If you like unique graphic designs or artwork, you’ve probably used Redbubble shipping before. Redbubble is a platform for artists to showcase their unique designs and have customers order them printed on t-shirts, pouches, mugs, and other products.
While Redbubble has unique products and designs, it has been charging alarmingly high shipping rates recently.
So why is Redbubble shipping so expensive right now?
Redbubble shipping is primarily expensive because of printer locations. The further their printing partners are from your delivery location, the more expensive shipping is likely to be. The products’ size and weight, special handling requirements, and the quality of packaging materials also contribute to the high shipping fees.
This article looks at why Redbubble shipping is so expensive in 2022. Read on to find out if there cheaper alternatives.
How Does Redbubble Shipping Work?
Redububble is responsible for printing every order in their marketplace. And, unlike competitors like Etsy, the company is also responsible for the shipping.
Therefore, when you place an order, it goes to their most conveniently located printing partner, where it’s printed and then shipped to your doorstep.
In most cases, you have two shipping options: standard and express, each with a different wait time and price. The shipping costs also vary between local and international shipments.
How Much Is Redbubble Shipping?
Redbubble shipping costs are determined by various factors, including distance from the printing location to the destination, size of the item, and whether you use standard or express shipping. However, here is a rough estimate of how much it would cost you to ship with Redbubble:
Average Local Redbubble Fees
Standard local shipping can range anywhere from $5 to more than $10, depending on the size of the product. The $5 can be for something as small as a phone case, while $10 is for larger items like t-shirts.
Local express shipping can be much more expensive, sometimes upwards of $20, especially when you order more than one product.
This is because the products might be printed in two different facilities but still need to be delivered to you promptly.
Average International Redbubble Fees
International shipping is astonishingly expensive on Redbubble. It can range from around $15 for small items like mugs to over $40 for larger items like pillows.
Why Is Shipping on Redbubble So Expensive?
Compared to other shipping services in 2022, Redbubble is extremely expensive. Here are some of the reasons behind these shipping fees:
Packaging Materials
Apart from unique designs and high-quality printing, Redbubble is known for the quality of its packaging. All shipments, big and small, are well packaged for good presentation and to prevent damage.
Artists ns on the platform who focus on premium items often choose high-quality packaging materials to maintain the item’s premium feel.
Larger products require more of these materials for proper packaging, which is expensive.
Of course, the costs of these costs trickle down to the shipping fee.
Printer Location
Redbubble doesn’t print its products in one location. While the company prioritizes the printing partners closest to your delivery location, sometimes they might be overloaded or not have the capacity to print the type of product you need.
Similarly, when you order two or more products, they might not be printed in the same location.
As a result, your products will need to be transported over a long distance to get to your doorstep. Of course, this means they’ll use more fuel, manpower, and cargo space.
These expenses will reflect in your shipping fee.
Third-Party Partners
Redbubble doesn’t produce or even print any artwork themselves. For that, the company relies on third-party artists and printing partners.
These parties control how much an item will cost and how fast it can be shipped. Therefore, more reliable third-party artists charge higher shipping fees for their track record of delivering products on time.
Size and Weight of the Product
Redbubble is practically a shipping service. They connect customers to the artists and make a commission from the delivery service. As a result, the bulk of their profits come from shipping.
If a product is big, it will take more space in the delivery van, reducing the number of items it can transport. As a result, Redbubble increases shipping fees on bigger products to keep the profit per truck healthy.
Similarly, if a product is heavy, it requires more fuel to ship. Therefore, the company charges more for heavier products.
Special Handling
Some of the products that Redbubble sells are fragile and require special handling. These include mugs, clocks, and tapestries.
To ensure the products get to you in one piece, Redbubble includes special handling instructions to the carriers, immediately increasing their shipping fees. This is because the carriers need to pay special attention to those specific items.
How Long Does Redbubble Take to Ship?
Redbubble’s help center does not provide a specific timeframe for how long they take to ship their products.
However, most standard local shipments take less than a week to ship, with express shipments taking three days or less.
International shipments, on the other hand, can take between 7 to 14 business days, depending on the product.
Is Using Redbubble Worth It?
There’s no definitive answer to whether using Redbubble is worth it. On one hand, the marketplace has a wide variety of unique products and designs that you might not find anywhere else.
On the other hand, shipping can be pretty expensive, sometimes costing more than the product itself.
Read Also: Why is Shutterfly Shipping So Expensive
Alternatives to Redbubble
There are several great print-on-demand services that rival Redbubble. Here are 3 of them:
Printful
Printful is very similar to Redbubble in how it works. The entrepreneur advertises their product on the site, where customers can see and order it.
Once the order is placed, the entrepreneur sends the goods to Prinful, which prints and ships them. However, unlike Redbubble, Printful has several shipping partners, which makes shipping cheaper.
Zazzle
Zazzle uses the same model as Printful and Redbubble in that it connects artists to customers. However, this platform has much lower minimums compared to its peers, making it more friendly to artists.
It’s also aimed at small businesses that like to give away custom merchandise. As a result, most of the orders are rarely less than 10 per product.
Fine Art America
Considered the globe’s leading online art marketplace, Fine Art America offers more than just paintings.
The site allows you to customize a wide range of tech and household products with art from their wide catalog or your own design.
With a fast, global shipping network, Fine Art America can ship products faster and cheaper than Redbubble.