{"id":4938,"date":"2011-04-21T07:18:35","date_gmt":"2011-04-21T11:18:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spreadshop.com\/blog\/?p=4938"},"modified":"2026-03-27T12:32:24","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T16:32:24","slug":"top-5-asked-merch-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spreadshop.com\/blog\/2011\/04\/21\/top-5-asked-merch-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 5 Asked Merch Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We get the same questions asked about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreadshop.com\/sell-merch\/\"><strong>selling merch <\/strong><\/a>over and over again. Here are our answers to the most asked merch questions with step-by-step instructions for success.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>How does Spreadshop work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Spreadshop is a print-on-demand platform that allows users to sell custom apparel &#8211; no fees or inventory needed. Shop owners upload their own designs and customize their products. They set their own prices and earn from every item they sell.<\/p>\n<p>Spreadshop holds all inventory and prints in-house as soon as someone orders them from your Shop. This means there is absolutely no risk or obligation involved for shop owners \u2013 it\u2019s 100% free.<\/p>\n<p>We take care of payment, shipping, and customer service. All you have to do is create products and designs, put them up for sale in your Shop, and promote your Shop and products on social media. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreadshirt.com\/blog\/2018\/09\/28\/make-the-most-of-your-shop\/\">Learn how to make the most out of your merch shop.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Opening your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreadshop.com\/\"><strong>own Spreadshop<\/strong><\/a> takes minutes. Enter your registration information, and you can immediately start your online business by uploading designs and creating your products.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How do I create products for my Shop?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Go to the \u201cDesigns\u201d menu in the left column to import a design, choose and edit all wanted products for that design, and enter all the necessary information and tags. Watch <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=1RW7TQvkPHQ\">this tutorial<\/a> for more info.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Is Spreadshop really free?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Yes! Running your own Spreadshop is completely free. Since we only print <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreadshop.com\/print-on-demand\/\"><strong>products on demand,<\/strong><\/a> there are no fees or costs for you. Ever.<\/p>\n<p>You don&#8217;t have to pay for inventory or to manage your online shop.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How is the product price determined?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The retail price of a Spreadshop product consists of:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreadshirt.com\/partner-product-range\/products\/\">Product base price<\/a> (without printing)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/help.spreadshirt.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/360004388433-Printing-Costs-in-Partner-Shops\">Printing cost<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Your commission<\/strong> (consisting of Design Price, Affiliate Commission and Volume Commission)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>How do I integrate the Shop with my website?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Your Spreadshop can easily be integrated with any website. It\u2019s simple to integrate it into WordPress or Joomla. Depending on what you want to do, some knowledge of HTML, CSS or JavaSript may be required. <a href=\"https:\/\/help.spreadshirt.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/207487815-Website-Integration-with-JavaScript\">Please use JavaScript<\/a> to integrate the Shop with your website.<\/p>\n<p>In \u201cSales Channels\u201d &gt; \u201cEdit\u201d &gt; \u201cAdvanced Settings\u201d &gt; \u201cShop Settings\u201d &gt; \u201cEmbed Shop in Website,\u201d you will find all the necessary information. You\u2019ll also find information on less complicated ways of integrating your Spreadshop into your website.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What is the difference between Spreadshop and Marketplace?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Spreadshop offers you the opportunity to have a free merchandising shop (and URL) that can easily be integrated into your website. You are the manager, and you choose the products and designs that you want to offer. It is up to you to advertise and market your Shop so that your products can be found by customers.<\/p>\n<p>With each sale, you will receive the design price and Affiliate Commission on generated sales, set at 20% of the cost of printing and products. Depending on the number of products sold, you can even earn more with the Volume Commission.<\/p>\n<p>The Marketplace is part of the Spreadshirt site. It is a great platform on which creative minds can offer their designs. You can simultaneously have a Shop while selling your designs on the Marketplace. As for the Marketplace, you don\u2019t have to worry about marketing, since thousands of visitors browse and buy on the Marketplace every day.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to choosing the design, the customer selects the product on which the design will be printed. The design can also be adjusted on the product, and customers can even change the size and (sometimes) the color. With every design you sell, you will receive the design price you set.<\/p>\n<p>To find out which sales channel is most appropriate for your needs, take a look at this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreadshirt.com\/blog\/2016\/06\/24\/my-designs-spreadshop-marketplace-or-both\/\">article<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Can I customize the Shop layout?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>It is entirely possible to adapt the layout of your Shop. You can activate your own start page, import a logo for the header and choose a color theme. It is also possible to determine your own color palette. More advanced users can use the \u201cHTML and CSS\u201d option to customize the Shop. You can also make adjustments to the header and footer in the checkout area.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you offer white label shops?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yes, that\u2019s standard. The Spreadshirt logo will not appear on your Shop. It allows you to add your personal touch the way you see fit. The only mention of Spreadshirt is in the footer (\u201cPowered by Spreadshirt\u201d), which you can eliminate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreadshirt.