What Is Faire? Guide for Etsy POD Sellers -

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.

If you’ve been building your Etsy POD shop with the goal of creating passive income, location freedom, and a business that actually works with your life, you may eventually hit a moment when you want to expand outside of Etsy.

The best time to start is when your sales are steady and you have designs people love.

That’s when most sellers begin looking at wholesale. Not the old-school kind where you’re dragging bins of samples into a convention center, trying to charm retailers while wearing uncomfortable shoes.

I’m talking about modern wholesale — the type that works online, globally, and without any of the traditional gatekeeping.

And that brings us to Faire.

So what is Faire, and more importantly, how does it work for a print-on-demand seller? Should you even bother? Does Faire accept POD brands? What are the risks? What are the margins? How does fulfillment work? How do retailers buy? And—real talk—is it even worth it?

This deep-dive guide walks you through everything.

What Is Faire? Inside the Wholesale Marketplace Powerhouse

Faire is a B2B wholesale marketplace built to connect independent retailers with independent brands.

Instead of retailers going to trade shows, emailing reps, or digging through outdated catalogs, Faire gives them a centralized online platform where they can browse millions of products, place wholesale orders, and discover new brands.

A Mission Rooted in Modernizing Wholesale

Faire was founded in 2017 by four former employees from Square:

Max Rhodes (CEO)
Marcelo Cortes (CTO)
Jeff Kolovson (COO)
Daniele Perito (CDO)

They’d all seen the struggles of small businesses firsthand and recognized that wholesale was outdated, inefficient, and expensive for both sides.

Before Faire, boutique owners had to fly to trade shows, pay for hotel rooms, walk massive halls all day, and hope they stumbled across something their customers would love.

Brands had to shell out thousands of dollars for booths, staff, samples, lighting, marketing materials, you name it.

Faire flipped that entire ecosystem.

They built a tech-first wholesale marketplace that:

Reduces risk for retailers (through returns + net terms)
Simplifies discovery (through AI recommendations)
Eliminates upfront marketing costs for brands
Offers global reach without leaving your house

What started as “Indigo Fair” quickly evolved into Faire, a global force in wholesale commerce.

Scale, Reach, and Global Footprint

By 2025, Faire had become one of the most powerful marketplaces for independent retail:

100,000+ brands
Close to 1 million retailers
Active in 35+ countries
Offices in 10+ global cities
Over $1.4B in venture funding
Peak valuation of $12.4B

How Faire Makes Money (and What That Means for You)

The Commission Structure

Faire is free to join and free to list—but not free to sell.

Here’s how commissions work:

15% +$10 commission on the first order a retailer places with you
15% commission on every reorder
0% commission on orders placed through Faire Direct links (your own affiliate link where you as a brand invite a retailer to shop on Faire)

This model incentivizes retailers to reorder from brands they love—which is great for POD sellers who can fulfill consistently.

There are no monthly fees, no listing fees, and no subscription fees for brands.

Now, compared to Etsy, these fees are high. You must figure out your pricing strategy before listing on Faire so that you can be as profitable as possible.

For a print on demand shop, that can be tricky. So work out your numbers

Payment Processing Fees (Vary by Payout Speed)

60-Day Payout (Standard): 1.9% + $0.30 per order.
Next-Day Payout: 3.5% + $0.30 per order.
30-Day Payout: 2.4% + $0.30 per order.

Faire Insider: Retailer Subscription Program

Retailers can pay for “Faire Insider,” which includes:

Free or discounted shipping
Early access to Faire Markets (big buying events)
Better return terms

More retailer perks = more retailer buying = more potential orders for you.

Why Retailers Love Faire (And Buy From It Like Crazy)

As an Etsy seller, you’re used to selling one item at a time. Faire retailers buy in bundles, packs, and bulk—because they’re stocking shelves.

Here’s why retailers love Faire so much:

1. Net 60 Terms

Retailers order today and don’t pay for two months. That means they can:

Only pay after the product sells
Buy more inventory upfront

2. Sell-Through Guarantee (Risk-Free Buying)

On first orders, if products don’t sell, retailers can return them. This massively reduces their risk and encourages them to try new brands.

3. Product Discovery Engine

Faire uses AI to recommend products retailers will likely love based on:

Their store style
Past purchase data
Trending categories
Retailer behavior across the platform

4. Worldwide Sourcing Made Easy

Faire handles:

Duties
Taxes
Customs
Import fees
Currency conversion

If you’re in the U.S. and a boutique in France wants your POD journal or baby bodysuit, Faire makes that happen.

