How to Ship: The Best Depop Shipping Guide

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depop shipping

Depop is a fashion marketplace app that users can use to buy and sell clothing. Over 15 million people are now using the application which, allows sellers to have a pretty good built-in customer base.

Although the majority of the activity on the app is by people who are selling or buying used clothes. Depop has expanded in recent years into a place where people are setting up an online store. The app has made it simple to gain extra cash from selling your old clothes, thrift new pieces for your wardrobe or even start a business venture. 

However, when first starting out selling on Depop, understanding depop shipping can get confusing. The logistics can be unclear on how your gorgeous clothing pieces can end up in the hands of a buyer. Many new users want to know exactly how shipping works. The following guide will provide you with everything you need to know about depop shipping. 

In this article we’ll go over

How does shipping work on Depop? 

The great thing about Depop is that it gives the seller plenty of shipping options. However, depending on your country, the options can change slightly.

How Depop Shipping Works in the United Kingdom

If the seller is based in the UK, they have three shipping options

  1. Arrange your own shipping: Sellers can choose their preferred shipping methods by arranging to ship themselves.
  2. Ship with Depop Dropoff: Depop has teamed up with Hermes so sellers can find drop-off points throughout the UK. (Mainland UK only)
  3. Ship with Depop Courier collect: This option will plan a courier to pick up your item from your home address. 

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How Depop Shipping Works in the United States

If the seller is based in the US, they have two shipping options:

  1. Arrange your own shipping: Sellers can arrange to ship themselves with their preferred shipping service. 
  2. Ship with Depop: Depop is partnered with USPS to ship your items. With this option, sellers can drop off the package at their USPS office. 

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How to ship on depop: Step By Step

Step 1: Thank your Buyer

As soon as you receive an order, send a thank you message to your buyer. This not only confirms their purchase but also starts your interaction on a positive note, showing gratitude for their business.

Step 2: Find Your Label

If you’re shipping through Depop’s platform, you will automatically receive a prepaid shipping label to print and use. You’ll need to go to your:

Seller Hub > Awaiting Shipment > Click the Item you want to ship

Now you can either get your shipping label to print yourself or get a qr code that you can show at the post office to have them print for you.

If you are handling the shipping independently, purchase a shipping label from your chosen courier’s website. Fill out all necessary information accurately to ensure there are no delays in shipment. You can also use services like Pirateship to get good deals on labels.

Step 3: Print Off Your Label

Now you have to print your label!

We recommend getting a thermal printer to save on costs! but you can use any regular printer but you’ll have to tape it to your parcel.

Step 4: Pack Your Item Up

Carefully pack your items using appropriate shipping envelopes or boxes. Since the packaging is the first physical point of contact between you and your buyer, make it memorable. Use sturdy materials to protect the item and consider enhancing the unboxing experience with nice packaging, a personalized note, or a unique sticker that reflects your brand.

Step 5: Ship with Tracking

Send your package using a shipping method that includes tracking. This protects both you and the buyer by allowing you to follow the package’s journey and confirm its delivery.

Step 6: Follow Up

After the package is dispatched, inform your buyer that their item is on the way. Provide them with the tracking number and any other relevant shipping details. This reassures the buyer and maintains open communication until they receive their package.

Step 7: Update Shipping If Needed

You can update the shipping info of multiple listings at once using the grow bot for depop.

Of course, this doesn’t apply to sold items, just items that are still available.

You can also use the following features on the bot to save time and increase your sales:

  • Refresh listings
  • Relist items
  • Send offers to likers
  • & much more

Here’s a video running down the full steps to depop shipping:

What is the Best Shipping Option on Depop ?

Deciding on which depop shipping method to use is definitely depends on the seller’s preference.

Fortunately whichever method you choose you are able to automatically switch back and forth between each shipping option using a depop automation tool that supports bulk listing edits.

The following are some aspects of both options to consider when deciding which is the best for you.

Shipping with Depop Considerations

  • Convenience: Shipping with Depop is definitely the most hassle-free way to sell on the app. They have a system installed that will directly send you a prepaid printable shipping label to place on your parcel. You then can decide when you will drop it off at your post office or in the drop box at a convenient time. 
  • Depop Shipping Costs: The cost of shipping with Depop depends on the weight/size of the parcel. There are four size categories which include small, medium, large and extra-large. All the seller needs to do is determine which category their package fits into.  
  • Insurance: Depop couriers offer insurance on packages that were lost or returned and damaged. 

