To start selling on Etsy you need an Etsy account with an email you check daily, a phone for two-factor authentication, a bank account in your own name, a valid government ID plus a selfie, a debit or credit card for Etsy's bills, and a first listing ready to publish. That first listing is not optional: Etsy says you need to add your first listing before you can open your shop, so the product, its photos, price, shipping and return settings belong on the list too.
This checklist is for new sellers who want to sit down once and finish the shop setup without stopping halfway to hunt for a document. Etsy's setup runs in a fixed order, a few of its choices cannot be changed later, and some details differ by country. Where something works differently for sellers in Türkiye we say so, and our guide to opening an Etsy shop from Türkiye shows each screen in order.
Your account and your phone
Etsy is clear that you must have an existing Etsy account before creating a shop. If you already buy on Etsy, you can open the shop from that account. Our guide to Etsy buyer and seller accounts explains how the two relate.
Pick an email address you read every day, because orders, buyer messages and Etsy's account notices all arrive there. Keep your phone at hand during setup too: as a security measure, Etsy requires you to set up two-factor authentication, and you want a sign-in method you will not lose.
A shop name and a shop language
Prepare a few shop names before you start. Etsy's rules: a name must be 4 to 20 characters long, with no spaces or special characters, no profanity, not already in use, and not infringing a trademark. A name built from your own words is safer than one that borrows a brand.
The shop language deserves more thought than it usually gets. Etsy asks you to pick one you are comfortable using with buyers, and you won't be able to change it later yourself. Etsy Support can change an open shop's default language, but only after you have translated your shop information and every listing into it. Turkish is not one of Etsy's site languages, so sellers in Türkiye who sell abroad should choose the language they will write their listings in.
Getting paid: bank account, ID and card
Three items sit together in the payments step, and they have to match each other.
A bank account in your name. Your earnings are deposited here, and sellers in select countries connect a Payoneer account instead. Türkiye is on the list of countries eligible for Etsy Payments and is not one of the Payoneer countries, so a Turkish bank account is what you connect. PayPal is not available to Etsy Payments sellers located in Türkiye.
A government ID and a selfie. Etsy asks for "a photo of your government ID and a clear selfie." The ID must not be expired and needs to match the name on the bank account you added.
A debit or credit card. Etsy bills, such as listing fees, are charged to it. New sellers in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands are required to have one on the account.
After billing, a one-time, non-refundable shop set-up fee is paid. Etsy says its cost varies by location, so you will meet your own amount during setup. Questions about tax or registering a business depend on where you live, so take them to an accountant rather than a blog post.
Something to sell, within Etsy's rules
Know what you will sell before you open the shop, and check that it fits Etsy's rules. Using production partners, including print-on-demand services, is allowed as long as the items are your original design (or the buyer's customization). Drop shipping and reselling mass-produced items are not allowed.
If a partner will print and ship for you, you must disclose that production partner in the relevant listings. Our article on production partners on Etsy walks through the setting. Plan original designs from the start, and leave other people's characters, logos and team names alone.
Photos and settings for the first listing
The listing form has 7 tabs you must fill out before you can publish. Gather these before you begin:
Photos. You can add up to 20 photos and 2 videos per listing. Etsy recommends photos at least 2000 pixels wide and high, and the first photo should be landscape or square. Print-on-demand sellers usually use mockups here.
A title, tags and a description. Titles can be up to 140 characters, and you can use up to 13 tags.
A price that covers the fees. The listing fee is $0.20 and the transaction fee is 6.5% of the order total, shipping included. Payment processing depends on your bank's country: 3% + 0.25 USD in the United States, 6.5% + 14 TRY in Türkiye (fee table). Sellers in some countries also pay a regulatory operating fee, 1.67% in Türkiye.
Shipping, processing time and a return policy. Physical listings must have a return policy, even one that says no returns.
Our field-by-field guide to a first listing covers each tab in order. Here is the whole checklist in one place:
| What to have ready | Why Etsy asks for it | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Etsy account and email | A shop is opened from an account | Use an inbox you read daily |
| Phone | Two-factor authentication is required | Use a number you will keep |
| Shop names | 4 to 20 characters, no spaces | Have three alternatives ready |
| Shop language | You cannot change it later yourself | Choose the language of your listings |
| Bank account | Earnings are deposited there | Must be in your own name |
| Government ID and selfie | Identity verification | Valid, and matching the bank name |
| Debit or credit card | Etsy bills are charged to it | Check it works for online payments |
| First listing | Required before the shop opens | Photos, price, shipping, returns |
Where Alomations fits once the shop is open
Once your shop exists, you can connect it to Alomations through the official Etsy API, on Etsy's own sign-in screen, in under two minutes. The Free plan needs no card and gives you 40 credits a month once the shop is connected, which is about 4 to 6 full listings, with up to 4 AI images a month. Real orders and the listings manager are included, so you can take your first sale through fulfillment on the same plan.
If you would rather learn before you list, the Classroom has free video tutorials in English and Turkish, one tutorial per lesson, open on every plan, with a guided tour to them from any page. Our roundup of free ways to learn selling on Etsy lists other places to start.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a registered business to start selling on Etsy?
Etsy's setup asks for the items in this checklist. Whether you also need a registered business or a tax number depends on your country and situation, so ask a qualified accountant.
Can sellers in Türkiye accept PayPal?
No. Etsy says PayPal does not operate in Türkiye, so it is not available to Etsy Payments sellers there. However a buyer pays, the money reaches your Etsy Payment account, and from there it is deposited to your bank.
Can I change my shop language later?
Not by yourself. Etsy Support can change it for an open shop, but only after the shop information and every listing are translated into the new language.
Do I need my own product photos?
You need photos for the first listing, but they do not have to come from a camera. Print-on-demand sellers usually show the design on mockups, as long as the images show what the buyer will receive.
When your shop is open, you can make your first listings at no cost on the Alomations Free plan.