I still remember the first time I sold a pair of vintage combat boots on Depop. It was late 2018, and I was absolutely buzzing because I had managed to flip a $10 thrift store find for $85. I was so excited that I guessed the weight when listing them. I selected the "Medium" shipping size, thinking, "They are just shoes, how heavy can they be?" When I got to the post office, the clerk put them on the scale and gave me a look of pity. The package was three pounds over the limit. I ended up paying an extra $18 out of pocket to upgrade the shipping, which ate nearly a third of my profit. That afternoon taught me a painful lesson: on resale apps, shipping isn't just a logistical detail; it is the difference between a side hustle and a charity.
How Much Is Shipping on Depop? The Tier System Explained
When new sellers ask me how much is shipping on depop, I have to explain that it is not a flat rate. Depop has partnered with USPS (in the US) to create a label generation system that is incredibly convenient but rigid.
Here is the breakdown of the "Ship with Depop" tiers as of late 2024/early 2025:
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Extra Small (XS): Under 4oz. This is for jewelry, pins, or maybe a single silk scarf. The cost usually hovers around $4.49.
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Small (S): Under 8oz. This fits a standard t-shirt or a light tank top. Price is roughly $5.49.
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Medium (M): Under 1lb. This is your go-to for light sweaters, blouses, or lightweight shorts. Price is around $7.69.
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Large (L): Under 2lb. This is the danger zone. Jeans, hoodies, and shoes often fall here. Price jumps to $12.29.
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Extra Large (XL): Under 10lb. This is for leather jackets, heavy boots, or massive bundles. Price is roughly $13.99.
(Note: These prices fluctuate slightly based on USPS rate hikes, but these are the baselines I budget for).
Here is where it gets interesting. The jump from Medium to Large is significant—almost $5. If you have a pair of jeans that weighs 15.9 ounces, you are in the Medium tier. If they weigh 16.1 ounces, you are in the Large tier. That 0.2-ounce difference costs you (or your buyer) five bucks.
I once listed a vintage denim jacket and selected "Large" shipping. I didn't account for the weight of the box and the packing tape. The final package weighed 2lbs 3oz. The QR code at the post office wouldn't scan because it was overweight. I had to void the label, refund the buyer, and ask them to repurchase it with the correct shipping. It was humiliating and I almost lost the sale.
The "Arrange Your Own Shipping" Strategy
There is an alternative to the official depop shipping labels: arranging it yourself. This means you charge the buyer a set amount (or offer free shipping) and buy the label elsewhere.
This is where I make my margins back. I use a service called Pirate Ship. It offers "commercial pricing" which is significantly cheaper than the retail rates you get at the post office counter.
For example, last month I shipped a 3lb bundle of clothes from New York to New Jersey. Depop would have charged me the XL rate of roughly $14. Because the buyer was geographically close to me, Pirate Ship quoted me $8.50 for cubic priority mail. That is a massive saving.
However, there is a catch. If you arrange your own shipping, you are 100% responsible for entering the tracking number into the app manually. If you mess this up, or if you ship untracked (never do this), you have no seller protection. If the buyer claims it never arrived, Depop will side with them, and you will lose both the item and the money.
International Shipping Depop: A Warning
I tend to shy away from international shipping depop requests unless the item is worth over $100. The logistics are a headache.
When you toggle "International Shipping" on, you have to set a flat price. You cannot use Depop's auto-generated labels for international sales; you must arrange your own.
The problem is the variance. Shipping a t-shirt to Canada might cost $15. Shipping that same t-shirt to Australia might cost $28. If you set a flat rate of $20, you might make $5 profit on the Canadian buyer but lose $8 on the Australian buyer.
I learned this the hard way in 2021. I sold a rare band tee to a guy in the UK. I charged $15 for shipping, assuming it would go via First Class International. I didn't realize that USPS had temporarily suspended First Class to certain regions due to logistics issues, forcing me to use Priority International, which cost $42. I paid more for shipping than I made on the shirt.
If you do sell internationally, use a tool like the USPS Postage Price Calculator before you list. Estimate the weight, pick the furthest country away from you (like Australia or Japan), and set your shipping price based on that worst-case scenario.
The Hidden Costs: Depop.fee and Transaction Fees
We can't talk about depop shipping prices without talking about the fees. A common misconception is that Depop only takes a fee on the item price.
This is false. The depop.fee (currently 10%) is calculated on the total transaction amount, which includes the shipping cost if you arrange your own shipping.
Why do they do this? To prevent fee avoidance. If they didn't, sellers would list a Gucci bag for $1 and charge $500 for shipping to avoid the commission.
So, if you sell a shirt for $20 and charge $10 for shipping (arranging it yourself), the total is $30. Depop takes $3. If you use "Ship with Depop," the fee structure feels slightly different because the shipping label is a separate transaction passed to USPS, but you need to watch your net profit.
