How to Sell on Depop (2026): Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

How selling on Depop works

To sell on Depop, you create a free account, list an item with photos, a description, five hashtags and its details (category, brand, size, condition), set a price and a shipping option, then ship it when it sells. US sellers pay no selling fee, only payment processing of 3.3% plus $0.45 per sale, and an extra fee only if a sale comes from a boosted listing.

Depop is a fashion-first marketplace with a young, style-led audience. Buyers search by brand and item, but they also browse by aesthetic and follow shops whose look they like. That shapes everything below: your photos and the first line of your description do most of the selling.

• Listing is free. There is no monthly fee and no charge to post.
• No selling fee in the US. Depop dropped its 10% selling fee for US sellers in July 2024. Payment processing still applies.
• Shipping is your call. Use a prepaid Depop Shipping label through USPS, or arrange postage yourself.
• Money goes to your Depop Balance first. You then withdraw it to your bank.

How to sell on Depop for beginners: the 8 steps

Here is the full path from download to first payout. Each step is short. Do them in order the first time and the second listing will take a fraction of the time.

How to create a Depop listing that sells

A Depop listing has fewer fields than an eBay or Mercari listing, which means each one carries more weight. Depop's own help page on search ranking says relevance is judged against the listing's description, brand, category and color, and that popularity (views, likes and adds to bag) also counts. Fill every field honestly and you are already ahead of most new shops.

Photos: lead with the cover shot

Depop's help center lets you add several photos and a video from the app, and up to 8 photos on depop.com. Use as many as you can. The first photo is the one buyers see in the feed, so make it the clearest, best-lit shot of the whole item. Then add the back, the label, a close-up of fabric or print, and any flaws. Depop asks sellers to show every angle and to photograph wear, and doing so cuts down on "not as described" claims later.

On-body or styled shots tend to suit Depop's audience better than a crumpled hanger photo. If you don't model, a neat flat lay on a plain background works. For lighting and setup, see how to photograph clothes to sell.

The description field: your title and description in one

Depop has no separate title box. The description field holds everything, up to 1,000 characters, including your hashtags. The first line acts as your title: it's what shows first and what search leans on most. Put the searchable words there, in the order a buyer would type them: brand, era or style, item type, key detail, size.

Below that, add a short, scannable body: condition and any flaws, measurements, fit notes, fabric, and a styling line if it helps. Depop's own tips ask for exact measurements because sizing varies between brands. Skip openers like "Hey babes" or "Cute top" in the first line; they use the most valuable space on words nobody searches.

That listing uses about 330 characters, leaving plenty of room. The Depop AI listings guide breaks down the first-words rule and the 1,000-character limit in more depth.

Hashtags: five, chosen on purpose

You get up to 5 hashtags per listing, typed into the description. Use all five and spread them across angles: one broad tag (#vintage, #y2k), one or two for style or era (#90s, #streetwear), one for the item (#babytee, #vintagejeans) and a brand tag only if that brand is really on the item. Depop treats unrelated brand names as keyword spam. For copy-ready lists by style, use the best Depop hashtags guide.

Category, brand, size and condition

These are filters, and buyers use them. A listing in the wrong category, or with no brand selected, simply doesn't appear when a buyer filters for that brand or category.

• Category: pick the most specific option (Jeans, not just Bottoms). It decides which browse pages and filters you show up in.
• Brand: choose from the list. If the brand isn't there or the item is unbranded, say so rather than picking a similar-sounding brand.
• Size: select the tagged size, then explain fit in the description if it runs small or large.
• Condition: choose the closest option and back it up with photos. Overstating condition is the fastest route to a return.
• Color and other attributes: fill in whatever the form offers. Color is one of the fields Depop names for relevance.

Depop also has a built-in option to generate a description from a photo, which can fill in attributes like category, color and brand for you to check. Review anything it writes, especially brand and condition, before you post.

How to price on Depop

Pricing on Depop comes down to three things: what similar items actually sold for, what you need to keep after fees and shipping, and how fast you want it gone.

Check sold prices first

When you list an item, Depop may show a suggested price range and a list of similar items that have sold. For some listings it offers three points: a lower price that is likely to sell quickly, a balanced middle price, and a higher price that may take longer. Depop says these ranges are based on the details you enter (brand, product type, condition and so on) and carry no guarantee of a sale. Treat them as a starting point, then look at the sold section of shops that sell the same kind of item to see real prices.

Current US Depop fees

On a $30 item where the buyer pays $6 shipping, processing is 3.3% of $36 plus $0.45, which comes to about $1.64. If the buyer paid for a Depop Shipping label, the label cost comes out of what they paid, so you keep roughly $28.36 of your $30 price. If you offer free shipping, the label cost comes out of your side instead.

Boosting is optional. Depop's help center says the boosting fee is charged only on sales that come from a boosted listing, on the item price (and on shipping only if you arranged your own), and not on Depop Shipping labels. If a sale is refunded, Depop refunds the fees too. Fees change, so confirm the current rates on Depop's seller fees page before you price a big batch. For worked examples and a take-home formula, see Depop fees explained.

