Etsy Rethinks All Inclusive UK Pricing, Seeking To Balance DMCC Compliance With User Concerns
Two months after undertaking controversial changes to how prices are displayed in the UK, Etsy is reversing course while still navigating balance between DMCC Act compliance and buyer expectations.
The initial update happened back in February when Etsy started showing shipping-inclusive prices in search and shop prices, sparking concerns that higher prices would drive buyers away, especially from sellers those who offer a single flat rate shipping option regardless of how many items the buyer purchases.
Liz Morton
Etsy advised at that time that the all inclusive pricing was being implemented in order to comply with DMCC Act transparent pricing requirements, but sellers pushed back on that reasoning, saying they believed the company was misinterpreting what the law actually requires.
In an update posted to the Etsy community forum today, VP of Customer Operations James Ossman has clarified that the way pricing is displayed to UK buyers is changing once again - this time to show the item price without shipping added in to avoid customer confusion while also adding a shipping inclusive price below that on the page to stay in compliance.
Thanks for sharing your feedback with us. We’ve heard your concerns and understand this change impacted how your prices are displayed to buyers. We’re actively testing and refining the experience to ensure it meets DMCC requirements while maintaining a good experience for sellers and buyers.
We’ll begin rolling out an update that returns your listing price (inclusive of VAT, where applicable) as the headline price. Just below, UK buyers will see the total price, including delivery and any sales you’re running.
This keeps your item price clear, while helping buyers understand the full cost upfront.
As before, the total may update at checkout if delivery details change or items qualify for combined shipping. If it does, buyers will always see the updated final price before completing their purchase.
Etsy also updated their Pricing Transparency in the UK Under the DMCC Act help page to reflect the changes, providing information about how it will affect sales, offers, and free shipping.
- Sales: Any active sales are already reflected in the prices buyers see.
- Offers: Offers sent by sellers are usually applied in the buyer's cart and at checkout.
- Free shipping: Free shipping, whether offered by the seller or earned by meeting a minimum order amount, will be clearly labeled on listings.
Sellers discussing the latest update in the Etsy community forum (which is only accessible to active sellers) suggested making the change ahead of the Q1 earnings report scheduled for April 29th could mean that Etsy saw a negative impact to sales with the previous iteration, while others guessed that Etsy may have been contacted by regulatory authorities after making the initial change.
Are you seeing this latest update to Etsy UK pricing reflected in search and on item pages? Let us know in the comments below!
