TeePublic Review (2024): Is This POD Marketplace Worth It?

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
✔️ It’s easy to sign up and upload designs	❌ It doesn’t integrate with other marketplaces and eCommerce platforms
✔️ It collaborates with known and reputable apparel brands	❌ There’s no design mockup generator
✔️ Thanks to the fact it's a marketplace, it’s possible to make a passive income using the platform	❌ You can't set your own prices.
✔️ The online Help Center is comprehensive and easy to understand	❌ In-person customer support is only available via an online form.

So now we've covered the highlights, let's jump into the crux of this TeePublic review. In this TeePublic review, I'll walk you through what it does, how it works, whether it’s legit or not, and more. 

Suppose you’re an independent creator looking for a print on demand platform to sell your designs to customers looking for something a little different. In that case, you’re in the right place. 

Is TeePublic Legit?

Yes, it is. 

TeePublic’s website states it’s been in business for over 15 years. In addition, we’ve mentioned how seriously it takes its commitment to sustainability and works with third-party fulfillers that only offer the best printing equipment. 

What we can also add is that TeePublic’s product quality is good. It works with well-known brands, including American Apparel, Bella + Canvas, Gildan, and Next Level. 

In addition, it accepts reputable payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and PayPal. It doesn't accept cash-on-delivery, money transfers, or cheques. 

However, a few negative reviews complain about slow shipping times.

What is TeePublic?

TeePublic has been around since 2013 and was founded by Josh Abramson and Adam Schwartz, the pair behind Vimeo and College Humor. 

In 2018, the company was bought for $41 million by the Australian POD platform, Redbubble. 

TeePublic’s website tells us it’s the ‘world’s largest marketplace for independent creators to sell the highest-quality merchandise bearing their art.' 

Customers can search through more than 1.2 million designs and 75+ products to find unique designs.

POD products in TeePublic's catalog include:

• Apparel for adults and children, including t-shirts, tank tops, long sleeve tees, and hoodies
• Home goods, including tapestries, mugs, notebooks, and wall art
• Masks
• Cases and stickers, including phone cases, laptop cases, and magnets

If you're a TeePublic customer looking to purchase an item, you’ll find tons of designs, which you can filter using the following categories: 

• Funny
• Anime
• Animals
• Fantasy
• Sci-Fi
• Television
• Movies
• Sports
• Foods 
• Drinks

TeePublic also works with several affiliate brands, which it says are ‘some of the biggest names in online pop culture, gaming, podcasting, and media.' 

For example:

• Spawn on Me podcast
• IGN video games and entertainment
• Stuff You Missed in History Class podcast
• Existential Comics

When you upload designs to TeePublic, your rights as an independent artist are non-exclusive, meaning you own your designs and can do what you like with them. You can learn more about the platform's terms and conditions here. 

Now you have an idea of what TeePublic is, let’s take a walk through how it works. 

Where is TeePublic Located?

TeePublic is located in New York, USA. Its third-party order fulfillment partners are located worldwide, including in Australia, the UK, and the US. 

However, some goods are shipped from just one specific US location. For example:

• Drinkware: Georgia
• Stickers: Iowa
• Wall art: Wisconsin
• Pillows, tote bags, and masks: California and North Carolina

We discuss order fulfillment and shipping in more detail lower down.

How Does TeePublic Work?

Independent creators can easily sign up. Simply click the “Create an Account” button on TeePublic's home page. 

You can then either sign up via your Facebook account or provide the following:

• First name
• Last name
• Email address
• Country
• Password

You’re then asked to either tick or untick a box that states:

Yes, I'd like to advertise my products in off-site marketing.

(We’ll go into that a little lower down). 

You’ll then receive an email with an account verification link. Once you’ve verified your email, your account registration is done (yay!). 

You can view your account details by clicking the “My Account” button and then ‘Account Settings.' This provides at-a-glance info about your:

• Monthly earnings
• Account settings
• Access to any messages you might have
• Account type (more about this later)

You'll also find an “Upload a Design” button.

When you’re ready to upload a design, yes, you guessed it, click that. You’re then asked to choose a name for your storefront (which, incidentally, helps form your TeePublic store URL).

You’re then taken to an upload page from which you can upload single or multiple designs. Select your chosen option. You can then upload your designs! Files must be high-res transparent .PNG 150 dpi. There's a helpful design guide that provides more details about this. 

Once done, you're prompted to provide a:

• Design title
• Main tag (a word people might search for to find your design)
• Supporting tags (other relevant words customers might use to find your design)
• Product description

Once done, choose which product you want to add your design to and which color.

It’s worth noting that at the time of writing, you could only print a design on the front of apparel. Printing on the back is still in beta. 

Once done, you can either hit the “Publish” or “Save for Later” button.

Although you can see how your design looks on various products, TeePublic doesn't have a mockup design tool. So, you can’t do some of the things other POD platforms enable you to do, like Printify or Printful. For example, adding text or utilizing an in-built library of graphics and images to enhance your designs. 

TeePublic Accounts and Pricing

Signing up for TeePublic is free, and there are no subscription plans. 

At sign-up, you’re automatically allocated one of two types of TeePublic accounts. 

