Launch Your Merch Store – No Fees, Just Profit!
Selling custom merch is a viable marketing solution for creators, influencers, entrepreneurs - you name it! Merch gives anyone the freedom to build a brand, while turning a profit in the process.
A lot of traditional business models require upfront costs or hefty investment fees. With Spreadshop, there are no fees. Ever.
Our shop solution is FREE to use and allows anyone to start selling merch in mere minutes. Traditional business models come with upfront costs which can delay the launch of your products and set you back financially. With print on demand, you don’t have to worry about any of that!
You’re not required to start with a set number of products, find a place to store them, or fulfill any orders yourself. We store everything in our warehouses across the globe. The best part? We print, package, and ship all orders for you.
If you’re looking to sell merch online with no upfront costs, print-on-demand services like Spreadshop make it easy to get started without any financial risk.
Learn more about why merch is the ultimate solution for your professional and personal needs and the potential that comes with ZERO upfront costs.
Why You Should Sell Merch Online
Selling merch is more than just an additional income stream—it’s a powerful way to connect with your audience, build your brand, and express your creativity.
When you sell merch online with no upfront costs, it opens new income streams without the burden of traditional inventory expenses. And best of all: You’re in charge of your earnings.
Here’s why selling merch online could be the game-changer you’ve been looking for:
1. Low-Risk, High-Reward
One of the most appealing aspects of selling merch online is the relatively low risk, especially when using a print-on-demand platform, like Spreadshop. With traditional business models, you’re required to invest in inventory, production, and logistics upfront.
However, with no upfront costs, you don’t have to worry about buying a bunch of bulk products that you need to store somewhere or that don’t end up selling. This reduces financial risk while giving you the flexibility to experiment with different designs, products, and ideas.
Since there’s no need to invest money into products or deal with storage, you can focus on testing new designs and building your brand without the pressure of managing unsold inventory. You only pay for what you sell, and the potential rewards — from profit to stronger brand engagement — can be substantial.
2. Build Your Brand and Connect With Your Audience
Merch isn’t just about making money—it’s also a powerful tool to engage with your audience. Selling branded products allows your audience to literally wear your message, on hundreds of different products. When followers, fans, or customers proudly display your logo or designs, they become walking advocates for your brand.
With the rise of personal brands and social media influencers, this type of engagement is invaluable. It deepens the connection between you and your audience and can turn casual fans into super fans.
Offering unique, creative merch tied to your content, personality, or mission gives your supporters with something they can cherish and connect with.
3. Earn $ While You Catch Some Zs
Making money while they sleep? Now that’s a win-win. Selling merch online provides a passive income stream that can continue working for you around the clock. Once you’ve set up your online store and launched designs, print-on-demand takes care of the rest — production, shipping, and even customer service. Wake up to new orders from your shop without lifting a finger.
For creators who are already producing content, selling merch is a natural extension of their online presence. Whether you’re a podcaster, YouTuber, TikTok creator, or artist, your audience is already invested in what you do. Your subscriber count and video views don’t lie. Offering your followers branded merch is an easy and organic way to monetize an existing fan base.
Melon and Finn: A Merch Success Story
Anyone can be a merch success - even 2 cats! Melon n Finn have gone viral on TikTok many times over thanks to “Melon be smellin” videos and other hilarious cat content. Their channel may be niche, but that’s made it easy for them to find their audience. The best part: They’ve used that audience to maximize their earnings with merch.
Original and creative designs were key in making Melon n Finn’s merch a success. Taking the time to brainstorm what makes their content unique and turn that into apparel and accessories their audience would want to purchase is time well spent. They parlayed viral videos and signature catch phrases into merch that feels authentic to them.
Making merch is one thing, promoting it is another. Melon n Finn are strategic about selling their merch without coming across as salesy. They incorporate their merch organically into their typical videos and use promotions as incentives to drive sales.
A lot of creators are fearful about asking their audience to spend money or support them. But when you do it like Melon n Finn, that’s never an issue. Check out the success blog they wrote for us for better insights and strategies to help you sell your merch!