5. Reorder Simplicity

With Shopify POS integrations, retailers can reorder from inside their existing system.

This is huge, because reorders are where POD sellers make consistent wholesale income.

What Brands Get When Selling on Faire

This is where the platform really shines.

1. Access to Global Retailers

You’re instantly in front of:

Boutiques
Gift shops
Wellness stores
Kids’ shops
Salons
Florists
Pop-up shops
Coffee shops with retail sections

2. Zero Risk of Retailer Default

Faire pays you—even if the retailer never pays them.

They take on the credit risk, not you.

3. Advanced Analytics Dashboard

Your dashboard includes:

Top selling SKUs
Reorder rates
Traffic to your storefront
Views vs. orders
Retailer behavior insights

This lets you see exactly what products retailers want.

4. Faire Messenger

Built-in communication tool to:

Answer retailer questions
Send quick replies
Build relationships

Faire says responding within 24 hours increases order likelihood by 45%.

5. Trade Show Visibility Without Trade Shows

Faire hosts digital events with spikes of up to $10M/day in sales.

6. Shopify Integration

This is a big one.

You can:

Sync inventory
Sync product listings
Sync barcodes, SKUs, descriptions
Manage wholesale inside Shopify

7. Geographic Exclusivity Tools

You can prevent retailers within a certain radius from carrying your items. The brand, however, has to agree to this.

—This is major for maintaining brand equity.

8. Stockist Map

Automatically display all the stores carrying your products on your website.

Can Print-on-Demand Brands Sell on Faire?

Short answer: Yes — if you’re strategic and polished.

Faire is curated. They reject a lot of brands, including POD sellers who:

Don’t have strong branding
Have generic designs
Have slow fulfillment
Look like drop shippers

To get accepted as a POD brand, you need:

A clear aesthetic
A defined niche
Lifestyle photos (no basic mockups)
Consistent branding
A brand story
Reliable turnaround times

Faire wants boutique-ready brands—not random designs thrown on shirts.

POD Categories That Do Well on Faire

Kids/baby (bodysuits, milestone blankets)
Pet products (dog bandanas, treat jars)
Wellness + self-care messaging
Home goods (art prints, mugs, tea towels)
Stationery (journals, planners)

POD Categories That Struggle

Generic text tees
Meme-based designs
Trend chasing (retailers want evergreen)
Overly saturated niches

How POD Fulfillment Works for Faire Orders

This is where most Etsy sellers get confused, so let’s break it down.

Production Time Must Be Predictable

You are the Brand. Retailers expect fast, consistent fulfillment. If you use Printify:

Choose high-performing suppliers
Keep production under 5–7 days
Be mindful that you will have to pay taxes, even if the retailers do not. This is my biggest struggle as it eats up quite a bit of profit.

Order Minimums are Your Friend

Because POD takes time, you can set:

Minimum order values (e.g., $150)
Minimum quantities per variant

You Can Batch Orders

If a retailer orders 48 mugs, your POD supplier can print them as one large order.

Returns Process

How Faire’s Free First-Order Returns Work

Faire removes the risk from a retailer’s first order with a new brand by covering free returns within 60 days. Faire pays for the return and handles the entire process, not the brand. This applies to eligible items like prepacks and partial cases.

Seasonal items, custom products, testers, and high-value items over $500 are excluded.

Returned items are inspected by Faire and often resold through Faire’s Sale Collections. Retailers receive a prepaid return label, and the cost is removed from their invoice or refunded. Original shipping costs are not refunded.

For Retailers (Buyers)

Eligibility
Your first order with any new brand qualifies for free returns within 60 days.

How to Return
Submit a return request through your Faire portal at Account > Orders & Reviews. Select the items, choose a reason, and download the prepaid return label.

What Can Be Returned
Complete prepacks or partial cases. Custom items, testers, and seasonal products are excluded.

What Happens Next
Faire adjusts your invoice or issues a refund once the return is processed. Shipping from the original order is not refunded.

For Brands (Sellers)

Risk Coverage
Faire absorbs the financial risk for first-order returns. Brands are not charged for these returns. This is a huge plus for print on demand sellers! The margins are so tight, one return can really eat up any profit.

Return Handling
Brands do not manage returns directly. Faire handles everything through the retailer’s account.

