AngelaIn this CafePress Review I am going to cover in detail everything you need to know. Many suffer from poor branding or either overspend on their stock. CaféPress removes the struggle, worry, and excessive spending for those wanting to start an eCommerce store.
Sounds good, but what exactly is CafePress?
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.
What is CafePress, and How Does It Work?
CaféPress is an American online company that sells customized, on-demand products. Currently located in Louisville, Kentucky, along with its production headquarters, all items are made in the USA.
CafePress.com allows users to create customized stock products, such as t-shirts, bags, mugs, calendars, wall art, stationery, and accessories. It’s the perfect business model for both consumers and those selling on CafePress. The amount of trouble it is for independent sellers outweighs the partnership program available from CafePress. For new entrepreneurs, it’s a safe and effective approach for eCommerce selling.
How does selling on CafePress work?
First, you will need to create a free account through their online platform. There are zero fees for creating your store and no inventory worries. All you will need is your logos or artwork to set up your original store. In just a few minutes, you should have your shop built.
Next, you will need to select the products you’d like your design featured on. With over 250 products available, there’s no need to worry about limited options.
Another bonus, once your designs sell, CafePress covers all billing, shipping, and customer service. So, your money won't be at a loss, and you'll have zero commitments.
There you have it—the process is really that easy! CafePress’ straightforward, simple method is ideal for those busy wanting to start a side hustle.
How To Sell and Make Money on CafePress?
Just about anyone can make a CafePress account, but it takes the right talent to sell and make money.
CafePress has a Pricing Policy that allows you to earn money, while they benefit. Each product sold has a base price, then your mark-up is added onto it. When the item sells, you receive the mark-up total. With this in mind, you must be careful when setting up product listings. Always consider the base price—don’t overprice the mark-up fee.
Additionally, you will get shop performance bonuses, if you sell over $100 in items. This bonus ranges from 10%-30% extra.
Also, if you allow your items to host on CafePress’ marketplace, you gain a 10% total of sales.
There are two options if you wish to use their services for selling, as the entire service is not free.
- 1st option: Let CafePress take 10% of your royalties each month.
- 2nd option: You can pre-pay, setting up automatic billing using a card. The monthly payment is $6.95 or less, depending on if you pay for months in advance. (For example, if you pay for one year all at once, the price is reduced to $5 per month.)
Considering the cost of setting up an online merchandise store vs. CafePress, the fee is hardly noticeable.
CafePress Seller Shop
So, now that you’re familiar with the process, how exactly are shops laid out?
On CafePress, seller shops allow you to sell your designs on their products. On the store page, you control the layout, products, pricing, and marketing. The amount of flexibility CafePress allows is suitable for beginners and experienced eCommerce sellers.
The shop service program allows you to control your own personalized online store, where you can design, manage, and sell your brand. We highly recommend setting up a shop if you already have your own brand name or website. It is perfect for those running websites, blogs, or have an internet audience (because you have a pre-set demographic.)
Overall, the customization features are easy to use and have many theme options. You can embed your store within your pre-existing site or host your products straight on CafePress. It’s really up to you and your business goals.
What products can you upload designs too?
CaféPress has a wide variety of different products; this allows you to tackle a spectrum of potential audiences. In other words, you don’t have to worry about them not having a specific product. (They even have dog t-shirts…) The products range from clothing, accessories, home goods, décor, drink-ware, stationery, stickers, signs, and MUCH more.
Creating Your Products
To create your next best-selling product, simply visit their “Design Your Own” section. You’ll be directed to select the product of your choosing and upload your photos. These products can list on your personal site or straight from CafePress.com.
Now, when uploading your design, you must think ahead of the game. For one, you need to make sure the formatting is correct. For image formatting and uploading, they accept PNG, JPG, and SVG. (PNG is recommended though for image transparency.) Make sure you use a powerful processor or image editor. We highly recommend creating your designs using Adobe Photoshop.
Product Design Templates
For those lacking a creative touch, don’t worry! CafePress offers product design templates. The useful models make sure that your images are the correct size, format, and resolution for the products. CafePress’ templates list helpful information toward the product (such as image sizing, non-printable sections, and full-bleed areas.)
To use a template, open it in a photo editing software and delete the background layer. Create your design on top of the template and save the image. Making and uploading designs has never been easier. The stress-free process of designing products without hiring several employees—not to mention saving money—is now achievable with CafePress.
Learn more design techniques on my other post "Beginners T-shirt Design".
Earning And Getting Paid
Once you rank up your money, you’ll need to get paid. How does it work? Unlike other services, CaféPress offers a multitude of deposit options to ensure you get your hard-earned cash.
Two options are available for receiving your royalties: via PayPal or by check.
The minimum balance requirement for checks is $100, while PayPal’s minimum is $25.