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/24\/css-tips-youve-always-wanted-to-know\/\">via CSS<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Designs and Products<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Can I work on several products at the same time?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yes, that\u2019s possible.<\/p>\n<p>You need to select the relevant designs (by checking the box at the top right of the design preview), and on the top left you will be able to edit design keywords and Design Price (you can also delete unwanted designs). For the products, you can use our great <a href=\"https:\/\/help.spreadshirt.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/360008958033-Faster-Product-Creation-with-Templates\">template functionality<\/a>, allowing you to save recurring work steps for all your products.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why was my design rejected?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>First, there are many reasons for rejecting a design. The most common reason is that the lines of the vector graphics are too thin. If the lines are too thin, the design can\u2019t be printed properly, or the print may deteriorate after several washes. It is also possible that designs violate copyrights (e.g. trademarks or word marks). You will find a list of reasons for refusal in our <a href=\"https:\/\/help.spreadshirt.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/206779109-Rejection-reasons-for-designs\">FAQ section for partners<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Commission<\/h2>\n<p><strong>How does the commission system work?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Depending on the distribution channel (Marketplace or Spreadshop), you\u2019ll find different types of commission (see the question \u201cWhat is the difference between Spreadshop and the Spreadshirt Marketplace?\u201d).<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of the chosen distribution channel, you always receive the design price. You\u2019ll also set the amount you want to receive for each sale. You can set the design price up to $15. We advise you, however, to take advice from how profitable sellers price their designs.<\/p>\n<h2>Two additional types of commission:<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>The Affiliate Commission on sales generated. This is 20% on the price of the product and printing (after deduction of tax that the customer pays to Spreadshirt).<\/li>\n<li>The Volume Commission on sales. If you sell more than 26 products in a matter of a bonus period (one month), you receive a bonus ranging from 0.5 to 40% of the price of the product and the printing.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>You will find all <a href=\"https:\/\/help.spreadshirt.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/210769049-Earning-money\">information on commission types<\/a> in our help center.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How do commissions and payments work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Partners who have correctly stated their name, address and bank account details (we also accept PayPal) will receive commission. Commissions are paid to shop owners once a month, regardless of bank account details or the commission type.<\/p>\n<p>We begin accounting for your fees no later than the 15th day of the following month. It may take up to two weeks for the money to be in your account. Therefore, you\u2019d receive the money earned in e.g. October by the end of November.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"726\" data-end=\"782\">We make your payment once you reach the minimum balance. Payment is dependent on the currency you have chosen. We will pay you out when the accumulated credit amounts to $10 (minimum).<\/p>\n<h2>Taxation<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Do I need to register a business?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, we can\u2019t make any blanket statements here. These factors depend on your personal and professional situation. If in doubt, please refer this matter to a tax consultant. Moreover, we advise you to read this useful article.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tax Forms for non-U.S. Citizens Selling on the North American Platforms <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Please download, complete, sign, and email the form below as an attachment to taxation@spreadshirt.com.<\/p>\n<p>Why?<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"959\" data-end=\"1082\">The IRS requires us to collect and report specific business transactions and provide income statements to involved parties. Failure to provide correct information will result in Spreadshirt withholding up to 30% of your earnings.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For Individuals<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/pub\/irs-pdf\/fw8bene.pdf\">Download form W-8BEN-E<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Please add your User ID to the form on line 10. You will find your User ID in your Account Settings. Fill out the remaining fields of the form with the same information you have entered above <em>and<\/em> the information you normally provide the IRS. It is very important that this information is consistent!<\/p>\n<p><strong>For Businesses<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/pub\/irs-pdf\/fw8ben.pdf\">Download form W-8BEN<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Please add your User ID to the form on line 7. You will find your User ID in your Account Settings. Fill out the remaining fields of the form with the same information you have entered above <em>and<\/em> the information you normally provide the IRS. It is very important that this information is consistent!<\/p>\n<p>We also accept electronically signed forms created with Adobe or the Acrobat Reader package.<\/p>\n<p>Once you have submitted this form to taxation@spreadshirt.com, we will need some time to process and validate it. We will inform you here once this process is complete.<\/p>\n<p><em>Do you have any other pressing merch questions? Let us know in the comments below!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Certain questions are asked over and over again. Here are our answers. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreadshop.com\/blog\/2011\/04\/21\/top-5-asked-merch-questions\/\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":18568,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"publish_to_discourse":"0","publish_post_category":"","wpdc_auto_publish_overridden":"","wpdc_topic_tags":"","wpdc_pin_topic":"","wpdc_pin_until":"","discourse_post_id":"","discourse_permalink":"","wpdc_publishing_response":"","wpdc_publishing_error":"","_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false},"categories":[18625],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v19.3 (Yoast SEO v19.7.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Top 5 Merch Questions Asked Over and Over Again<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Here are the top 5 most frequently asked merch questions with step-by-step instructions and selling tips for success in 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