Setting Up Your Etsy Store

Setting up your Etsy store is the first step to selling your AI-generated posters. This guide will walk you through the entire process from creating an account to opening your shop.

Step 1: Create an Etsy Account

Start by setting up your basic Etsy seller account. Go to Etsy.com/sell and click "Get started". Register with your email or sign in with Google, Facebook, or Apple. Enter your first name and create a strong password.

Step 2: Set Up Your Shop Preferences

Configure your shop's basic settings. Select your shop's language, country, and currency. Note: changing these later can be difficult, so choose carefully based on your target market.

Step 3: Name Your Shop

Choose a unique and memorable shop name. Your shop name must be 4–20 characters long and cannot contain spaces or special characters. Make it relevant to your poster business and easy to remember.

Step 4: Add a Product Listing

Create your first product listing to activate your shop. Add photos (up to 10) or a video of your item. Write a compelling description, select the appropriate category, set your price, and add shipping details. This can be a placeholder - you'll add real posters later.

Step 5: Pay the Shop Opening Fee

Complete the required one-time payment. Etsy requires a one-time shop opening fee of $15 (about £12 GBP for UK sellers) before your shop goes live. This is a standard requirement for all Etsy shops.

Step 6: Set Up Payment and Billing

Configure how you'll receive payments and pay fees. Connect your bank account for receiving payments from sales. Provide billing information (credit or debit card) for paying Etsy fees.

Step 7: Verify Your Identity

Complete Etsy's identity verification process. Etsy uses a third-party company to verify your identity. This may involve uploading photos of a government-issued ID and a selfie to reduce fraud.

Step 8: Open Your Shop

Launch your shop and start selling. Once you've completed all steps including the shop opening fee, your shop will be open and ready for customers to discover your posters.

Understanding Etsy Fees

Before you start, it's important to understand the costs involved in running an Etsy shop:

• Shop Opening Fee: $15 one-time fee to activate your shop
• Listing Fee: $0.20 per listing for 4 months or until sold
• Transaction Fee: 6.5% of each sale price
• Payment Processing: 3-4% additional fees on transactions
• Etsy Ads: Optional advertising fees if you choose to promote your listings