When I initially signed up, I was allocated an Apprentice Account. There is, however, another account called an Artisan Account. 

Neither account is based on the amount of sales you generate.

Let’s take a look at both:

Apprentice Account

This account type is aimed at artists TeePublic refers to as ‘less discerning about the products they design.' In other words, perhaps their content is more generic looking and may contain clip art. 

Artisan Account

In contrast, this account type is for artists TeePublic considers to have ‘unique products' that are more likely to appeal to customers looking to buy from its marketplace. 

As mentioned above, you don’t have to be a top seller to have an artisan account. 

Your account type can change depending on criteria such as design quality, design volume, and consumer appeal.  

The big news, however, is that your earnings differ depending on which account you’re allocated. 

The TeePublic earnings page contains all the details you need to know about how much money you'll make if you sell anything on the platform. 

For example, if you sell a Male Heavyweight T-shirt bearing your design and have an Artisan account, you make $4. However, if you’re classed as an Apprentice, you earn $3.

These prices don't include shipping (we go into that in more detail lower down). 

It’s also worth noting that TeePublic, not you, determines the retail price of your products. 

All products have two prices:

1. A (discounted) sale price is offered to customers in the first 72 hours your product is listed
2. After that, the regular price

Printing

All apparel is printed using direct-to-garment (DTG) printing. TeePublic’s third-party order fulfillers use Kornit machines, and TeePublic states that these are the ‘best machines in the business.'

For non-apparel products, TeePublic uses sublimation techniques for full coverage. 

Before items are packed for shipping, they're quality checked to ensure they're of the highest standard. 

In addition, TeePublic’s website states that it has a ‘strong commitment to the environment.' The platform holds its third-party printers to toxin-free, sustainable, and non-hazardous production standards. Inks used are water-based, have no animal by-products, and are 100% biodegradable. They're also vegan-friendly. 

Additionally, apparel products are all certified by WRAP. This non-profit organization promotes ethical manufacturing through education and labor standards. 

Fulfillment and Shipping

So what happens when you make a sale? 

You'll be notified within a few hours when an order is placed. When TeePublic customers buy something, the platform gives them a few hours worth of leeway (in case they’ve made an error with their address, product sizing, or changed their minds, etc.). 

After a few hours, the item is sent to the printer (precise number unspecified). 

Sales confirmation emails are then sent out, and your account is updated. 

Customers will receive a shipping confirmation when an item is ready to be shipped and leaves the third-party fulfillment site. This contains a tracking link (if the shipping provider offers this service). Customers can see on their order checkout page if the shipping method selected doesn't include tracking. 

Customers are advised to contact TeePublic for support if they don't receive a tracking number or their chosen shipping method doesn’t offer tracking. 

TeePublic uses local postal services for all orders unless otherwise specified. 

Shipping times depend on where items are being shipped from and to. For example:

Orders shipped within the US:

• Standard (six to eight business days)
• Ground (five to seven business days)
• Expedited (four to six business days)

Orders shipped internationally from US fulfillment centers:

• International (15-20 business days)
• International Plus* (10-15 business days)

Please note: These times are estimates and don't factor in busier times like the holidays and weekends. 

As for prices, again, these depend on where you’re shipping from and to and the size and weight of the product(s). In the US, prices typically start at about $6.99, whereas shipping from the US to an international destination begins at $7.99. 

When customers add an item to their shopping cart, go to checkout, and select their shipping destination, they'll see an accurate shipping price. 

Lastly, at this point, it's worth noting that TeePublic practices carbon-neutral shipping. It works with 3Degrees to offset its shipping carbon footprint.

TeePublic Integrations

TeePublic doesn't offer integrations with other eCommerce platforms or online marketplaces like Etsy. 

However, its Help Center states it offers artists an external linking button that you can add to your own pre-existing ecommerce site to drive traffic to your TeePublic store. 

TeePublic Marketing

As mentioned already, TeePublic is a marketplace. It showcases some of its artists under its Featured Designers and Newest Designers category. There’s also a Newest T-shirts category, and in all three instances, customers can access these via the TeePublic homepage. 

The homepage also links to products by ‘Artists to Watch' and its ‘Editor’s Picks' of products. At the time of writing, these were all tees. 

In addition, you may remember we mentioned off-site marketing earlier in our review.

This means you can advertise products on external sites, including:

• Google
• Tik-Tok
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Pinterest
• Google Display Network
• Bing
• Verizon

It’s a way of bringing more customers to your TeePublic marketplace shop and, hopefully, making more sales. The TeePublic Help Center has a succinct guide on how to do your off-site marketing. 

TeePublic Review: My Final Verdict

Hopefully, having read this TeePublic review, you have a better idea of what this POD marketplace offers.

If you’re an artist keen to sell your designs and be part of an online marketplace brimming with other talent, TeePublic is a great place to be. 

However, suppose you’re thinking beyond earning a passive income. In that case, exploring other options, such as setting up your own eCommerce store and establishing a presence on other marketplaces where you can actively market your designs, is wise. 

If you're attracted to the POD marketplace model, I suggest checking out other platforms, such as Society6 or Redbubble, by way of comparison.

Are you considering giving TeePublic a try? Let us know in the comments below.