When you sell products for profit, you need to provide payee and taxpayer information, or you will be unable to receive money.
All confirmed royalties are paid within 60 days of the month confirmed. (This is so customers can receive the offer of a full 30-day money-back guarantee.) Note, there’s a “lag time” for payments to account for returns and exchanges.
If you earn less than the amount chosen (depending on your deposit option), you will not receive a payment. You can only receive money when your amount meets the dollar quota provided. Unless equal to the amount or higher, you cannot obtain your earnings. The downside of the payment system is the inability to receive direct, prompt deposits. Those experienced in the marketing field can easily overlook this issue, as they will exceed the payment threshold in sales. For the number of services provided and given the two payment options, CafePress is excellent for those wanting to play it safe on their first eCommerce site.
Reporting
Many are careful with their money; CafePress allows those to track their sales and payments. When you have an account, you can view your sales reports by hovering over your name and clicking “reports.” The information provided in the reports provides important details regarding all sales. The reports have three sections—completed orders, pending orders, and cancelled orders.
You can view details toward products that have been shipped, are currently being print, and cancelled orders. Additionally, you can view data on which designs have sold (ideal for marketing strategies!)
A transaction report is also available; the report shows all CafeCash income, returns, and deductions. Through this report, you can see transaction dates, shipping times, and when orders are complete. (Note the 30-day CafeCash pending period that will affect this information.)
Finally, the sales summary page allows access to your earnings, pending CafeCash, shop fees, deduction totals, and the last payment made.
What if you lost your check or did not receive your PayPal deposit?
Fortunately, CafePress has a customer service system that can resolve all conflicts. You will need to provide them with your payment number, member number, store ID, and the payment amount.
Also, you can adjust your payment information at any time by tweaking it in the settings.
If you are in the United States, you must provide your taxpayer number. If you earn more than $600, CafePress files form 1099 with the IRS. For those located in the United States or in a country with a tax treaty with the U.S., you must pay the IRS accordingly.
In total, the payment process is simple but contains flaws in its layout. For the number of services offered, we believe the details can be overlooked.
Alternatives To CafePress
CafePress is famous for its variety, but other competitors offer the same services.
Zazzle is an excellent alternative to CafePress if you are looking for flexible payments. Unlike CafePress, Zazzle’s commission structure allows for more freedom. You can create your own percentages (typically from 10%-20% above the base price.) Additionally, the company’s popularity makes it easier to sell products. Like CafePress, you receive payments through PayPal or by check, and you must meet a withdrawal minimum. Both companies have a large variety of product options for custom designs. The bottom line when selling on Zazzle vs. CafePress is personal preference and business goals.
Other honorable mentions are TeeSpring, RedBubble, and Printful.
As the title suggests, TeeSpring is perfect for selling high-quality t-shirts with no startup cost. RedBubble provides a free marketplace exclusively for artists; the online market is ideal for indie artists wanting to earn money. Lastly, Printful is an on-demand print and apparel drop shipping service, with eCommerce integration.
CafePress and its business model are terrific for those wanting to earn money on the side. Similar services allow you to create custom products without the extreme costs of starting an eCommerce store. It all boils down to personal preference, business goals, and the amount of money you are willing to put in. No matter which platform you decide to use, we are confident that you will be able to sell and create unique designs using one of the following services.
Our personal preference, CafePress, allows for the easiest, middleman approach. The on-demand product service allows sellers room for future expansion, but still offers accessible beginner resources. Overall, CafePress is ideal for new entrepreneurs wanting to develop an eCommerce store effortlessly.
CafePress Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ
You cannot embed your products onto Amazon using CafePress, but instead, you can print your products in bulk. Once you buy your design in bulk using CafePress’ discount, you can then create an Amazon listing featuring your product.
Both CafePress’ headquarters and production plant are located in Louisville, Kentucky. The location makes it safe for those located in the United States. (Plus, it allows you to put “MADE IN THE USA” onto your products!)
CafePress is safe and 100% legal, with industry-wide recognition. It’s clean, long record stands clear to this day and is known for fulfilling all orders. The company is registered in the United States as CafePress Inc.
In February 2019, hackers compromised 23 million records from CafePress users. Personal details were exposed during the breach, including names, email addresses, passwords, addresses, and phone numbers. CafePress responded by making all users reset their passwords, but users reacted negatively, as CafePress did not directly inform them of the data breach. CafePress.com users can check their account status to see if it was hacked on https://haveibeenpwned.com/.
CafePress is based in Louisville, Kentucky, and ships all their products from their headquarters.
Customers claim their t-shirts are high-quality, the only common error is improper design alignment. Usually, this is the user’s error when uploading the designs onto the editor. To prevent this issue, double-check and use CafePress templates when editing your photos. As for the actual t-shirt material, customers claim it is store-bought quality, being made from 100% Cotton.