I use a simple spreadsheet to track this. I have columns for "Item Price," "Shipping Charged," "Actual Shipping Cost," and "Fees." Seeing the numbers in black and white often reveals that offering "Free Shipping" on low-ticket items is a math error.
Logistics: How Long Does Depop Take to Ship?
This is a two-sided coin. There is "how long the seller takes" and "how long the mail takes."
When buyers ask how long does depop take to ship, they are often used to Amazon Prime speeds. Depop is not Amazon. It is regular people with day jobs.
Depop’s official policy gives sellers 5 to 7 days to ship the item. Personally, I try to ship within 48 hours. I find that shipping speed is the number one driver of 5-star reviews. If I ship same-day, the review almost always says "Fast shipping! Thank you!"
However, once it is in the hands of USPS, it is out of my control. I had a situation last Christmas where a package sat in a distribution center in Detroit for 12 days. The buyer was furious and kept messaging me how long does depop take to ship? I had to explain, gently, that I am not the Postmaster General.
My advice? Over-communicate. When you drop the package off, message the buyer: "Hey! Just dropped this at the post office. Tracking should update tonight." It builds trust and buys you patience if delays happen.
Tools That Save Me Money
You don't need a warehouse, but you need a few specific tools to stop bleeding money on shipping.
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Accuteck ShipPro Digital Scale: I bought mine for roughly $25. It weighs up to 110lbs. It is the single most important tool I own. I weigh the item with the packaging before I list it.
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Rollo Printer: A thermal label printer. Ink is expensive. Thermal paper is cheap. It saves me about $0.10 per label compared to taping paper to a box, but it saves hours of time.
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Poly Mailers: Do not buy these at the post office. They charge $2 for one mailer. buy a pack of 100 on Amazon or eBay for $15.
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Pirate Ship: As mentioned, essential for "Arrange your own shipping."
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Closo: I use Closo to automate cross-listing my inventory. If I have items that are heavier (like boots), I often push them to Poshmark via Closo because Poshmark has a flat shipping rate for up to 5lbs, which is cheaper than Depop’s heavy tiers. It saves me about 3 hours weekly by not having to manually recreate listings.
Honest Failures: The "Free Shipping" Trap
I want to share a failure regarding the "Free Shipping" toggle. When you list an item, Depop makes it very easy to slide the bar that says "Free Shipping." They claim items with free shipping sell twice as fast.
I tested this on 20 items. I listed 10 vintage sweaters with free shipping (priced at $45) and 10 with paid shipping ($35 + $10 shipping). The free shipping items did get more likes. But they didn't sell faster. And worse, when I accepted offers, I got burned.
If an item is $45 with free shipping, and a buyer offers $35, and I accept... I still have to pay the $10 shipping out of that $35. My net is $25. If the item is $35 + $10 shipping, and they offer $30... they still pay the shipping on top. I get $30.
I lost about $100 in potential profit that month before I realized that offers on "Free Shipping" items are dangerous. Now, I almost never offer free shipping on heavy items. It's just not worth the risk during negotiations.
People Always Ask Me: "Can I Change Shipping After Selling?"
Common question I see in seller forums is: "I undercharged for shipping. Can I ask the buyer for more money?"
The answer is no. technically, you can message them, refund the order, and ask them to buy it again at the higher price. But in my experience, 90% of buyers will just walk away. They feel baited and switched.
If I mess up the shipping by a few dollars, I eat the cost. I consider it a "tuition fee" for not paying attention. If the difference is massive (like $50 vs $10), I will cancel and explain, but I expect a negative review.
Why Weight Matters More Than Size
New sellers often look at the physical size of the item. "It's a small silk dress, it fits in a small envelope." But if that dress has heavy beading or metal hardware, it might weigh over 8oz.
I sold a 1920s style beaded evening gown. It folded up tiny. But the beads were glass. The dress weighed 3.5 lbs. If I had used the "Small" tier based on volume, I would have been hit with a massive surcharge. Always trust the scale, not your eyes.
Conclusion
Mastering depop shipping prices is the unsexy part of being a reseller, but it is where the profit is actually made. The platform's integration with USPS is fantastic for beginners because it removes the friction of buying labels, but it comes at a premium.
My recommendation? Start with "Ship with Depop." It is safe, tracked, and easy. As you get comfortable and buy a scale, start experimenting with "Arrange your own shipping" for bundles or heavy items to squeeze out extra margin.
Remember, the goal isn't just to move inventory; it's to keep the cash. If you are shipping efficiently, you are running a business. If you are guessing weights and eating overages, you are just running a very stressful gift service.
If you are finding that managing shipping settings across multiple apps like Depop, Vinted, and Mercari is becoming a logistical nightmare, check out the shipping strategies in the Closo Seller Hub to streamline your operations.
