How do I set Etsy free shipping over $35 to cover only ground shipping?

Hi! With Etsy’s $35 free shipping guarantee, the free shipping is supposed to apply to the lowest-cost available shipping method, and if the buyer selects a shipping upgrade (Priority/Express), they should be charged for that upgrade—even if the order qualifies for free shipping.

If you saw a faster service show as free, it’s usually because Etsy decided the “cheap” class you thought you were offering wasn’t actually available for that package based on the weights/dimensions you entered (so Etsy shows the next eligible class as the free option). Etsy even notes that a free shipping offer covers the lowest-cost mail class, and if the package can’t use that class due to size/weight limits, a higher class may be offered free instead.

Here’s how to make “free = ground only” work as reliably as possible:

• Offer only one standard shipping method in your shipping profile: Set your “standard” method to your ground/economy service (USPS Ground Advantage, UPS Ground, etc.). Don’t add Priority/Express as another standard option.
• Add paid upgrades (so buyers pay the difference): In the same shipping profile, add Priority/Express as shipping upgrades with an added cost. When things are set up correctly, buyers can still choose faster delivery, but they’ll pay for it at checkout.
• Double-check package size + weight everywhere it matters: Make sure your listing/shipping profile package dimensions and weights are accurate (and match the box/mailers you actually use). If your package details push it out of your intended “ground/economy” option, Etsy may only present the higher class as available (and then that becomes the “lowest-cost available” option).
• If you don’t want upgrades at all: Simply don’t offer shipping upgrades in the profile—then buyers can’t select Priority/Express at checkout.

If you tell me whether you’re using calculated shipping or fixed price shipping (and which carrier/service you consider “ground”), I can tell you the cleanest way to set up the shipping profile so the upgrade pricing behaves the way you expect.