# QR codes for Etsy sellers

> For an Etsy seller the highest-value codes are a thank-you card linking care instructions and a way to reach you again. Check Etsy's current seller policies before pointing buyers off-platform (fee-avoidance diversion is restricted), and test codes printed on a home label printer at 2 cm before committing a batch.

Source: https://useqr.app/docs/ecommerce/qr-code-for-etsy-sellers · Last reviewed 2026-08-21 · UseQR is free forever, no signup.

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## What actually earns a scan from an Etsy buyer

An Etsy parcel is opened with more attention than almost any retail delivery: the buyer
chose a person, not a platform. That attention is the asset, and the
[one-card-one-action rule](/docs/ecommerce/qr-code-in-the-unboxing-experience) spends it
best. For a small maker the strongest single actions, in order:

1. **Care instructions**, "scan for how to keep this looking new". Genuinely useful,
   zero sales pressure, and it quietly reduces "it broke" messages. The
   [care-instructions page](/docs/ecommerce/qr-code-for-care-instructions) covers what
   to put behind it; for jewellery, ceramics and textiles this is the obvious card.
2. **Your own mailing list or site**: the only durable way to reach a buyer again,
   since marketplace buyers belong to the marketplace. One code to a simple page you
   control: new work, restocks, an email field.
3. **One social channel** where your process photographs well, not a hub of six links.

A handwritten-looking thank-you card with one labelled code outperforms a printed card
with three. Gratitude first, utility second, ask third.

## The policy note, framed conservatively

Etsy's seller policies restrict using the platform's traffic to divert sales off-platform:
the concern is fee avoidance, and rules in this area have changed over time. The
conservative read for packaging inserts:

- **Safe territory**: care instructions, warranty/repair contact, your social presence,
  a mailing-list signup.
- **Check before doing**: "buy direct from my website next time and skip the fees".
  This is the pattern the policy exists for. Read the current seller policy yourself
  before printing it on 500 cards; do not rely on forum folklore or this page's
  paraphrase staying current.

The same logic, with sharper enforcement, applies to
[Amazon inserts](/docs/ecommerce/qr-code-for-amazon-sellers).

## Printing at kitchen-table scale

The economics that matter: a maker shipping 40 orders a month needs 40 cards and some
labels, not a print run. Realistic setups
- **Thank-you cards**: any decent home inkjet or a short-run print shop. Keep the code
  **≥ 2 × 2 cm**, dark on light, matt card stock, gloss glares and cheap inkjet gloss
  smears. Full [quiet zone](/glossary/quiet-zone); do not let the card template crowd it.
- **Product labels**: thermal label printers (Dymo, Brother) print QR codes well *if*
  the module maths respects the print head, at 203 DPI keep modules **≥ 0.5 mm** and
  payloads short. The [Dymo and Brother guide](/docs/print/dymo-and-brother-label-qr-codes)
  has per-model settings.
- **Sticker sheets**: lay out a page of identical or varied codes with the
  [sticker sheet tool](/sticker-sheet) and print on A4 label stock, the cheapest route
  to packaging stickers with no special hardware.

One habit worth building: **scan a physical print of every new design before the batch**:
phone camera, [decode check](/validate), done. Ink spread on uncoated stock and
too-clever colour choices are the two classic maker mistakes, and both only show up on
paper, not on screen.

Keep every code pointing at a domain or page you control, not a marketplace URL, shops
move, [links on physical goods should survive the move](/docs/ecommerce/qr-codes-on-product-packaging).

## FAQ

### What should an Etsy thank-you card QR code link to?
One thing. Care instructions are the strongest choice for most handmade goods: useful, pressure-free and support-reducing. A mailing-list page you control is the strongest for repeat business. Resist putting both on one card.

### Can Etsy sellers use QR codes to send buyers to their own website?
Etsy's policies restrict diverting sales off-platform to avoid fees, and the rules have shifted over time. Care guides, support and social links are safe territory; read the current seller policy before printing anything that redirects purchasing.

### Can I print scannable QR codes on a Dymo or Brother label printer?
Yes. At 203 DPI keep modules at 0.5 mm or larger, which means short URLs and codes about 2 cm across. Print one test label and scan it before running the batch.

### What is the cheapest way to make packaging stickers with a QR code?
A sticker-sheet layout printed on A4 label stock with a home printer, no special hardware. Matt label stock scans more reliably than gloss under indoor light.

## Try it

- https://useqr.app/url
- https://useqr.app/social
- https://useqr.app/sticker-sheet
- https://useqr.app/validate