The Complete Guide to Tracking Profits in Print-on-Demand

Why Profit Tracking Matters

Print-on-demand is one of the easiest ways to start an online business, but profit margins are often slim. Many sellers look only at revenue and assume they’re making money. The reality is more complicated. Once you subtract product costs, shipping, ad spend, refunds, and payment fees, your “real” profit may be much lower than expected.

This is why profit tracking is so important. Without it, you can’t make smart pricing decisions, scale ads safely, or identify which products are actually worth selling. The difference between a profitable POD business and a struggling one often comes down to whether the seller is tracking true profit.

What Shopify Reports Show

Shopify gives every store owner access to built-in analytics, but they only tell part of the story. Here’s what Shopify reports include:

• Total sales: The total amount of orders placed before discounts and refunds.
• Net sales: Sales after discounts and refunds are deducted.
• Gross profit: Net sales minus product costs (but not always complete for POD sellers).
• Conversion rates: How many visitors purchase compared to traffic.

While helpful, Shopify reports don’t automatically include ad spend, shipping, refunds, or transaction fees. This means your Shopify “profit” number may not reflect reality. That’s why many sellers move to spreadsheets or apps for deeper insights.

Manual Profit Tracking with Spreadsheets

One way to track profits is by creating a spreadsheet. Sellers often export Shopify sales, then add Printify or Printful product costs, shipping fees, and ad spend. A typical spreadsheet might include:

1. Sales revenue from Shopify reports
2. Printify or Printful product base cost
3. Shipping charges (domestic vs international)
4. Ad spend from Meta Ads, TikTok, or Google
5. Shopify, PayPal, and Stripe transaction fees
6. Refunds and chargebacks

This approach works, but it takes a lot of time. You have to update the sheet daily or weekly, copy and paste numbers, and make sure nothing gets missed. The biggest problem isn’t accuracy—it’s the time and energy required to keep everything up to date.

Key Metrics for POD Sellers

To fully understand your print-on-demand business, you need to track several key metrics beyond just revenue:

• Total sales: The top-line revenue before deductions.
• Net sales: Revenue minus discounts and refunds.
• Gross profit: Net sales minus product costs and shipping.
• GPAM (Gross Profit After Marketing): Gross profit minus ad spend. This shows your contribution margin and whether ads are profitable.
• Profit (Operating Profit): What’s left after all costs—products, shipping, ads, transaction fees, and refunds. PodVector calls this “Profit.”

If you’re only looking at total or net sales, you’re missing the full picture. Real success comes from managing GPAM and true profit.

Automated Profit Tracking with PodVector

Instead of juggling spreadsheets, you can automate this process with PodVector. PodVector was built specifically for POD sellers using Shopify and Printify (and now Printful). It pulls all your data together in real time, so you don’t waste hours updating sheets.

Here’s what happens when you connect PodVector:

• Shopify sync: Pulls in orders, refunds, discounts, and sales data automatically.
• Printify + Printful sync: Base product costs and shipping rates are matched directly to your orders.
• Ad sync: Meta Ads spend flows directly into your reports. (Google, TikTok, and Pinterest Ads are on the roadmap.)
• Fee tracking: Shopify, PayPal, and Stripe fees are included automatically.
• Profit calculation: Your true profit is calculated live, with no manual effort.

The result is a single, clean dashboard that shows you the real numbers behind your store. No guesswork, no outdated spreadsheets—just live profit data.

PodVector Features

• Real-time profit tracking: See profit instantly without manual updates.
• Full cost coverage: Includes products, shipping, refunds, ads, and transaction fees.
• Clean dashboards: Simple reports made for POD sellers, not general e-commerce.
• Native integrations: Shopify, Printify, Printful, and Meta Ads are live. More ad platforms are coming soon.
• Future roadmap: A market research tool (launching November 2025), deeper marketing analytics, and an AI business coach.

These features make PodVector stand out from general e-commerce apps like TrueProfit or BeProfit, which require more setup for POD workflows.

Manual vs Automated Tracking

Here’s how manual spreadsheets compare with PodVector:

If you want a step-by-step breakdown of manual profit formulas, check out our guide: How to Calculate POD Profits (Step-by-Step).

For more details on Shopify’s built-in reports, visit the Shopify Analytics help center.

Final Verdict

Tracking profits is one of the most important parts of running a POD business. While spreadsheets can work, they take too much time to keep updated. PodVector automates everything and gives you the truth about your business in real time.

If you want to grow faster and avoid profit surprises, start with PodVector. It’s the simplest way to track profits across Shopify and Printify automatically.

FAQs

Can I track profits manually?

Yes. Many sellers use spreadsheets, but it’s time-intensive and requires constant updates.

What costs are included in PodVector’s profit tracking?

Product base costs, shipping, ad spend, refunds, and payment fees are all included automatically.

Does Shopify track profit by itself?

No. Shopify shows revenue and basic gross profit, but it doesn’t include ad spend or transaction fees. That’s why most sellers use extra tools.

How much does PodVector cost?

During Early Access, PodVector is $29/month. New pricing tiers will launch later as more features are added.

What’s coming next?

A market research tool is launching in November 2025, followed by marketing analytics and an AI business coach.