To Cancel Etsy Plus
You can cancel your subscription at any time and you are not tied in for a period other than the month you have paid for.
- Log in to your account on the website.
- Go to ‘Shop Manager’
- Head to the ‘Subscriptions’ section.
- Select your subscription and change it to standard.
Do I Use Etsy Plus?
Having sold on Etsy since 2020, I have never subscribed to Etsy Plus.
- I have no need for a domain discount – I already own one for my store
- I dont run ads that often,
- I dont use packaging (my POD supplier does that for me)
- I have no need for discounted promotional materials
If I used Etsy ads each month, then maybe.
Conclusion – Etsy Plus Subscription – Good For Some?
There are pros and cons of Etsy Plus. Etsy has tried to offer perks to help you make more sales but I feel they have come up short.
At only $10 Etsy Plus is tempting but if you’re on a tight budget you may feel Etsy fees are already too high.
Many Etsy sellers will easily get value from the $8 worth of $5 ad credits and $3 of listing fees (0.20 * 15)
If you are one and you can benefit from the promotional or packaging discounts, then Etsy Plus is worth it.
For me, Etsy Plus is not worth it.
You need to analyze the benefits for your business: Each business is different. Consider if the features and discounts provided by Etsy Plus may be worthwhile for you or not.
Etsy Plus: FAQs
Do Etsy Plus Credits Roll Over?
Not the listing credits and ad credits the Etsy Plus service offers do not roll over if they are not used. It’s use it or lose it.
Does Etsy Plus Improve Sales?
On its own, no. Could it help? Yes.
Does Etsy Plus Improve Your Search Rankings?
No Etsy Plus does not improve or alter how your products are shown in Etsy search results.
How much is etsy plus?
Etsy Plus is $10 per month.
Is Etsy Plus worth it?
For some sellers Etsy Plus can provide more value than the $10 subscription costs, but only if you can benefit each month from the discount provided, list more than 15 items, and spend more than $5 a month on ads.
Do you need Etsy Plus to sell on Etsy?
No you do not need Etsy Plus to sell on Etsy. Etsy Plus is an optional enhancement.