Leave room for offers and bundles

Depop buyers make offers, and many shops run a bundle discount. Price a little above the lowest number you would accept so you can say yes to a fair offer without losing money. Setting up a bundle discount is covered in the Depop bundle discount strategy guide.

How to sell on Depop: shipping, step by step

When you sell on Depop in the US, you choose one of two shipping routes on each listing: Depop Shipping (a prepaid USPS label that Depop generates) or your own shipping (you buy postage elsewhere). You also decide who pays: the buyer, or you, by offering free shipping. Here is how each works.

Option 1: Depop Shipping label (USPS)

• When you list: choose Depop Shipping and pick the parcel size that fits the packed item's weight. The options you see depend on your ship-from address.
• After the sale: Depop gives you a QR code and a printable label. Find them under your sold items (My Depop, then Sold on iOS; Selling Hub, then Sold items on Android; or your selling hub on the web). No printer? Take the QR code to a USPS location instead.
• Tracking is automatic. You don't need to add a tracking number or mark the order as shipped.
• You must use that label. Depop's help pages say that if you choose Depop Shipping and send the item another way, you lose Depop Protection and the order may be canceled and refunded.
• Weigh honestly. Depop's terms say sellers must cover any extra carrier charges if the package weighs more than the label allows.
• Bundles ship together. If every item in a bundle uses Depop Shipping, Depop generates one label sized for the combined weight.

Option 2: Ship it yourself

• When you list: choose your own shipping and type in the price you'll charge the buyer, or $0 for free shipping.
• After the sale: buy a label from USPS, Pirate Ship, UPS or another service.
• Tracked shipping is required. Add the tracking number in the app and mark the order as shipped.
• Use it for international orders. Depop Shipping is for domestic US orders, so anything going abroad goes this way.
• Payouts can be slower. Depop's help pages give a longer wait before funds release on manually shipped orders.

Who pays for shipping on Depop?

You choose. With buyer pays, the shipping price is added at checkout, and on a Depop Shipping label the buyer's payment covers the label. With free shipping, the buyer sees $0 and you cover the label from your payout, so build that cost into the item price. Free shipping can make an item look cheaper next to similar listings; buyer pays keeps your sticker price lower. The trade-offs and current label costs by weight are in Depop shipping options explained.

Packing and drop-off

1. Pack clothes in a poly mailer, or a box for shoes, bags and anything fragile. Fold neatly; a tidy parcel helps your reviews.
2. Cover or remove old labels, barcodes and hazmat stickers if you reuse packaging. Depop warns that USPS can delay or return a package, or charge a fee, if it's miscategorized.
3. Weigh the packed parcel, not just the item, so it stays inside the label's size.
4. Attach the printed label, or take the QR code to any USPS location to drop off.
5. Ship within 1 to 3 days. Depop asks sellers to send items as soon as possible, and its protection for Depop Shipping covers labels used within 5 days of the sale.

How you get paid on Depop

US sales go into your Depop Balance, not straight to your bank. Depop's help center says money moves to your balance 2 business days after the item shows as delivered, or 10 business days after the sale, whichever comes first. You then withdraw to your linked bank account, which can take up to 5 days to show. Depop has also been rolling out a withdrawals feature that lets you choose when to transfer, though its help page says it isn't available to every account yet.

If a payout seems late, check three things: your bank account is connected and the last four digits match, your account is verified, and your balance isn't negative from an earlier refund. A negative balance blocks payment until it's cleared.

If a buyer opens a claim after delivery, respond calmly with your photos and measurements. The Depop not as described claim guide walks through what to send.

How to grow your Depop shop after the first sales

Once a few items have sold, growth comes from listing consistently, keeping listings fresh and making each listing easier to find. Here is what matters most, with the deep dives linked.

List a little, often

Depop's ranking gives newer listings a small boost, though far less than relevance. Adding a few items most days keeps your shop showing up in feeds and gives followers a reason to come back. How the ranking signals stack up is covered in how the Depop algorithm works in 2026.

Refresh and relist stale items

An item with views but no likes after a couple of weeks usually needs a better cover photo, a sharper first line or a price check. Editing and refreshing it can put it back in front of buyers. The routine, and when to relist instead, is in how to relist on Depop.

Build reviews early

Fast shipping, careful packing and accurate descriptions earn good reviews, and reviews are what make a stranger trust a new shop. A short thank-you note in the parcel costs nothing.

Pick a lane

Shops with a clear niche (90s sportswear, Y2K going-out tops, vintage denim) are easier to follow and easier to remember. For era-specific wording and styling, see how to list Y2K and streetwear on Depop.

Speed up the writing

Writing a strong first line, a clean description and five good hashtags for every item is the slowest part of listing. Quicklist AI is a Chrome extension that writes the title line, description and tags from a few words or a photo, tuned to Depop's format, then fills them into the listing form with Fill Listing. It doesn't crosslist or automate anything on Depop, it just does the writing. You can try the Depop listing generator with 2 free listings and no card, and plans start at $2.99 a month (see Quicklist AI pricing).

Consider a second marketplace

Once your Depop routine is steady, the same inventory can reach more buyers elsewhere. Our crosslisting guide explains how to do it without double sales.