Resale Opportunity
Returned items are inspected and may be resold through Faire’s Sale Collections.

Faire Direct Advantage
Brands using Faire Direct can offer free returns, 60-day payment terms, and discounts to retailers while avoiding commission on those sales.

Faire’s free first-order return policy lowers the barrier for retailers to try new brands.

Retailers get peace of mind, brands get more first-time orders, and Faire manages the logistics and resale behind the scenes.

Pricing Strategy for Faire

Wholesale is a different beast than Etsy retail pricing. If you don’t price strategically, your margins will get crushed quickly—especially with POD costs and Faire commissions.

Understand Wholesale Margins

Retailers (not Brands/Sellers) need to at least double their cost to stay profitable.

You need to calculate what your price would be for you to maintain a profit.

My profit margin for Faire is around 20%. This was after A LOT of trial and error. Even then, it will vary based on what state the Retailer orders from due to taxes.

For POD sellers, that means you must calculate backward:

Cost of goods (POD base cost)
Shipping cost to retailer
Faire commission (15% + $10 on first orders, 15% after)
Payment processing fees (whichever timeframe you decide)

Most POD sellers underprice and end up making pennies. On Faire, that won’t fly. You need to price like a wholesale brand, not a side hustle.

Higher profit margin products will be more profitable for Etsy POD sellers.

Avoid Selling Low-Margin Products

POD items like tank tops or wrapping paper with low margins are not ideal for Faire. Focus on POD items where perceived value is high and production cost is stable.

Applying to Sell on Faire: What You’ll Need

Faire requires approval before you can sell. It doesn’t publish strict “checklist” criteria, but guides and seller experiences consistently recommend strong branding, complete product listings with wholesale details, professional imagery, and a clear business identity. These factors improve the likelihood of acceptance.

Here’s what Faire typically evaluates:

Brand identity: They want visually cohesive brands
Product quality: High-quality photos and production consistency
Wholesale readiness: Pricing, minimums, fulfillment
Market fit: Are boutiques buying your type of product?
Professional presence: Website, Instagram, or Etsy shop with proof of demand

When Faire Makes Sense for Your Etsy POD Brand

You’re Ready If:

You have a proven niche that sells consistently on Etsy
Your branding is dialed in and cohesive
You’ve tested your POD suppliers and know they deliver consistent quality
You’re ready to handle larger B2B orders
You want recurring retail partnerships that generate passive income

You Should Wait If:

You’re still testing design ideas or categories
Your margins are already thin
You’re frequently switching POD suppliers
Your Etsy shop hasn’t validated your niche yet with sales

Wholesale amplifies your strengths—but it also amplifies gaps. Make sure your systems are solid before applying.

Final Thoughts

Faire isn’t a magic pill. It’s not a shortcut. And it won’t fix an unvalidated Etsy shop.

But if you’re a serious POD brand ready to scale, Faire is one of the most powerful wholesale platforms available. It gives you:

Global reach
Retailer trust
Built-in credit + returns systems
Analytics to guide growth
The ability to scale recurring revenue without burnout

It’s wholesale designed for the digital age—where indie brands and indie retailers can grow together without middlemen, trade shows, or massive startup capital.

For Etsy POD sellers, Faire is absolutely worth considering—but only when your business is ready for wholesale volume, margins, and consistency.

The Best SEO and Design Tools for an Etsy Shop:

These are the only tools I use for my shop!

Canva: Canva is the most amazing tool. It is user friendly, and always improving! The tools that Canva has have evolved so much since I first started using it in 2022–for the better. I use it almost everyday. I use it to create designs, to edit AI designs, and to create product mockups.

Midjourney: Midjourney is an AI image tool that blows my mind every time I use it. It takes some time to get the prompts down. Once you play with it, you will get better at creating images and art to include on your print on demand products.

E-Hunt: E-Hunt is fantastic for competitor research and some light keyword research. My favorite aspect of E-Hunt is the Chrome extension that allows you to see the sales amount for an individual item on Etsy. Check out this article to see an example.

eRank: eRank is an SEO data tool that also allows you to search the competition and will also give you key words for your Etsy listing. It is also a low cost tool that will help you find low competition and highly searched niches.

Printify: Pr intify is a print-on-demand (POD) service that allows individuals and businesses to create and sell custom-designed products without needing to manage inventory or handle fulfillment. I put my designs on products offered by Printify. When an item sells, Printify prints and ships to my customer.