The Traditional Approach vs. Print-on-Demand: A Smarter Way to Sell Merch
When it comes to selling merch, there are two main paths: The old school traditional approach, and the modern print-on-demand (POD) business model. Understanding the differences between the two can help you make the right decision for your business, especially if you're looking to sell merch online with no upfront costs.
Traditionally, selling merch has meant investing a significant amount of money upfront. Here’s how that process would play out:
Bulk Buying: You would purchase products in bulk — sometimes hundreds or even thousands of items — based on your forecasted demand. This kind of large financial commitment before you knew if products would sell was significant.
Inventory Management: Once the products were purchased, you needed a place to store them. Managing inventory is not only costly (due to storage fees), but also risky. If certain designs didn’t sell, you’d be stuck with unsold products, which could result in a loss.
Upfront Investment: From purchasing stock to production costs, the traditional model required a high level of investment before making a single sale. This made it difficult for creators or small businesses to launch merch lines without significant financial resources.
Shipping and Fulfillment: After managing production and inventory, you were also responsible for packaging and shipping orders. This added even more time, effort, and money to the process, including dealing with potential returns or customer service issues.
While this model might work for large companies or well-established brands, it creates a barrier to entry for smaller creators or entrepreneurs looking to launch their own merch.
The Downsides of Managing Inventory and Upfront Investment
Managing inventory comes with a number of challenges and risks, especially if you’re just starting out:
Financial Risk: Bulk ordering ties up cash, with no guarantee that your products will sell. You could be left with unsold inventory, leading to losses.
Storage and Logistics: Physical products need to be stored somewhere, which can incur additional costs for storage and inventory management.
Limited Flexibility: Once you’ve ordered a batch of products, you’re stuck with those designs. If they don’t resonate with your audience, it’s difficult to pivot without wasting money on unsold stock.
This traditional model doesn’t offer much flexibility, and the upfront costs can be overwhelming, especially for those just starting out. That’s where print-on-demand comes in.
The Print-on-Demand Solution
Print-on-demand has flipped traditional merch sales on its head. With print-on-demand, you don’t have to deal with any of the hassles that come with inventory, shipping, or upfront investments.
Print-on-demand allows you to sell merch online with no upfront costs, which gives you complete creative freedom.
Here’s how print-on-demand works:
No Inventory: With POD, items are only printed and produced once they’re ordered. There’s no need to bulk buy products or worry about unsold stock. This functional model eliminates the risk of over-ordering and gives you the freedom to test new designs without committing to large production runs.
No Shipping Hassles: Print-on-demand platforms handle all of the shipping and fulfillment for you. Once a customer places an order, Spreadshop takes care of printing, packing, and shipping the item to their door. This not only saves you time and stress but ensures a professional, streamlined process for your customers.
No Upfront Costs: The most significant advantage of print-on-demand is that there are zero upfront costs- you don’t need to spend a dime. And you make money from every item you sell. This makes it easy for anyone to start selling merch, whether you’re a creator, influencer, or entrepreneur, without worrying about financial risk.
Why Print-on-Demand is the Best Choice
Print-on-demand gives you the flexibility to focus on what truly matters — building your brand, connecting with your audience, and growing your business. Since you’re not tied down by inventory or shipping logistics, you can pour all your energy into creating great designs and marketing your products to your audience.
Here are the key benefits of choosing the print-on-demand model:
Zero Financial Risk: Since there’s no need for upfront investment, you can start your merch line with minimal risk. There’s no fear of losing money on unsold stock or getting stuck with a product that doesn’t sell.
Unlimited Creativity: With no inventory constraints, you’re free to experiment with new designs, seasonal collections, or limited-edition drops. You can easily add new products to your store at any time without the burden of a big financial commitment.
Streamlined Process: By using a print-on-demand platform, you hand over the fulfillment process to the experts, like Spreadshop. We take care of the production, shipping, and even customer service, so you can spend more time focusing on building your brand and marketing your merch.
Scalability: Whether you sell 10 items or 1,000, the process remains the same. Print-on-demand is easily scalable, allowing you to grow your store without logistical headaches that come with managing inventory.
How Print-on-Demand Works: A Step-by-Step Guide
Print-on-demand has revolutionized the way creators, influencers, and entrepreneurs can sell merch. It eliminates the need for upfront costs, inventory, and complicated logistics, making it easier than ever to launch your own merch line. Whether you’re looking to sell T-Shirts, hoodies, mugs, or accessories, the print-on-demand model offers all these products and simplifies the entire process.