Using Your Own Shipment Considerations

  • Flexible Shipping Costs: There may be times where it is more cost-effective to arrange the shipment of your package. The benefit of this is that you may be able to lower your cost in some circumstances. However,  it is much more of a hassle than a prepaid label.
  • International Shipping Winner: For the most part, if you are offering international shipping, you should be arranging your own shipping methods. Depop Shipping will not be able to provide you prepaid labels anyway as you will have to clear the customs of the package. As well, when shipping on your own, you will be able to choose from the various shipping companies to find the best prices available. 
  • Don’t Forget to Track: Shipping with Depop automatically tracks the packages. However, when arranging your own shipping, you need to make sure that it is tracked. Without tracking, there is no way to determine if the item was sent or if it was delivered. 

Is Depop Shipping Worth It?

For most packages, Depop is not too expensive and is definitely worth it. Some may think that Depop is charging a premium and is making money off sellers using the shipping service. However, this is not true as they have a corporate partnership with their designated shipping company. Therefore, the partnerships give Depop a price discount so they can keep their overall shipping costs competitive. 

Another reason that Depop is worth it is that Depop offers a flat shipping rate. It does not matter if you are shipping within your city or across the country, the cost will be the same. 

When shipping on your own, prices are variable depending on multiple factors, this instability can make it pretty hard to project your profits. Depop’s pricing strategy allows sellers like yourself to better predict the price of the shipping costs (consequently, how much you’ll be making at the end of the day). 

Shipping is also worth it because it saves time. Most people lack the extra time in their day so, using Depop because of the convenience it provides is a great option. The automatic prepaid label takes a lot of the unnecessary steps out of the entire process. As well, USPS and Hermes both offer insurance on your packages if they were lost in travel.

Who pays for shipping on Depop?

Depop lets sellers do whatever they want to do when it comes to what they charge for their items. This includes getting to decide who is responsible for paying for shipping. 

Shipping Fee’s for Ship with Depop

One choice you have is to Ship with Depop and charge your customers upfront for shipping costs. All that you have to do is estimate the parcel size and, it will automatically add to the customer’s price. 

Shipping Fee’s for Your Own Shipping Arrangements

Charging the shipping fee to the customer when using your own shipping arrangements can be a little more complicated. It is only more complex because sellers will have to estimate how much their shipping fee might be. However, this is tough as couriers’ shipping rates are variable on factors that are unknown before the sale takes place. Therefore, it might be a lot of guesswork.

As a depop seller you may risk overcharging the customer or losing out on a lot of money if you decide to foot the bill for shipping. This is why you need to carefully assess shipping rates and adjust your pricing accordingly. You can use this depop fee calculator to help you understand your potential profits.

Should I Offer Free Shipping on Depop ?

Depop states that posting your items with free shipping will make them twice as likely to sell. However, it is not absolutely necessary in many cases.

Each seller and their products are different. Some items will be in demand and therefore, will have customers willing to pay for the shipping fee. On the other hand, some listings won’t receive that much attention. Therefore, post your items and do not offer free shipping at the beginning of your Depop journey. It’s good to test if offering free shipping is the right strategy for you to take. 

If you are not getting sales, using free shipping could be a good marketing tactic. However, if your pieces tend to be selling quite quickly, there may be no need to offer free shipping.  It all depends on the individual’s seller’s product and strategy. 

Depop Free Shipping Promo

Depop also has its own promotion in which the app offers free shipping to the customers at no expense to the buyer. Therefore, holding off on offering free shipping until these specific promotions could be good for business as customers may see it as an incentive to purchase. As well, it will cost both you and your customer nothing! it’s a win-win situation. 

Some sellers chose to offer free shipping to try to capitalize on the psychology of the buyer by making them think they are receiving a better price. However, they also pair this with building the cost of shipping into the price of the item. Therefore, the seller isn’t losing out on any money. However, there is still a chance that the buyer will be turned off by the high price. Therefore, if you choose this strategy, you must make sure you do not inflate your prices too much.  

As mentioned previously, using a depop automation tool that supports bulk listing edits allows you to take advantage of free shipping promotions by automatically editing your listings as you need. Rather than having them free all the time, this increases your flexibility.

Overall, Depop is a great app that lets buyers connect with sellers all over the world to thrift or support a small business. Understanding Depop Shipping can be tricky but, it doesn’t have to be! Everyone can find a solution that is right for them as there is a wide variety of options Depop provides to the seller.