For businesses
Common questions
Everything about selling merch on The Merch Counter, from what it costs to what happens after an order. Something else? Email hello@themerchcounter.com.
Getting started
- What is The Merch Counter?
A way for local businesses to sell merch with their own logo, with no inventory. You upload your logo, pick products and set prices; we host your shop, take payment, and have each order printed and shipped to your customer.
- How long does it take to open a shop?
About 15 minutes, in one sitting: upload your logo, pick your products, set your prices and publish. Your progress saves as you go, so you can finish later.
- Does it cost anything to open?
No. There is no setup fee, no subscription and no card on file. We take 20% of each sale, so if you don't sell, you don't pay.
- Do I need a website?
No. Your shop gets its own address at yourname.themerchcounter.com, in your colors, plus a listing on The Merch Counter marketplace. If you already have a website, link to your shop from it.
- What do I need to get started?
Your logo as a PNG, JPEG, WebP or SVG file up to 8MB (a PNG with a transparent background works best), and, to publish, your business details and a bank account for payouts through Stripe.
- Who can sell? Do you work outside the US?
Businesses based in the United States, or people acting for one, who are at least 18 and can complete identity and bank verification with Stripe. Checkout takes US shipping addresses, and prices are in US dollars.
- Can I sell designs other than my logo?
Yes. Put any artwork you own the rights to on any product. We review shops and remove anything that uses someone else’s trademark or copyright.
Products and quality
- What products can I sell?
14 kinds: t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, long sleeves, tanks, hats, beanies, tote bags, aprons, mugs, tumblers, water bottles, stickers and pins. Your dashboard has hundreds of styles across them, searchable by brand and style.
- Who prints the products?
Our print partner, Printful, which prints and ships from facilities across the US. Nothing is made until a customer has paid for it.
- What printing methods do you use?
Each product comes with the method that suits it: printed directly onto garments for most apparel, embroidery for caps (and some aprons and tees), and a method suited to the material for mugs, bottles, totes and stickers. Embroidered products are labeled as such in the catalog.
- Can I order a sample before I launch?
Yes. You can order one of each of your products as a test, at cost: you pay what it takes to make and ship, with no 20% fee and no markup. You can do it before your shop goes live.
- Will my logo print well?
We check every design against the size you place it at. 300 DPI is the target; below that we warn you, and below 150 DPI we won’t print it at that size. For dark garments you can add a light version of your logo, or generate a one-color one.
- What happens if an item is misprinted or damaged?
If an item arrives misprinted, damaged or wrong, the customer tells us within 30 days of delivery and we reprint it or refund them in full, at our cost. That applies at every shop, whatever its returns policy, and you keep your share of the sale.
Pricing and payouts
- How much does The Merch Counter cost?
20% of each sale. That one fee covers your storefront, checkout, payment processing, customer support and your marketplace listing. The blank and printing are charged at our partner’s price, which you see before you list anything.
- How do I set my prices?
Start from our suggested price, which is about 2.5 times what the item costs to make, and change it to whatever you like. Your dashboard shows exactly what you earn on every size, and warns you before a price would sell any size at a loss.
- How much will I earn per item?
Your price, minus what the item costs to make, minus our 20%. At our suggested 2.5× price you keep 40% of every sale. Larger sizes cost a little more to make, so they earn a little less at the same price.
- How and when do I get paid?
Through Stripe. You connect your bank once, and your share of every sale arrives automatically on Stripe’s rolling payout schedule. Your dashboard shows what you’ve earned, what’s pending and every payout.
- Are there monthly fees or minimums?
No monthly fee, no minimum order and no minimum number of sales. You can list as many products as you like for free.
- Who handles sales tax?
We do. Orders are placed with The Merch Counter as seller of record, and checkout calculates sales tax automatically; we collect and remit it where we’re required to. You’re responsible for tax on your own income, including your payouts, and Stripe may send you a tax form such as a 1099-K.
Shipping, orders and returns
- How long does shipping take?
Each item is printed when it’s ordered, usually within 2–5 business days, and US delivery typically takes another 3–6 days. Customers get a tracking link by email as soon as it ships.
- Can I offer free shipping?
Yes. Turn on included shipping and we add the shipping rate to each item’s price, so checkout shows shipping as free. Otherwise customers pay shipping, at cost, at checkout.
- Do I have to pack or ship anything?
No. Every order is printed and shipped to your customer for you, and your customer gets order and shipping emails in your shop’s name.
- What about returns for the wrong size?
Your call: final sale, or returns within 14, 30 or 60 days. You approve each request, and approved refunds come out of that sale’s earnings. Misprints and damage are always on us.
Selling and marketing
- How will customers find my shop?
Mostly through you: your shop link in your Instagram bio, a QR code by the register, staff wearing the merch. Your dashboard makes a printable QR counter card and sticker sheet for you, and shows how many visits each one brings in. Published shops are also listed on The Merch Counter marketplace.
- Do I get a QR code for my shop?
Yes. Your dashboard has a QR code for your shop to download as PNG or SVG, a printable 4×6 counter card in your shop’s colors, and a sheet of twelve 2-inch stickers for takeout bags. Scans from each are counted separately, so you can see which one works.
- Can I change things after I open?
Anytime: products, prices, artwork and design. Returns-policy changes apply to new orders only.
Designs, rights and your account
- Can I use brand names, sports teams or characters?
Not without permission from whoever owns them. Use your own logo, your own original designs, or artwork you have a license to print and sell. Shops go live when they publish and are reviewed afterwards; designs that infringe someone’s trademark or copyright are taken down and never printed again.
- Who owns my designs?
You do. You keep ownership of your logo, artwork and shop name, and give us a license to use them only to run your shop: to show, print and sell your products. It ends when you remove the content or close your shop.
- Can I close my shop?
Yes, at any time. Unpublish it from your settings to take it offline, or ask us to close it for good. Orders already paid for are still fulfilled or refunded, and we settle what you’re owed.
The full rules are in the Seller Agreement and Content & Trademark Policy.
Ready to open your shop?
Fifteen minutes, nothing up front, and a link you can share tonight.
Open your free shop