How to sell postcards online

Postcards are one of the easiest physical art products to sell online. They are flat, inexpensive to ship, and quick to produce in batches. The main decision is where to sell them: a marketplace like Etsy, your own shop, or a subscription model that sends a postcard to the same group of people each month.

Each channel has different margins, different discovery mechanics, and different amounts of ongoing work. This post walks through each one plainly.

For a full model of what different subscriber counts and prices yield, use the earnings calculator.

Selling on a marketplace (Etsy, Faire, Society6)

How it works: You list the postcard, set a price, and buyers find you through search. The platform handles traffic but takes a fee on each sale.

Margins: Etsy charges a $0.20 listing fee plus 6.5% transaction fee plus payment processing. On a $6 postcard, the platform takes roughly $0.60 to $0.80 per sale, depending on your payment method and whether you run ads.

Discovery: Marketplaces have built-in search, which can bring buyers who have never heard of you. The trade-off is competition. Popular categories are crowded and staying visible often requires paid ads or constant listing refreshes.

Workload: You fulfill each order as it comes in. One order a day means mailing every day. There is no batching by default unless you set a processing time.

Best for: Artists who already have a catalog of designs ready to list and want to reach buyers through search rather than through an existing following.

Selling through your own shop (Shopify, Squarespace, a custom site)

How it works: You own the storefront, set all the rules, and handle all the marketing. Platform fees are lower but you are responsible for driving traffic.

Margins: Shopify's basic plan starts at around $29 per month with a 2.9% + $0.30 payment fee per transaction. No listing fees. Margins are better per sale but you bear the full marketing cost.

Discovery: Zero built-in discovery. Every sale comes from an audience you build yourself: email list, social following, word of mouth. This is a significant difference from a marketplace.

Workload: Similar to a marketplace for fulfillment. If you want to batch mail, you set your own processing rhythm. Customer service is also entirely yours.

Best for: Artists with an established audience who want full control and better per-unit margin on higher sales volume.

Selling as a postcard subscription (mail club)

How it works: Subscribers pay monthly and receive one postcard each cycle. You design one piece, print the batch, and mail it on a set cutoff date.

Margins: On The Snails Mail's Free Creator plan, the commission is 5% of subscription revenue. On Creator Pro ($14.99/month), the commission drops to 2%. Creator Pro+ ($29.99/month) has no commission. Print and mail for postcards starts at $1.49 per piece retail, or $1.29 per piece at volume.

A subscription at $8 per month with 100 subscribers generates $800 gross. After a 5% commission and $1.29 print and mail per piece, the net is approximately $558. That number renews monthly without a new sale event for each subscriber.

Discovery: Starts with your existing audience. The Snails Mail explore page adds some discovery within the platform. Your own newsletter and social are still the primary channels.

Workload: One design per month, one batch mailing. No daily order fulfillment.

Best for: Artists who want predictable recurring income over variable one-time sales, and whose work translates well into a monthly series format.

Which channel to use first

If you are starting from zero and have no existing audience, a marketplace is the lowest-risk place to test whether postcards sell at all. The built-in traffic is valuable while you build your own following.

If you have an existing audience, even a small one, a subscription is often the more efficient path. The income is more predictable and the workload is batched rather than continuous.

For a comparison of the subscription model against other online selling options, see postcard subscriptions explained and mail club vs Etsy.

Practical notes for any channel

Pricing: Cover materials, postage or print costs, platform fees, and time. A postcard priced at $3 on a marketplace often nets less than $1 after fees and mailing. Price to make the math work at realistic order volumes.

Photography: Postcard listings with clean, well-lit photography convert significantly better than low-quality images. This is worth the time to do well.

Descriptions: Short and specific. What is the postcard of, what are the dimensions, is it blank on the back or does it have text, what is the paper stock. Buyers want to know the object.

Shipping: Postcard-rate stamps ($0.56 for a standard postcard in the US as of 2026) keep shipping costs low for domestic orders. International postage varies widely and should be calculated before you promise a price.

FAQ

Should I sell individual postcards or packs?

Both can work. Packs offer better perceived value and reduce the transaction cost per unit. Individual cards are easier to price at an accessible entry point. Many sellers offer both.

How do I handle international orders?

International postage varies by destination. Quote it accurately at checkout rather than absorbing the cost or surprising customers with extra fees.

Can I sell postcards made through a print service?

Yes. Many artists design postcards digitally and print through a service like Moo, Printful, or a local print shop. The cost per unit varies, but the workflow is similar to any product business. For artists using a print and mail service through a subscription, the platform handles this automatically per batch.

What makes a postcard worth buying online?

A specific point of view. A postcard that is clearly by you, that someone who follows your work would immediately recognize, sells better than a generic landscape or a sentiment anyone could have made. The art is the reason to buy; the format is just the delivery.

For more on income from original work, see how to make money as an artist.