WarningSH-2 · Shipping Policy

Sellers must consistently ship within their stated processing times

What this rule means

Etsy expects you to state your postage costs and processing times in each listing and to dispatch items promptly. If you cannot meet your processing time, you must get your buyer's agreement before you extend it, or cancel the order.

What Etsy says

Specify your postage costs and processing times in your listings. Ship items promptly after they are sold. Prompt delivery means that you ship each item within 30 days of purchase, unless you specify otherwise in your processing time or agree to a different delivery period with the buyer through Messages. You must get your buyer's agreement before you extend the processing time for their order.

Read Etsy's full Shipping Policy

Why Etsy has this rule

Your processing time is a promise. Buyers choose items based on when they expect them, often for a birthday or holiday. A missed date costs the buyer more than the wait itself. It breaks their plans.

Etsy's Delivery Policy asks sellers to specify processing times and dispatch promptly. When you fall behind, you need your buyer's agreement to extend the time, or you cancel the order. Quiet delays are what trigger cases and bad reviews. The rule gives both sides a record they can trust.

Common mistakes

Setting a one-day processing time on an item that takes you a week to make.
Leaving out production time on custom or personalized orders.
Letting a deadline pass without asking the buyer to agree to more time.
Telling the buyer you are running late without getting their agreement to the new date.
Taking on more orders than you can finish during a busy season.
Keeping a short processing time on old listings after your workload changed.
Assuming a late order will not matter because the buyer has not written yet.

Examples

AllowedYou set a processing time that covers making and packing the item, then ship by the last day.
AllowedYou ask the buyer to agree to a longer processing time before the old one runs out.
AllowedYou cancel an order you cannot fill and tell the buyer why.
AllowedYou raise your listed processing times before a busy season.
Not allowedYou let an order pass its last day with no shipment and no agreement from the buyer.
Not allowedYou promise two days on a custom item that needs two weeks.
Not allowedYou tell the buyer you are late and never get their agreement to a new date.

How to stay compliant

Review all your active listings and update processing times to accurately reflect how long it takes you to make and ship each item.
For custom or personalized items, set processing times that include production time — not just shipping time.
If you receive an order you cannot ship within your stated time, message the buyer and get their agreement to a new date before the deadline passes.
Keep the buyer's agreement in Messages as your record.

Effort: low · 30-60 minutes

If your suspension email cites this rule

Read the email and note which orders or listings Etsy cites. For each order, write down the stated processing time, the date it sold, the date it shipped, and whether the buyer agreed in Messages to a longer time. A late shipment with the buyer's agreement is different from one with none.

Look at the cause. Was your listed time too short, did a supplier delay you, or did you take on too much? Update your processing times first so they match how long you take. In your appeal, describe the cause, the change you made, and how you will track deadlines going forward. Keep message records that show you kept buyers informed. Do not blame buyers or carriers without proof. Do not promise a result. Etsy makes the final decision.

Suspended over this rule?

Generate a complete, ready-to-submit Etsy appeal for this exact violation.

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Common questions

What do I do if I cannot ship by my processing time?

Get your buyer's agreement before you extend the processing time, or cancel the order. Etsy's Delivery Policy says you must get your buyer's agreement before you extend the processing time for their order.

Is a message to the buyer enough to extend my time?

A message is how you ask. The new date counts only when the buyer agrees. Etsy's Delivery Policy says you must get your buyer's agreement. Keep the thread as your record.

How long should my processing time be?

Long enough to make, pack, and hand over the item on a busy week. Etsy does not set one number for every shop. Count production time for custom or personalized orders too.

Does processing time include delivery?

No. Processing time is how long you need before the order goes out. Delivery time depends on the carrier and the destination. State both clearly so the buyer knows what to expect.

Can late shipments lead to a suspension?

Etsy's Seller Policy says Etsy may contact you if your shop fails to meet its Seller Service Level Standards, which include honoring your dispatch and processing times. If it believes your shop does not meet its minimum customer service standards, it may limit visibility, restrict your payments account, or suspend your account. Etsy does not publish a fixed number of late orders, so set realistic times and meet them.