Etsy Rolls out New Shipping Label Flow

Etsy is rolling out a new way sellers can purchase USPS postage on its marketplace to increase transparency about costs. Sellers will now be able to see costs when entering shipping options. "You can change shipping methods and package types more easily to find the best rate for you," Etsy explained.

All the options required to purchase a label are shown up-front, not hidden behind an additional window. In addition, the cost is shown prominently before purchase - sellers must still confirm before buying.

Here's what's different:

"When you purchase a Shipping Label, you'll see a brand new form. This form focuses on the options required to complete your shipment. It also updates the label cost any time you make a change, as long as you're already entered everything we need to know to determine the postage price for that label. Once you enter the necessary package details, you can, for example, switch between Shipping Methods to compare shipping prices at different speeds, without leaving the form.

"We've moved the order details into a tooltip to make it easier to focus on postage options and we now display the buyer's name in the header."

Etsy is gradually releasing the new flow to all sellers who print USPS postage. Those using the new flow seem to like the new layout, but say the "Message to Buyer" is not as visible as in the old format, and are concerned about having to pay Etsy bills before being able to print labels once the balance goes over a certain amount.

Etsy recently launched USPS International Shipping Labels capability but only for those sellers who offer Direct Checkout.