I know people have asked this question before in the past, but I just wondered what you think about charging postage. I have added postage to all my goods as it has gone up so much (especially if you are sending something like a small parcel) & if I included it in the price of the work, I wouldn’t be left with very much profit. I have looked through other peoples shops & some seem to charge a bit of postage, but not the full amount for the size & weight. What do you think? Thanks.
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Hi, I find this difficult too! I have tried including the postage cost to my item price and then promoting free postage. Think this works best for me.
But then most online stores charge postage. So if I want something I’m prepared to pay the postage. But its difficult, especially with cheaper items. Not sure I’ve helped!!
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I had this debate with myself recently and decided to include in the cost of the item.
Did research and apparently customers prefer postage this way as they know instantly what they are going to pay. The understand in the price, I suppose a bit like VAT I prefer prices inclusive.
I have not increased price of older stock Will just take the hit for that but all new stock is priced accordingly. I know means committee charged by Folksy on that part but just wanted to give it a go for the rest of this year, then review in January.
I do not state free though but included in the total item cost.
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I used to include postage in the item price, but changed it to separate postage a few months ago, as an experiment (as postage was getting expensive). I haven’t had time to promote my shop that much due to other commitments during this time, so sales are down a bit, but I suspect this is down to my lack of ptomotion rather than separate postage costs. I think it’s worth trying both methods to see what works…there are very good arguments for both models.
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I charge postage separately mainly because I often sell a few items to one buyer and I can free postage on additional items purchased together. I find this works well for me.
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I charge a flat rate for postage no matter how many items are ordered. The postage cost covers both the stamps and the packaging. My products are small and lightweight so this works for me.
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Thank you so much for your replies. I think I will try postage on more expensive items & no postage on cheaper ones and see what happens! From your comments, I think we all find it very tricky!
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I never incllude postage in the listing price. I charge separately at exactly the price Royal Mail charge me (first class small package or large letter for jewellery).
If I include postage I am including 3 bad effects 
a. I will have to pay Folksy fees on the postage - which means I lose out as as I said I charge the customer what RM charges me…
b. If I sell more than one piece at once, and I often do, then I refund the customer the extra postage charged… I sometimes have to allow for upgrading to signed for according to the total value.
If I have include the postage I will not be refunding anything… especially as I will have paid Folksy fees on it.
c. There is no such thing as free postage and including the postage in the price perpetuates the myth that there is.
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Thanks so much for your very detailed reply. You are right. It’s hard enough making any profit with all the work entailed and having to effectively pay for the postage yourself on top of that if you include it in the charge leaves one undercharging, so I will heed your advice. 
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Like everyone on here, I too have thought about postage a lot! I’ve decided to stay with separate listing price and postage charges. I think most shoppers online understand that postage will be charged one way or another and I too charge only the cost of sending by Royal Mail. This has worked ok for me so far hoping that this will continue to be the case 
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You make some good points there. I too have often considered including postage, but at the moment I charge RM small parcel postage and if with packing it turns out to be medium parcel size and weight I absorb the difference, but if the postage is less than quoted I refund the customer. It is difficult for me to assess postage because there is no consistency in size and shape of my pieces, and packing carefully takes a lot of packaging! I always use Royal Mail’s collection service, but absorb the cost of that, as it is my own choice to do that. RM also seem to vary the collection charge from time to time, with special offers of reductions, or sometimes even free, so they don’t have any consistency either!
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Hadn’t thought about fees. Thanks Joy, will be doing some editing!!
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My daughter makes ceramics in her spare time and because of the odd shapes for postage has refused to date to sell on line. I sympathise with you x
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I have struggled with whether to offer free postage or not. I probably charge slightly under what it costs to post an item at the moment and nothing for additional items. I think I need to review my postage amount as RM prices have gone up…Just out of interest does anyone ship items tracked and signed or just tracked, I find this is so expensive I tend to use it for higher priced items?
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I haven’t tracked items yet as I was making cards mostly, but now I am making pictures which are pricier I may have to consider it as I did have something go missing a while back and had to make it all over again!
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I currently do free postage on less expensive items like cards but I am thinking of changing over as my cards seem more expensive to customers at ‘first glance’. As postage keeps going up this becomes more of a problem and it also means an increasing amount of my postage costs goes as a ‘Fee’ to the sales platform. When I have time I will probably amend the ‘Free postage’ listings to show separate postage costs.
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I add postage on rather than including it. In fact a lady ordered an embroidered heart yesterday for £25 and I had £19 postage to US and elsewhere in my shop…she was happy to pay the £19 to Canada. It actually cost £12.50 when i took it to post so I refunded £5 as good will, she has already discussed and placed a custom order for a bear so the high cost of posting hasn’t put her off, she said she loved my work and so it is worth it.
Folksy looked into this once and they found that on smaller, cheaper items people do tend to look for free postage but on high end items showing postage as an extra cost doesn’t put people off ordering.
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Brilliant - thank you. That’s very interesting and good to hear. Your work is superb by the way!
Okay I have been including postage to trial. May be nothing to do with it but pre trial, sales few and far between. Post trial had 7 in a week. Will let you know how it pans out.
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Very interesting. Thanks for that. Would love to know how it works out. As with you, sales have been very hit & miss. Fingers crossed it improves.
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