Follow our step-by-step guide on how to get started:
Step 1: Pick a Platform
The first step in setting up your merch store is finding the right print-on-demand platform for your needs. We offer two options that are accessible to people, no matter where they’re at in their merch journey.
Spreadshop: Spreadshop is a great entry-level option for creators and collectives. Users are granted access to a built-in shop system they can personalize to match their brand and best suit their needs. It’s free to use, all the time. Customize 250+ apparel and accessory products while we take care of printing, shipping, and order fulfillment.
Spreadconnect: If you’re looking to integrate with an existing shop platform, Spreadconnect is for you. This merch plug-in allows you to sell on Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, and more. Spreadconnect offers fast fulfillment times, printing and shipping most orders in under 48 hours.
When choosing a platform, consider the types of products you want to sell, the ease of use, and any additional features that may benefit your business, such as customization options or integration with your existing online presence.
Step 2: Time to Design
Once you’ve chosen your platform, the next step is to create your designs. This is where you can really unleash your creativity. Whether you’re designing T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, or other merch, you want to make sure your designs reflect your brand, resonate with your audience, and are visually appealing.
Here’s some design tools and tips:
Find the Right Design Tool: You don’t need to be a professional designer to create standout merch. Tools like Canva, Adobe Spark, and even Photoshop make it easy to create professional designs, even if you’re a beginner. There are free or paid entry points to fulfill your design needs.
Hire a Professional: If you don’t want to deal with designing on your own, consult with one of our in-house designers from our official Design Service. Send a rough sketch/idea for your ideal merch design and one of our designers will get back to you in 3-5 work days, all for a flat rate fee of $19.99.
Keep it Simple: In our experience, simple, bold designs often perform better than overly complicated designs. Think about iconic logos or text-based designs that are easy to read and recognize from a distance.
Cater to Your Audience: If you’re a content creator or influencer, consider adding your brand’s catchphrases, logos, or unique sayings to your merch. Designs that speak to your specific audience tend to sell well and have the most personality.
Example: If you’re a fitness influencer, you might create a line of motivational T-shirts that features bold text like "No Days Off" or "Grind Mode."
Step 3: Upload Your Designs to the Platform
After creating your designs, you’ll need to upload them to the print-on-demand platform you’ve chosen. Most platforms make this process simple:
Upload Your Design File: Make sure your design meets the platform’s file requirements, such as resolution and file type (JPG or PNG recommended).
Choose Your Products: Once your design is uploaded, select which products you want to offer. You can apply the same design to multiple items — like T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and more — giving your customers plenty of options.
Customize Placement: Adjust the size and placement of your design on each product to ensure it looks perfect.
Spreadshop, for example, provides an intuitive product creation tool that lets you see how your design will look on different items in real-time. This ensures that each product in your shop is up to your standards.
With platforms like Spreadshop, you can easily sell merch online with no upfront costs by simply uploading your designs and letting the service handle the rest.
Step 4: Set Your Prices and Start Selling
Once your products are set up, it’s time to determine your pricing. Most print-on-demand platforms will display the base cost of the product, and you can add your desired profit margin on top. The higher the markup, the more you earn per sale.
Here’s how to set your prices:
Consider Your Audience: Keep your audience in mind when pricing your products. Higher prices may work for premium, exclusive items, but affordable products tend to attract more customers.
Check Competitors: Take a look at what similar creators or businesses are charging for their merch to help you decide on a competitive price point.
Factor in Promotions: You can always offer discounts or promotions later on, so it’s smart to leave some room in your pricing for sales events or limited-time offers. Spreadshop runs multiple promos - like 25% off and FREE shipping - every month.
After setting your prices, your store is ready to go LIVE! With Spreadshop, for example, you can integrate your shop with your website or social media profiles, making it easy for your followers to find and purchase your merch.
Check out our pricing guide for further help on determining the pricing strategy for your shop.
Choosing the Right Merch: How to Pick Products That Resonate with Your Audience
When launching a merch store, selecting the right products to offer is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. The key to success lies in choosing merch that is not only a reflection of your brand but also appeals to your target audience.
