I still remember the first time I sold a vintage leather motorcycle jacket on Depop. It was 2018, and I was ecstatic. The jacket sold for $120. I packed it into a reused Amazon box, taped it up with duct tape (terrible idea, don't do that), and marched into the Post Office feeling like a business mogul.
Then I got to the counter. I hadn't weighed the package beforehand. I assumed shipping would be maybe $10. The clerk weighed it—nearly 5 pounds of heavy leather—and told me it would be $22.50 for Priority Mail to California. I paid it, realizing my profit margin just took a massive hit. I walked out less like a mogul and more like someone who just paid for the privilege of giving away a jacket.
Shipping is the unsexy underbelly of the resale world. It’s where your profit goes to die if you aren't careful. But if you master it, it’s the key to scaling your shop from a closet clear-out to a legitimate side hustle.
If you are reading this, you probably just made your first sale (congratulations!) or you are trying to figure out why your shipping costs are eating your lunch. Understanding how to ship on depop is actually simpler than it looks, but the app gives you choices that can be confusing. Do you use their labels? Your own? What about international?
The Two Paths: Ship with Depop vs. Arrange Your Own
When you create a listing, Depop asks you to choose your shipping method. This is the most critical decision you make.
Path 1: Ship with Depop (The Easy Button)
This is what I recommend for 90% of sellers, especially if you are just starting.
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How it works: You select the size of the item (XS, S, M, L, XL). Depop calculates the cost based on USPS zones.
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The Benefit: When the item sells, Depop emails you a label (and a QR code). You just tape it to the bag or show the QR code at the Post Office.
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The Protection: Tracking updates automatically in the app. If the package gets lost, Depop Seller Protection usually covers you because you used their label.
My Personal Experience: I switched to "Ship with Depop" exclusively for items under 2 lbs. Why? Because the time I save not copy-pasting addresses into a third-party site is worth the extra $0.50 I might pay. Plus, the QR code feature at USPS is a lifesaver when my home printer runs out of ink (which happens constantly).
Path 2: Arrange Your Own Shipping (The Profit Maximizer)
This is often called how to get personal shipping on depop—it just means you are the logistics manager.
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How it works: You set a flat price for shipping (e.g., $5). When it sells, you take the buyer's address, go to a site like Pirate Ship or Shippo, buy a label, and paste the tracking number back into Depop.
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The Benefit: It is almost always cheaper. A 4oz t-shirt on Depop shipping costs around $4.49+. On Pirate Ship, it might be $3.80. Over 100 sales, that adds up.
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The Risk: If you typo the tracking number or forget to add it, and the buyer claims they didn't get it, you lose. Depop will refund them because there is no proof of shipment in the system.
I use Closo Crosslister to automate importing my listings from Depop to Poshmark – saves me about 3 hours weekly – and having a handle on my own shipping weights makes this cross-listing process much smoother since Poshmark handles shipping differently.
Decoding Depop Shipping Prices (And Avoiding Overages)
If you choose "Ship with Depop," you are bound by their weight classes. This is where I see most new sellers fail.
The Tiers (approximate as of 2025):
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Extra Small (under 4oz): Jewelry, stickers.
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Small (under 8oz): T-shirts, light tops.
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Medium (under 1lb): Jeans, light sweaters.
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Large (under 2lbs): Hoodies, shoes, jackets.
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Extra Large (under 10lbs): Bundles, heavy coats, boots.
My Honest Failure: I sold a pair of platform Doc Martens. I selected "Large" (under 2lbs) because I didn't own a scale and "Large" sounded right for boots. Doc Martens are heavy. They weighed 4.5 lbs. When I dropped them off, the clerk scanned it. A few days later, Depop charged my account for the postage difference plus a surcharge. I ended up losing money on the sale.
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Lesson: Buy a $15 food scale on Amazon. Weigh everything with the packaging. If it's 1lb 1oz, you must use the 2lb label. USPS does not play around with weight fraud.
How to Do Free Shipping on Depop (The Psychology of Sales)
Here’s where it gets interesting... Depop allows you to offer free shipping. But "free" is a marketing term. The Post Office does not work for free. How to get free shipping on depop actually means you, the seller, pay for the label instead of the buyer.
How to set it up:
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In the listing workflow, under Shipping.
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Scroll to "Who pays?"
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Select "Me" (Free shipping).
Should you do it?
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Opinion Statement: I used to offer free shipping on everything. I stopped. I realized that buyers on Depop are used to paying for shipping. When I switched to "Buyer Pays," my sales volume did not drop, but my profit per item went up by $5-$8.
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The Exception: I offer free shipping on bundles. Depop has a setting: "Free shipping on bundles." This encourages people to buy two items to save the $8 shipping cost. It helps clear my inventory faster.
How to Mark an Item as Shipped on Depop
The anxiety of "Did I do this right?" is real.
If you use Depop Shipping: You don't need to do anything manually.
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Print label (or use QR code).
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Drop at USPS.
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The moment the clerk scans it, the app updates to "Shipped" automatically.
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(Aside: Sometimes there is a lag. I’ve seen it take 4 hours to update. Don't panic.)
If you use Your Own Shipping:
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Go to your Sold Items (the receipt icon).
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Tap the item.
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Tap "Mark as Shipped."
