What the policy says
Etsy’s Off-Platform Transactions Policy (last updated Oct 5, 2026) explains that Etsy’s protections, such as Etsy Payments, Purchase Protection and the case system, only cover transactions completed on Etsy. So it doesn’t allow these four things:
- Telling a member to pay or buy outside Etsy’s checkout. That includes naming a payment method like PayPal or Venmo, and sending them to a personal website, a social media shop or another marketplace to buy.
- Asking for or sharing contact details, such as a phone number, email or social handle, to complete a sale off Etsy.
- Offering off-platform discounts, free items or cheaper shipping to get members to buy elsewhere.
- Using a QR code to send members off Etsy.
The policy also forbids charging extra after checkout for shipping, returns, duties, taxes or customs, and passing fees to buyers through a third party such as a carrier.
What it doesn’t say
The text doesn’t forbid owning a website or selling on other channels. What it forbids is using Etsy to push buyers to buy somewhere else. That’s my reading of the policy. Etsy can change it, so read the current version before you rely on this post.
A simple way to stay on the right side
| Generally fine | Against the policy |
|---|---|
| A website that gets its own visitors from search, social media and ads | Messaging an Etsy buyer to place their order on your site instead |
| Selling the same products on both | Giving Etsy customers a discount code to buy on your site |
| Keeping Etsy buyers and orders inside Etsy | Putting a QR code in a package that sends people to your shop |
Package inserts with a link are a grey area that the policy doesn’t spell out, and the QR rule is explicit. I would skip both and keep the two audiences separate.
Why bother with a website then?
- Etsy can change its fees, its search or your account status. A site gives you a second place to sell.
- Visitors who find you through Google, Instagram or Pinterest can buy from you directly, and you control that experience.
- You build a brand people can find by name.
Using both well
Let Etsy do what it does best, which is putting your products in front of people who are already searching to buy. Use the website for the traffic you bring yourself. If you’re choosing a platform, the Shopify, WordPress or Etsy guide helps, and this post covers the setup steps.
If you would like this done for you, the E-commerce Package includes a Shopify or WordPress store with your Etsy products added.
Try this first
- Read the policy page once, start to finish.
- Check your messages, listing text and packaging for anything that sends buyers off Etsy.
- Decide how your website will get visitors that don’t come from Etsy.
Keep reading
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Rules, numbers and dates change often. This page reflects the sources below as checked on Nov 10, 2026. Confirm current figures with the official source before you act.