Etsy Share & Save Holiday 2026: 6.5% Fee Refund Explained

From Oct. 20, 2026 to Jan. 4, 2027, Etsy refunds 6.5% of the order total on sales that come in through a seller's own Share & Save links, which Etsy describes as paying zero transaction fees on those orders. The normal Share & Save refund is 4%, and Etsy says it goes back to 4% after Jan. 4. For a shirt shop that already posts on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, or an email list, the holiday stretch is the best time of the year to move that traffic onto tracked links. Here is how the promotion works, according to Etsy's promotion terms, its Help Center, and its seller announcement.

Share & Save holiday promotion at a glance

Sources: Etsy's Share & Save Holiday Promo Terms (last updated Sept. 24, 2026), the Etsy Help Center article on Share & Save, and Etsy's community announcement, all checked Nov. 13, 2026.

How the refund is calculated

Etsy says the refund is figured the same way as its transaction fee: on the order total including shipping and gift wrap, before sales tax. The Help Center example is a $100 order earning a $4 refund at the standard rate. At the holiday rate, the same order earns $6.50.

For a typical shirt order:

The refund posts to the seller's Etsy Payment account as soon as the order is completed, according to the Help Center. It offsets the transaction fee only. Listing fees and payment processing fees are separate charges on an Etsy bill and are not part of this promotion.

The rules that decide whether an order counts

Both the click and the purchase must happen inside the promotion window. Etsy's promotion terms say the buyer has to click the seller's link during the holiday period and complete the purchase during the holiday period. A click on Jan. 3 followed by an order on Jan. 6 falls back to the 4% rate at best. The last link wins. Etsy tracks orders by the last link a buyer clicked before buying. If the buyer's final visit came from an Etsy Offsite Ad, the order is not a Share & Save order, even if the buyer first found the shop through the seller's own post. Links have to be shared outside Etsy. Links sent through Etsy Messages or placed inside listing descriptions do not count. Social posts, profile bios, email newsletters, QR codes on packing slips, and a website button all qualify. The link format matters. Etsy says shop links in the yourshopname.etsy.com format are eligible. A seller using a custom domain needs to forward it to that format, or orders may not be credited. Stay enrolled. The promotion terms say a seller who opts out during the period gets no refund on orders placed while unenrolled. Re-enrolling restores eligibility for the rest of the period.

What links a seller can share

From Etsy's Help Center, trackable links are available for:

• The shop itself (yourshopname.etsy.com)
• Individual listings, from the Share option on each listing
• Promo codes, from Sales and Discounts
• Reviews and shop sections, from the Etsy Seller app only

For a shirt shop, listing links and promo code links do the most work in December. A post about a specific holiday design should link to that listing, and a Small Business Saturday or Cyber Monday code should be shared with its trackable link rather than typed out as plain text.

How to join

Etsy lists three steps: in Shop Manager, go to Marketing, select Share & Save, then select Join now. Sellers already enrolled get the 6.5% rate automatically. Results show up in Shop Manager under Stats ("Traffic from your Share & Save links"), orders placed through a link carry a Share & Save badge, and the refunds appear under Fees in the Payment account.

Does it bring new buyers?

Etsy's announcement says that among sellers who joined Share & Save during Cyber Week 2025, roughly 29% of the buyers purchasing through their links each month were new to Etsy, measured over the five months after Cyber Week 2025. That is Etsy's own figure; it has not published the underlying sample size.

Where it fits in a holiday plan for shirt sellers

The promotion runs through the busiest shipping weeks of the year, so it pairs with the rest of the season's calendar:

• The Black Friday and Small Business Saturday guide for shirt shops covers promo timing. Share each promo code through its trackable link.
• The 2026 holiday shipping deadlines set the last day a social post can promise Christmas delivery.
• Etsy's unedited photo rule for AI listings affects the same listings a shop will be linking to, so it is worth fixing photos before pushing traffic.
• For the bigger picture on fees and listings, see how to sell t-shirts on Etsy and selling DTF transfers on Etsy.

FAQ

How much does Etsy refund on Share & Save orders during the holidays?

Etsy refunds 6.5% of the qualifying order total, including shipping and gift wrap but not sales tax, on orders that come through a seller's Share & Save links between Oct. 20, 2026 at 9:00 AM ET and Jan. 4, 2027 at 9:00 AM ET. Etsy describes this as covering the full 6.5% transaction fee on those orders.

What happens to the Share & Save refund after January 4, 2027?

Etsy's announcement says the refund drops back to the standard 4% of the eligible order total after Jan. 4, 2027. Etsy also reserves the right to change or end the promotion at any time, so sellers should check the promotion terms page before planning around it.

Do Share & Save links in Etsy Messages count?

No. Etsy's Help Center says links sent through Etsy Messages or placed in listing descriptions do not earn Share & Save benefits. The links have to be shared outside Etsy, such as on social media, in an email newsletter, or on a website.

Can an order get Share & Save and Offsite Ads at the same time?

No. Etsy credits the order to the last link the buyer clicked. If the buyer's last visit before buying came from an Etsy Offsite Ad, the order is treated as an Offsite Ads order and is not eligible for the Share & Save refund.

Does Share & Save lower listing fees or payment processing fees?

No. The refund is credited against the transaction fee only. Etsy's listing fees and payment processing fees are separate charges and are not covered by the Share & Save program or the holiday promotion.