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Crucial Step: Enter the Tracking Number and the Carrier (e.g., USPS, UPS).
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If you don't enter the tracking, you won't get paid (Depop Payments holds funds until delivery is confirmed).
How to Change Shipping Address on Depop (The Danger Zone)
This is the most common scam/mistake on the platform. The Scenario: You sell a cool vintage tee. The buyer messages you: "Omg I'm so sorry, I moved! Can you ship it to 123 New Address instead?"
The Trap: If you manually write the new address on the box, or buy a label for the new address, you lose all seller protection. If the buyer claims "Item not received," Depop looks at the transaction record. The record says "Ship to Old Address." You shipped to "New Address." You lose.
The Fix:
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Tell the buyer: "I cannot change the address on my end due to Depop policy."
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Refund the order.
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Have them edit their address in their Depop settings.
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Have them rebuy the item.
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(Yes, it is annoying. Yes, I have lost a sale because the buyer was too lazy to rebuy it. But I kept my item and didn't get scammed.)
International Shipping Depop: Going Global
If you want to access buyers in London, Tokyo, and Paris, you need international shipping depop.
Now the tricky part... Depop does not generate international labels for US sellers automatically. You are on your own.
How I handle it:
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Toggle it on: In the listing, turn on "International Shipping."
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Set a Price: You must enter a flat price.
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The Risk: How do you know the price? Shipping to Canada is $15. Shipping to Australia is $35. If you set a flat $20, you might lose money on Australian orders.
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The Solution: I use "Pirate Ship Simple Export Rate." It’s a special tier you have to chat with their support to activate. It makes international shipping much cheaper (e.g., $11 to Canada for a t-shirt).
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My Strategy: I set my international shipping price to a flat $25. If it costs less, great—handling fee. If it costs more, I usually eat the difference or message the buyer (rare).
Packaging: The Unspoken Rule of Depop
Depop is all about the "aesthetic." While eBay buyers just want the item in one piece, Depop buyers love an "experience."
My Unboxing Strategy:
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I use compostable poly mailers (colors like pink or teal stand out).
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I wrap the item in tissue paper.
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I include a sticker or a handwritten thank you note.
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Why? This is how you get 5-star reviews that say "Cute packaging! Fast shipping!" Those reviews drive future sales.
(Parenthetical aside: Don't go overboard. I once received a shirt filled with confetti. I opened it and glitter exploded all over my carpet. I gave them 4 stars. Do not glitter-bomb your buyers.)
People always ask me...
"How to get free shipping on Depop as a seller?"
People always ask me this. You can't get the Post Office to work for free. But Depop occasionally runs "Free Shipping" promotions where Depop pays for the shipping.
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The Catch: They usually require you to discount the item price or meet a certain sales threshold. Keep an eye on your notifications for these events—they are great for clearing stale inventory.
"Can I use a Priority Mail box for Depop shipping?"
Common question I see. It depends on the label.
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Under 1lb: These usually ship First Class (Ground Advantage). You cannot use Priority Mail boxes. You must use a plain brown box or poly mailer.
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Over 1lb: These usually ship Priority Mail. You can use the free Priority Mail boxes/envelopes from the Post Office.
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Honest Failure: I once shipped a 6oz shirt in a Priority Mail envelope. It arrived with "Postage Due" because I used the wrong packaging service. My buyer was furious.
"Does Depop shipping have insurance?"
Yes, if you use "Ship with Depop," it generally includes insurance up to a certain amount (usually $100 via USPS Priority, less for Ground Advantage). If you ship on your own, you have to buy insurance separately if the item is valuable.
Conclusion
Learning how to ship on depop is the difference between a hobby and a business. The app tries to make it foolproof with QR codes and auto-generated labels, and honestly, that is the best place to start.
Don't try to be a logistics hero on your first day. Use the Depop labels. Buy a scale. Weigh your items. Once you have 50 sales under your belt, then you can look into how to get personal shipping on depop to shave off a few dollars using third-party services.
The goal isn't just to get the item out the door; it's to get it there safely, correctly, and with enough profit left over to buy your next sourcing haul.
If you are ready to expand your Depop empire, check out our guide on Inventory Management for MultiPlatform Sellers to keep your stock organized. And if you are tired of manually copying your listings to other apps, read how Closo Crosslister can automate your growth.
FAQ Page Schema
Here's something everyone wants to know: Does Depop verify shipping addresses?
Depop validates that the address format is correct, but they do not verify if the buyer actually lives there currently. It is the buyer's responsibility to keep their address updated. As a seller, always ship to the exact address provided on the "Sold" receipt to maintain your seller protection.
Common question I see: What happens if I underweigh my Depop package?
If you use a Depop label for "Small" (8oz) but ship a "Large" (2lb) item, the carrier (USPS) will flag it. They will deliver the item but charge the difference in postage to Depop, who will then deduct that amount (plus an administrative fee) from your linked bank account or Depop balance. It eats directly into your profit.
People always ask me: Can I drop off Depop packages at a USPS drop box?
Yes, if the package fits and has a prepaid label, you can drop it in a blue collection box. However, for high-value items, it is highly recommended to take it to the counter and get a physical receipt. This receipt is your only proof of shipment if the package stops tracking or goes missing.
