From vintage items, handmade products, accessories, to secondhand possessions, there is no limit to what you can sell on Depop. It may be viewed as an online thrift store but this London-based fashion resale marketplace goes beyond that. It has been touted as a cross between Instagram and eBay for emphasizing aesthetics on top of e-commerce.
Items sold on this platform are most often than not very affordable, attracting a range of potential buyers especially students. As such, Depop primarily targets younger millennials to Gen Z who are also strong social media users.
Selling on this marketplace is not as simple as taking photos. From setting the price, considering shipping fees, to counting your sales, here is what you need to know about Depop’s selling fees.
Connecting PayPal
Before you start creating listings, you should create and link your PayPal account to your Depop account. As it has no payment system of its own, Depop currently uses PayPal for all of its transactions. Every sale or purchase you make, even when it is paid via credit/debit card, goes through the e-commerce company.
Before anything else, ensure that your PayPal is verified to avoid encountering problems when receiving your payments later on.
Given that you will be using their payment system, the PayPal transaction fee takes up 2.9% + $0.30 in the USA while 2.9% + €0.30 in the UK. These apply to your sales for commercial transactions but they have different additional ones for international transactions.
Unlike Poshmark, Depop has limited options for online payments. You can only do so via PayPal or credit card or debit card. Cash and checks are not accepted.
Defining the price
When pricing your items, it pays to do your research. Look up listings of items from online marketplaces that are similar to yours and make the price slightly cheaper. This encourages users to purchase your listings. Beyond comparison, research the value of your product in the market, especially if it is a limited-edition item. With this, you can give importance to it though you may initially think no one would want to buy it. Once you have your initial research done, factor in the shipping costs and postal fees. This involves weighing the overall package accurately, including the bubble wrap, boxes, and other protective materials.You don’t want to simply estimate the values in this part; otherwise, you may end up shouldering unnecessary costs.
Shipping costs
It's essential that as a seller, you should have already decided whether you will be adding the shipping fee to the cost of the item, or let the buyer shoulder it. In both scenarios, you must be up-to-date with the current rates of freight or shipment because your computation will be affected. Instead of earning profits, you might be on the losing end.
Here is Depop’s guide on estimated shipping costs nationwide:
- Dresses - $7.00
- Tops - $5.00
- T-shirts and Vest Tops - $5.00
- Outerwear - $10.00 to $15.00
- Jeans - $8.00
- Shoes - $15.00
- Jewelry and smaller items - $5.00
Always send your items using tracked postage. This will avoid issues and will give you protection as a seller should a dispute arise. Packages that do not have tracking are not covered by Depop’s Protection Policy. You must include the tracking number during shipment so you can inform your buyer of the status of their orders.
If you prefer to do your own shipping, here are Depop’s fees for shipping labels:
- Extra Small - $3.75 (First Class - less than 4 oz)
- Small - $4.75 (First Class - less than 8oz)
- Medium - $6.75 (First Class - less than 1lb)
- Large - $11.00 (Priority Mail - less than 2lb)
- Extra Large - $15.00 (Priority Mail - less than 10lb)
Aside from having the packages shipped with tracked postage, ship your items only to the address shown on the in-app receipt. Shipment of goods to an address other than the one indicated is not allowed.
In case a buyer requests such, inform them that you will refund their payment and they will need to update the address on the app. They need to buy the item again afterward so that it will be treated as a new transaction. Depop will refund the seller of the Depop selling fee for the previous transaction.
As much as possible, you want everything to be in order. It is essential that as the seller, you should be on top of everything. Should an unavoidable dispute arise, proofs that you have shipped the goods are important.
To be protected by Paypal, ensure that you have the tracking number, first line of buyer’s address, the buyer’s postcode, and date of shipment—all indicated on your postage receipt.
To avoid keeping loads of receipts on hand, we suggest that you take photos of these and save them on your phone—be it ios or android.
Depop Fees
Unlike Etsy, Depop does not charge listing fees. Even when your product doesn’t get sold, you wouldn’t have to pay for anything. You can simply adjust your listing and post it again.
However, once a sale is made, Depop instantly collects 10% of the total transaction amount, plus the shipping cost. The standard Paypal transaction fees also apply and so you have to consider all these when calculating your total profit.
What is good about Depop is it shows the shipping price outright. So, you should research and weigh each of your items well. Otherwise, you may encounter trouble in having your packages shipped through different delivery services.
Issuing refunds
will be instances that some clients would request refunds for items purchased. You have the option to agree or dispute their request for a refund. Once you approve and come to an agreement to refund the client, this will be done through Paypal since all the buyer payments were directly sent via Paypal. If, however, you do not agree to refund the client, s/he has the option to raise a dispute with you as seller, also via Paypal.
Repeat Business
Ask any successful entrepreneur how they made it to the top, and they will tell you that they did not stop with just one sale. Having repeat business is the key. Customers are the lifeline of any business organization. You may have the top-of-the-line system and products, but if your buyers were not satisfied with their first experience with you, that will be one business lost.
How to have repeat business? Go the extra mile. Make your clients feel important. Create interaction by sending them private messages informing them of their shipment so they will know when to expect their goods. Freebies may also help. These don’t have to be expensive as buyers are just as happy to receive something “free” because of their purchase. You may also consider giving them a discount should they purchase from you another time. Again, the discount need not be significant.
Check your cash flow as to how much discount you can afford to offer your clients, especially the loyal ones. And lastly, do not forget to thank each client, whatever their purchase. A personal handwritten note is the best way to show someone that you appreciate them and their purchase. Once you are a Depop seller, keep in mind all these tips for you to earn and at the same time, enjoy the process.
Elevate Your Selling Tactics!
Every business has its ups and downs. There are times when you have no sale, then the next day you get ten. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't do anything about it. You can elevate your selling on various marketplaces and shopping platforms like Poshmark, Depop, Mercari, and more!
OneShop offers sellers the easiest and effective way to get more buyers, save time, and do other things you love doing the most! We provide easy guidelines on how to sell effectively and eventually make more sales! Plus, our all-in-one app saves you plenty of time while selling on multiple marketplaces like Poshmark and Mercari.
With OneShop, you can upload your product images and quickly draft your listings. You can cross-list it to multiple marketplaces integrated into our system (Poshmark, Mercari, etc.) Have you accidentally listed a single listing on two separate marketplaces? Worry no more! OneShop is the only app that delists your item once it's sold! Never worry about after-sales again.
To learn more about how OneShop help sellers win the marketplaces and helps you achieve your business goals, visit OneShop here and learn how to succeed in your business!