Selling merch online with no upfront costs is one thing, but it’s crucial to create products that your customers will actually want to buy.
Understanding Your Audience
The foundation of a successful merch line is knowing who your audience is and what they would actually wear on a day-to-day basis. Are your fans and followers looking for trendy apparel, like bucket hats and joggers? Or would they prefer more practical items like T-Shirts and stickers?
With Spreadshop, you can make and sell 250+ products, but that doesn’t mean you should. You don’t want to overwhelm potential customers with a ton of options - it makes the shopping experience exhausting.
That’s why it’s important to know your audience. The better you understand your audience’s preferences, the easier it will be to pick the right products to sell.
Here’s how you can better align your product selection with your audience:
What Does Your Audience Value? Think about what your followers engage with the most. Are they drawn to bold, stylish clothing? Or do they appreciate functional, everyday items? Knowing their preferences will guide your product choices.
What’s Trending in Your Niche? Keep an eye on trends in your niche. Whether you’re targeting gamers, influencers, or fitness enthusiasts, there are always emerging trends that you can capitalize on when defining your merch line.
Pro Tip: Poll your audience on socials to see what type of merch products or designs they’d be most excited to buy. Not only does this provide valuable insights, but it also generates early interest in your merch.
Essential Products for Your Merch Store
Certain products tend to be more popular than others, especially when it comes to selling merch online. To successfully sell merch online with no upfront costs, it’s important to choose products that resonate with your audience.
Here are a few tried-and-true merch staples that will appeal to everyone:
T-shirts: A merch staple. T-shirts are versatile, easy to design, and have broad appeal. Whether it’s a simple logo or a bold graphic design, T-shirts are often the go-to product for creators launching their first merch line.
Hats: Beanies, caps, and snapbacks are popular accessories, especially if your audience values fashion or casual streetwear. They offer great visibility for your brand and can be worn year-round.
Hoodies and Sweatshirts: These items are perfect for colder weather and tend to be favorites for fans who want something cozy yet stylish. Hoodies are also great canvases for larger designs.
Mugs: Mugs are an excellent option if you’re targeting an audience that values practical, everyday items. They’re affordable to produce and make for easy, popular gifts.
Stickers and Accessories: Stickers, tote bags, and buttons are small-ticket merch items that can generate big returns and engagement. These products are popular as add-ons to larger purchases or as budget-friendly options for your followers who might not be able to afford T-shirts or hoodies.
Selecting Products Based on Your Niche
Your niche should play a significant role in the products you choose. Different audiences will gravitate toward different items, so make sure to tailor your offerings based on your target market.
Here are some examples of how to align your product offerings with your niche:
Gamer Merch: If your audience is made up of gamers, consider offering items like graphic T-shirts, gaming-themed hoodies, or even mousepads and phone cases. These products fit seamlessly into the lifestyle of your audience.
Influencer Merch: Influencers often have personal branding that resonates with their followers. T-shirts, hats, or even trendy accessories like tote bags or stickers are great for showcasing a personal brand and giving fans a piece of their favorite creator to wear or use.
Brand Merch: For businesses or startups looking to promote their brand, functional items like mugs, notebooks, or tech accessories make sense. These products not only act as promotional items but also can boost spread brand awareness.
Test and Expand Your Offerings
It’s also important to remember that you don’t have to launch with a huge amount of products right away. You can start with a few core items that you believe will resonate the most, and once you gather feedback from your audience, you can expand your offerings.
Print-on-demand gives you the freedom and flexibility to experiment without any financial risk. By starting small, you can get a feel for what your customers are most interested in.
Pro Tip: Consider offering limited-edition items or seasonal products to generate a sense of urgency and excitement around your merch.
Market Your Merch on a Budget
Launching your merch is a big step, but if you want to turn it into a successful business, you need to talk about it.
The good news? You don’t have to spend a ton of money or even any to effectively promote your merch. With the right marketing strategies, you can attract customers, drive traffic to your store, and boost sales — all without breaking the bank.
Selling merch online with no upfront costs is just the first step. Smart marketing will help you drive traffic and convert visitors into customers. Below are some FREE and low-cost marketing tactics you can use to promote your merch.
