Selling Online
Shipping Homemade Food on Local Cottage Foods
Shipping is available to approved sellers. You request approval (sharing your business type and where you want to ship), and once approved you set a flat shipping rate, an optional free-shipping threshold, and your ship-from details. Whether you can ship — and where — depends on your state's rules, so confirm those in the Compliance Center first.
This explains the platform's shipping feature, not the law. Whether you may ship — and to where — is set by your state's cottage food rules. Always confirm in the Compliance Center and with your official state source first.
Shipping can extend your reach beyond pickup and delivery, but it's gated and rules-dependent by design. Here's how the feature works once you've confirmed shipping is allowed for you.
Request approval
Shipping starts with a request: you share your business type, the scope you want (for example, in-state only or specific states), and any license details. A reviewer checks it — usually within a couple of business days — and approves, denies, or asks for changes. You can't ship until you're approved.
Set your rates
- A flat shipping rate added to qualifying orders
- An optional free-shipping threshold (e.g., free over a set order amount)
- Your ship-from address and default package details
- A card on file for printing shipping labels
Shipping fees flow entirely to you and aren't subject to the marketplace fee — but real postage and packaging add up. Price shipping to cover them, and use a free-shipping threshold to nudge larger orders.
Decide if shipping is right for you
Many sellers do beautifully on pickup and local delivery alone — compare those in delivery vs. pickup. If you do ship, package for the journey and keep your state's rules front of mind.
List your cottage food business
Create a free storefront, take local orders, and get discovered by buyers near you.
Frequently asked questions
Can every seller ship?
No — shipping is approval-gated. You submit a request with your business type and desired shipping scope, and a reviewer approves it (typically within a couple of business days) before you can ship.
Is shipping cottage food even allowed?
It depends on your state. Many cottage food laws limit sales to within your state or to direct local sales, while some allow limited shipping of specific shelf-stable items. Confirm your state's rules in the Compliance Center before requesting approval.
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