How do I price Printful hoodies on Etsy when fees leave no profit?

Hi! With Printful hoodies, the only “real” fix is to increase the total amount the customer pays (item price + shipping) until it covers Printful base cost + Printful shipping + Etsy fees + your profit—because Etsy charges its transaction fee on the entire order total (including shipping), so moving money from item price to shipping usually doesn’t magically create profit.

A solid way to price POD apparel on Etsy is to set a minimum profitable order total first, then decide how you want that total to appear (higher item price vs. shipping charge).

1) Work out your true break-even (then add profit)
Start with these inputs:

• Printful product cost (hoodie + print placements)
• Printful shipping cost (and any extras like pack-ins, if you use them)
• Etsy fees you can’t avoid
  • Listing fee (the small fixed fee per listing)
  • Etsy transaction fee (a percentage of the total order amount, including shipping)
  • Payment processing fee (varies by country; it’s a percent + a fixed amount per order)
• Possible ad fees
  • If you’re enrolled in Offsite Ads, an attributed order can add a big extra percentage fee (and it can be 12% or 15% depending on your shop’s sales level). If you can opt out and you do, great—if not, you should price with a buffer.

Quick pricing formula (use this as your baseline):
Minimum order total you need = (Printful item cost + Printful shipping + your target profit + any “fixed per order” Etsy fees) ÷ (1 − your “percent fees” total)

This is why €50 can feel like “no profit” fast: percent-based fees stack, and POD base costs are already high.

2) Should you raise item price or adjust shipping?
In practice:

• Raise the item price if you want simpler checkout and better conversion (especially if you’re offering “free shipping” or low shipping). This is the most common approach for POD on Etsy.
• Charge shipping separately if your Printful shipping cost is substantial or varies by region, and you’re currently eating that cost. This doesn’t reduce Etsy fees (since fees apply to shipping too), but it does stop you from accidentally subsidizing shipping.

What I’d avoid is “cheap hoodie, expensive shipping” as a strategy—buyers compare totals, and it can hurt conversion unless your niche is very price-insensitive.

3) Profit margin goals: what’s realistic for POD hoodies on Etsy?
For POD apparel, especially hoodies, many sellers aim for a modest margin per order because the base costs are high—then they grow profit by:

• increasing average order value (bundles, upsells, add-ons),
• charging for personalization,
• positioning as premium (better mockups, strong branding, unique design angle),
• and reducing refunds/returns with great sizing info.

If you’re currently breaking even, set a clear target like: “I want to net €X per hoodie after all fees,” and price to that. Otherwise you’ll keep guessing and the math will keep surprising you.

4) Two practical tips that usually fix the “I’m losing money” problem

• Make sure your Etsy shipping profile covers Printful shipping (by region). A lot of POD losses come from undercharging shipping to stay competitive.
• Add a buffer for Offsite Ads or opt out if you’re eligible. Even if only some orders are attributed, one Offsite Ads sale can wipe out profit on multiple full-price orders if you priced too tight.

If you tell me (1) your Printful hoodie base cost, (2) average Printful shipping to your main customer country, and (3) where your bank/account country is for Etsy Payments, I can help you run the exact break-even math and suggest a pricing layout that still looks competitive on Etsy.