1. Post to Socials
This is the easiest and best way to promote your merch. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook give you the opportunity to connect directly with your audience and offer unique selling integrations. Tell a story with your products and build a community with your merch.
TikTok: TikTok’s viral nature makes it an excellent platform to promote your merch. And it’s an even better promotional tool now thanks to the launch of TikTok Shop. TikTok Shop allows creators to monetize their content with the potential to get their merch in front of 1 billion active users. Your followers can shop your merch directly from your videos (prerecorded or LIVE), your profile, or within the centralized marketplace on TikTok.
Instagram: Use Instagram to share high-quality images and videos of your products. Leverage Stories and Reels to engage with your audience, run polls to determine what designs your followers prefer, and share behind-the-scenes content. Use relevant hashtags and trending songs to boost your engagement.
YouTube: YouTube is one of the top platforms where creators can easily connect with their audience and maximize their earnings. YouTube Product Shelf makes it easy for creators to showcase their merch underneath their videos or in a separate tab on their channel page. Learn about selling on YouTube!
Pro Tip: Post consistently and engage with your followers by responding to comments, running giveaways, or using polls and quizzes to keep your audience engaged.
2. Influencer Marketing on a Budget
You don’t need to hire expensive influencers with millions of followers to see results. Micro-influencers — those with smaller, more engaged audiences — can be incredibly effective for promoting your merch. These influencers often have loyal followers who trust their recommendations.
Here’s how to make influencer marketing work on a budget:
Find Micro-Influencers in Your Niche: Look for influencers with 5,000 to 50,000 followers who align with your brand and audience. Reach out to them to offer free products in exchange for promotion, or offer a small fee if they’re interested in paid partnerships.
Offer Affiliate Programs: Set up an affiliate program where influencers can earn a commission for every sale they refer. This is a low-risk way to incentivize influencers to promote your products while only paying for results.
Example: If you’re selling gamer merch, find streamers or gaming influencers who have a dedicated community of followers and offer them a free product to feature during their streams.
3. Email Marketing for Existing Followers
Email marketing remains one of the most cost-effective ways to promote your merch, especially if you already have a list of subscribers or followers from your other ventures. Emails allow you to reach your audience directly, with targeted messages that encourage them to visit your store.
Here are a few ways to use email marketing effectively:
Send Product Announcements: Whenever you launch a new design or product line, send out an email blast to let your audience know.
Offer Exclusive Discounts: Reward your email subscribers with special discounts, early access to new collections, or limited-time offers to drive more sales.
Run an Email Drip Campaign: Create a series of automated emails that new subscribers receive over a set period. These emails can introduce them to your brand, showcase your best-selling products, and offer a discount to encourage their first purchase.
Pro Tip: Use catchy subject lines and engaging visuals in your emails to increase open rates and conversions.
4. Create a YouTube Video to Showcase Your Products
YouTube is a fantastic platform for creating content that can showcase your merch in action. Whether you’re doing an unboxing video, a try-on haul, or simply sharing the story behind your designs, YouTube offers a personal way to connect with your audience.
Here’s how to use YouTube to promote your merch:
Product Showcases: Create a video that highlights your merch—showing it in real life, discussing its design inspiration, and offering style tips. These types of videos can help viewers imagine themselves wearing or using your products.
Behind-the-Scenes Content: Take your viewers behind the scenes of your merch design process. People love seeing how things are made, and this can create a stronger connection with your audience.
Collaborate with Other YouTubers: If you have connections with fellow creators, consider cross-promotions or collaborations where they can feature your merch in their videos.
Pro Tip: Include a direct link to your merch store in the video description and add a call-to-action in your video encouraging viewers to check out your store.
As you can see, launching a successful merch store is easy and accessible thanks to print-on-demand platforms, like Spreadshop. Make and sell when it’s convenient to you with no upfront costs. Ever.
By choosing products that resonate with your audience, understanding the benefits of the print-on-demand model, and utilizing cost-effective marketing strategies, you can build a thriving merch business without the traditional risks.
Now, it’s time to turn your creativity into a profitable venture — start small, stay engaged with your audience, and watch your brand grow!
Start selling your merch with no upfront costs TODAY with Spreadshop.