POD Profit Calculator (2026)
Calculate print-on-demand profit after fulfillment cost, shipping, and selling platform fees. Preloaded with approximate Printify and Printful product costs.
By Marginory team · Online sellers with hands-on experience across Etsy, Shopify & PODUpdated Fee data verified against official platform documentation
POD Provider
Approximate costs (US domestic, June 2025). Verify on provider site.
Selling Platform
US seller using Etsy Payments. Listing fee ($0.20) treated separately. Offsite Ads fee not included — add 12% or 15% if applicable.
Costs & Pricing
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Profit Breakdown
Sale price$29.99
POD product cost-$11.55
Shipping cost-$4.49
Platform fee (6.5%)-$1.95
Payment fee (3.0% + $0.25)-$1.15
Net profit$10.85
Profit margin36.2%
Pricing targets
Break-even price$18.00
Price for 20% margin$23.11
Price for 30% margin$26.93
POD profit formula
Platform fee: Sale price × Platform fee rate
Payment fee: Sale price × Payment fee rate + Fixed fee
Net profit: Sale price − POD cost − Shipping − Platform fee − Payment fee − Ad spend
Break-even price: (POD cost + Shipping + Fixed fees + Ad spend) / (1 − Platform rate − Payment rate)
Assumptions:
- POD base costs are approximate (US domestic, July 2026) — always verify on provider pricing page
- Printify base costs assume Free plan; Premium plan ($39/mo, or $24.99/mo billed annually) gives up to 20% discount
- Shipping cost shown is for first item, US domestic — varies by product type and destination
- Etsy preset: 6.5% transaction + 3% + $0.25 payment processing (US)
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Frequently Asked Questions
How profitable is print-on-demand?
POD profit margins are typically 15–35% on revenue, after fulfillment cost, shipping, and platform fees. On a $25 Etsy t-shirt with $11 Printify base cost + $4.50 shipping, net profit after Etsy's ~9.5% fee is roughly $7 (28%).
Is Printify or Printful cheaper for POD?
Printify generally has lower base costs — a typical t-shirt is $7–10 vs Printful's $13–15. Printify Premium ($39/month, or $24.99/month billed annually) adds up to 20% discount on base costs. Printful has better quality consistency but higher prices.
What should I price my POD products?
For a 30% margin on an Etsy t-shirt with $11 fulfillment + $4.50 shipping: Price = ($15.50 + $0.25) / (1 − 0.095 − 0.30) = $25.82 minimum. Adjust for your target margin using the POD pricing calculator.
Which platform is most profitable for POD in 2026?
Per-sale fees: Shopify ~3.5% (plus $25/month), TikTok Shop 6% flat, Etsy ~9.5%, eBay ~14%. But fees aren't the whole story — Etsy and TikTok bring traffic, Shopify doesn't. Most POD sellers start on Etsy for discovery, then add Shopify once they have an audience and 20+ orders/month.
Do POD sellers pay for returns?
Usually not for defects — Printify and Printful reprint or refund at their cost for misprints and damage. But buyer's-remorse returns (wrong size, changed mind) are on you: most POD sellers simply refund without return shipping since the item can't be restocked. Budget 2–5% of revenue for this.
How many POD sales do I need to make $1,000/month profit?
At a typical $7–9 profit per t-shirt, about 115–145 sales/month. Raising your average profit per item matters more than volume: hoodies and sweatshirts net $12–18 each, so a hoodie-heavy catalog needs only 60–80 sales for the same $1,000.