Why did Etsy charge an Offsite Ads fee on a custom private listing?

Hi! This can happen because Etsy’s Offsite Ads fee isn’t based on which listing the buyer purchased (public vs. private/custom) or whether you sent them a direct link in messages—it’s based on whether Etsy tracked that the buyer clicked one of your shop’s Offsite Ads sometime earlier and then placed any order from your shop within Etsy’s attribution window (currently up to 30 days). So a buyer can click an offsite ad for one of your regular listings, later message you for a personalized version, and when they purchase the private listing, that custom order can still be charged the Offsite Ads fee.

To confirm what Etsy is attributing it to, check in two places:

• The order / payment details: the order should show an “Offsite Ads fee” line item in your transaction/payment account breakdown.
• Shop Manager → Marketing → Offsite Ads dashboard: Etsy shows which orders were attributed to Offsite Ads there (this is the main “proof” Etsy provides to sellers—generally you won’t see the exact website/ad creative or any buyer-identifying click data).

As far as disputing it: Etsy usually treats Offsite Ads attribution as automatic/system-tracked, so there isn’t a formal “appeal” button for each order. That said, if you genuinely believe it was misattributed (for example, the dashboard is inconsistent, or you see something that looks clearly wrong), you can contact Etsy Support and ask them to review that specific Offsite Ads charge—just be prepared that they may confirm it’s valid and keep the fee.

One more thing to know for the future: even if you’re eligible to opt out of Offsite Ads and you do opt out, Etsy can still charge Offsite Ads fees on orders that happen within the 30-day window after a buyer’s prior ad click (so opting out doesn’t always stop fees immediately).