New Etsy sellers from Türkiye tend to repeat the same few mistakes: setting prices without counting fees and currency conversion, translating titles and tags word for word from Turkish, and leaving processing times and shipping vague. Below we go through each of these, plus two rule mistakes, and show how to avoid every one.
This is for sellers who have just opened an Etsy shop or are about to, especially with print on demand. These mistakes usually go unnoticed for months: the profit is thin, a listing gets no views, or buyers ask where their order is. Tax and company formation are outside this article: for those, check Etsy's help pages and a qualified accountant.
Money mistakes: price, fees and deposits
Mistake 1: pricing without fees and currency
Etsy charges a $0.20 listing fee and a transaction fee of 6.5% of the order total, shipping included if you charge buyers for it (Etsy fees). Sellers in Türkiye also pay a payment processing fee of 6.5% + 14 TRY (processing fees) and a 1.67% regulatory operating fee (regulatory fee).
If you list in a currency other than the currency of your payment bank account, Etsy adds a 2.5% currency conversion fee (Etsy fees). Put product cost, shipping and every fee in one column before you set a price. Our guide to Etsy fees and currency conversion for sellers in Türkiye walks through the full calculation.
Mistake 2: depositing small amounts often
You choose how often Etsy pays out to your bank: daily, weekly, biweekly or monthly (deposit schedule). In Türkiye, a deposit above 50.00 TRY but below 600.00 TRY costs a 42.00 TRY deposit fee (deposit fees), so a weekly 300 TRY deposit in a slow first month loses 42 TRY. Pick a less frequent schedule until your balance clears the threshold. Getting paid on Etsy from Türkiye covers the rest, including why PayPal is not an option.
Language mistakes: word-for-word translation
Mistake 3: translating titles and tags literally
Turkish is not one of Etsy's site languages (site languages), so you write in your buyers' language, and the usual mistake is translating word by word. "Yılbaşı süsü" becomes "new year ornament", while US buyers search for "Christmas ornament". "Kişiye özel" is searched as "personalized" or "custom", and "anneye hediye" as "gift for mom".
Etsy's advice still applies: describe the item clearly at the start of the title and keep it natural (SEO tips), and skip subjective words such as "perfect" (listing guide). Each of your 13 tags can hold up to 20 characters and can be a buyer phrase like "gift for her" (tag guide). See writing Etsy listings when English is not your first language for a practical method.
Mistake 4: choosing the shop language in a hurry
Etsy asks you to pick a shop language you are comfortable using with buyers, and you won't be able to change it later (opening a shop). The only way back is for Etsy Support to change it after you have translated the shop information and every listing (shop language). Choose your target market's language on day one. The other setup steps are in how to open an Etsy shop from Türkiye.
Shipping mistakes: vague times and missing policies
Mistake 5: leaving processing time and shipping vague
Processing time is how much time you need to get an order ready to ship (processing times), counted in business days (shipping profiles). With print on demand, it must include your production partner's print time. Set it too short and you ship late, while Etsy's customer service standards expect at least 80% of orders to ship on time (service standards).
If you ship from Türkiye to the US yourself: Etsy's June 2026 update says that starting July 9, sellers outside the US need to account for all of their costs, including duties and import fees, and orders shipped without duties prepaid no longer qualify for Etsy Purchase Protection (Etsy updates). An order also needs valid tracking to count toward Star Seller (tracking). See shipping from Türkiye to US buyers.
Mistake 6: leaving the return policy for later
Every physical listing needs a return policy, even one that says no returns (returns), and Etsy lists a missing return policy among the things that can push listings lower in search (search ranking). For orders shipped to the EU, some sellers must offer at least 14 days (return policies). Decide early how you handle a misprint versus a size exchange.
Rule mistakes: production partners and other people's designs
Mistake 7: not disclosing your production partner
Print on demand is allowed on Etsy as long as the items are your original design or the buyer's customization (POD rules), but you must disclose your production partner in the relevant listings (listing guide). Add it under Shop Manager > Settings > Partners you work with, with its name, location and how you work together (production partners).
Mistake 8: using someone else's design, brand or character
Copying a bestseller, or printing a brand, a TV character or a sports club, can look like a shortcut. When a rights owner's report complies with Etsy's policies, Etsy removes the content (IP policy), and repeat reports may result in the loss of account privileges (infringement reports). Sell original designs, and if you use AI, say so: Etsy requires seller-prompted AI creations to disclose it (item categories).
The eight mistakes at a glance
| Mistake | Why it costs you | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Ignoring fees and currency | Each sale leaves less than expected | Add every fee and the 2.5% conversion fee to your price math |
| Small, frequent deposits | Deposits between 50 and 600 TRY lose 42 TRY | A less frequent schedule until the balance clears the threshold |
| Word-for-word translation | The listing misses the words buyers type | Use the phrase a buyer would search |
| Rushed shop language | It cannot easily be changed later | Pick your target market's language on day one |
| Vague processing time and shipping | Late shipments and buyer messages | A realistic time that covers production, plus tracking |
| No return policy | Search visibility can drop | Attach a policy to every physical listing |
| Undisclosed production partner | It breaks an Etsy rule | Fill in Partners you work with |
| Someone else's design or brand | Listings get removed, the account is at risk | Sell original designs only |
Where Alomations takes over part of the work
In Alomations, a listing run turns a design into a finished Etsy listing: a buyer-intent title within Etsy's 140 characters, all 13 tags and a description, with Custom or Personalized in the title when the design is personalized. Shipping, return and processing profiles come from a template you build once, so every listing goes out with clear policies, published live or saved as an Etsy draft: one setting on the run.
For listings you already have, the score in the listings manager runs a live listing through ten checks and attaches the fix to each one, on every plan, Free included. Classroom has free video tutorials in English and Turkish, and support speaks both languages. If you fulfill through our production partners, US orders are produced in the US. More on the features page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I accept PayPal on Etsy from Türkiye?
No. As PayPal does not operate in Türkiye, Etsy Payments sellers located there cannot accept it (Etsy Payments).
Can I write my listings in Turkish?
Turkish is not one of Etsy's site languages, so write in the language your buyers use. You can add your own translations for the languages you add in Shop Manager (translations).
What should I watch for in identity verification?
Etsy requires an ID that is not expired and matches the name on the bank account you added to get paid (opening a shop).
If you want a workflow that avoids most of these mistakes from the start, you can begin on the Alomations free plan without a card.