Does Printify Charge You or the Customer?

Want to see how this fits into your margins? See POD Profit Margins Explained. For the official breakdown of Printify’s payment process, see Printify Help: How the Payment Process Works. If you’d rather skip manual math, connect your store with PodVector to see all costs live.

Printify Payment Flow Explained

Here’s how the transaction flow works when a customer places an order in your store:

1. Your customer pays your store (retail price + shipping) through your storefront (Shopify, Etsy, etc.).
2. Your store retains that full amount (until platform fees/refunds apply).
3. Printify imports the order and, at production time, charges you for the production + shipping costs. (Printify Help)
4. Your profit is whatever is left after subtracting what Printify charged you from what your customer paid (minus platform and ad fees).

When Does Printify Charge You?

Printify only charges you when the order is sent to production. By default, this happens 24 hours after the order arrives. However, you can adjust approval settings (manual, 1 hour, or scheduled times) in your account. (Printify Help)

Until it’s sent to production, you may cancel or edit the order, which offers a small buffer. But once it’s live, Printify pulls funds for the manufacturing and shipping of the item.

Order Approval Settings & Timing

Your Printify dashboard lets you choose how orders move into production:

• Manual approval: You manually approve each order before production.
• Automatic (1 hour / 24 hours): Orders auto-approve after a set time window.
• Scheduled batch time: Orders queued and pushed at a chosen time each day.

These settings give you control over changes or cancellations, but delay when Printify charges and starts fulfilling. Use them especially while testing pricing or policies.

Special Cases: Pop-Up Stores & Marketplaces

Some sales channels operate differently:

• Printify Pop-Up Store: Printify handles payment processing internally and transfers your earnings — you don’t need to pay them manually. (Printify Help)
• Marketplaces (Etsy, Amazon): The customer pays the marketplace, which passes funds to you. But you’re still responsible for paying Printify for orders. Printify charges your account or balance — not the marketplace directly. (Printify Help)

Sample Payment Breakdown

Example order: mug sold in your Shopify store.

• Retail price (customer pays): $20.00 (includes your markup + shipping)
• Printify charges to you: $6.00 (production) + $4.00 (shipping) = $10.00
• Your profit before platform/ads = $20 – $10 = $10.00

Then subtract Shopify transaction fees, ad spend, refunds, etc., to get your final profit.

Key Things to Watch

• If your payment method (credit card or balance) doesn’t have funds when Printify tries to charge, order fulfillment may stall.
• Orders edited or canceled before production won’t be charged.
• Using multiple sales channels can confuse fund flow — always know which portion comes from where.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Printify ever charge the buyer directly?

No — your buyer always pays you. Printify never charges the end customer directly.

What if my store doesn’t have funds when Printify charges?

The order may stall or be canceled. Always keep a buffer in your payment method or use auto-refill settings.

Can I delay when Printify charges me?

Yes — set your order approval to manual or schedule. This gives you time to cancel or adjust before production.