Looking for quick answers? Our Support team has rounded up the top questions we get and listed them below for easy reference. If you can't find what you're looking for here or elsewhere in the help site, reach out and a team member will be happy to lend a hand. You'll get a response from a real person, not a bot.
Account Basics
How do I change my password?
To change your password in the admin, click your name at the bottom of the side panel and select Account settings. Scroll down to Password settings, then enter your current password and your new password. Be sure to click Update password to apply the changes.
If you don't remember your password, we can send a password reset link to the email address we have on file.
How do I change my shop name or URL?
You can change both your shop name and URL in your Shop settings page in your Big Cartel admin. To change your shop name or URL, update the information in the Shop name and Shop URL fields, then click Save. Our system will let you know if the new subdomain you choose is available. Once your shop URL is updated, that will be the URL you’ll need to use to log in to your shop.
How do I change my contact email?
To change your contact email, click your name at the bottom of the side panel and select Account settings. In the Profile settings you'll update your Email address and Save changes.
How do I close my account?
If you’re thinking about closing your shop because you’re not receiving orders, or if you’d like some tips on marketing and growing your store, we’d love for you to reach out to our Support team first. We’re happy to share suggestions and help you improve your shop. That said, if you’d still prefer to close, we completely understand.
To close your shop:
- Log in to your account.
- Click your name at the bottom of the side panel.
- Select Account settings.
- Go to the Plan & Billing tab.
- In the Danger zone section, click Close store and follow the prompts.
Please note that closing your account is permanent — we won’t be able to recover any of your store’s data once it’s closed. If you’d like to keep a record, we recommend downloading your order data beforehand.
Does Big Cartel make the products I sell?
Big Cartel doesn't handle manufacturing or order fulfillment, so you'll want to produce your merchandise on your own. Once orders come in, you're responsible for shipping them out to your customers. Our role is to provide the platform for your online store and checkout system.
If you're looking for help producing your products or offering them through print-on-demand, we integrate with services like Printful, CreativeHub by theprintspace or Art of Where. And, If you're more interested in dropshipping, check out our integration with DSers.
Adding Products
How do I add variants like colors or sizes to my product listings?
You can set this up using our Product Variant Groups feature. When creating or editing a product, you can add options like size, color, or any other variations in the Variants section of the product listing.
If you sell items in multiple sizes and colors, you can organize those options into separate dropdown menus using Variant Groups (for example, one dropdown for size and another for color).
Just keep in mind: each product can have up to 150 total variants and a maximum of three variant groups.
Can I limit the number of a specific item that is sold?
Yes! If you’re on a paid plan, you can use our Inventory Tracking feature.
To enable it:
- Go to your shop’s Preferences settings.
- Toggle on Inventory tracking.
Once that’s turned on, you’ll be able to add quantities directly to your product listings:
- Head over to your Products.
- Select an item.
- Add the available Inventory in the Stock field.
From there, inventory will update automatically as items sell. When a product (or a specific variant) reaches zero stock, it will display as Sold out, preventing any further purchases.
I’m not seeing all of the products display in my storefront?
It sounds like you may be looking at the featured products displayed on the home page. If you'd like to display more products on the home page of your shop, you can adjust that number by clicking Shop settings > Shop designer. In the Settings tab, click Homepage tab and adjust number of featured products. Click Done and Publish so changes are applied to your shop. Keep in mind, your customers will also be able to view all of your products from the Products page in your shop.
How do I add product categories?
You can organize your products into categories so shoppers can easily browse your storefront.
- Go to Product > Categories in your admin.
- Click New category to add a name for your category.
- Assign any products you’d like to display in that category.
When you’re adding or editing a product, simply head to your product settings and select the category you want that product to appear in. Once saved, the product will automatically be displayed under the assigned category in your storefront.
More details can be found in our guide on managing categories.
What size images should I use for my products?
Each theme will display product images a bit differently to fit the design, so there isn’t a specific set of dimensions to use. Your best bet to get the most out of the theme you’re using is to upload large high-resolution images that are all the same size and orientation to create a consistent, uniform look.
To get those images looking nice and crisp try keeping them at least 1000px wide, and we’ll do the heavy lifting to resize them as needed to fit within your theme’s design constraints.
You can also check out our Template help pages for specific recommendations on elements like slideshows and header images, which tend to vary across themes.
I'm getting an error when adding or editing products - "At least one variant's price must match the base price."
It sounds like you are editing your products' prices. If your product has variants, you can update each variant's price in the Variants section. At least one of the variant's prices must match the "base price" in the main Price section for the product.
If your product doesn't have variants, you can update the base price in the Price field right above the Variants section.
Product Images
I uploaded more images than my plan's limit. What will happen to the excess images?
If you've uploaded more images than your plan's limit, don't worry! We support up to 25 images, but only the number of images allowed by your plan will be featured in your storefront and the rest will remain hidden in the your admin.
For Gold Plan Users: Your storefront supports the display of one image per product. If you exceed this limit, our system will display only the first image in your storefront.
For Platinum Plan Users: With the Platinum plan, your storefront can showcase up to five images per product. If you upload more than five images, our system will display only the first five images in your storefront.
For Diamond Plan Users: Lucky you! The Diamond plan allows your storefront to display a generous twenty-five images per product.
The correct image isn’t displayed in my store, how do I fix that?
It sounds like you've exceeded your plan's image display limit so you'll need to reorder your images by selecting the image and dragging it to the desired position in your storefront. For example, if you're on the free Gold plan and have uploaded 10 images, the image you'd like featured in your storefront should be moved to the first image slot. If you're on mobile, simply hold down the images and move them in the desired order.
What images files and size are supported?
JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, and WEBP files are supported. The maximum file size is 10 MB per image.
Shipping
How do I charge shipping?
For U.S.-based sellers
You have two main shipping options:
1. Automatic shipping (Calculate for me)
If you’re using automatic rates, go to your Shipping destination settings to choose the locations you want to ship to.
2. Set rates manually
When adding a manual rate, use the Select regions option to choose the areas you’ll ship to. You can expand the dropdown arrow for more detailed location options.
If a location isn’t selected, customers in that area won’t be able to complete purchases in your shop.
You can find shipping info for U.S.-based sellers in this help article.
For sellers outside the U.S.
You also have two main shipping options:
1. Product-level shipping
On each product’s page, you can set shipping for individual items. Use the Shipping option dropdown to select the locations you plan to ship to and add the appropriate rates.
2. Shipping profile or Set rates manually
When creating or editing a rate, use the Select regions option to choose your shipping destinations. Expand the dropdown to get more specific about location selection.
If a location isn’t selected, customers from that region won’t be able to make purchases in your shop.
You can find shipping info if you're base outside of the U.S in this help article.
I'm using Automatic shipping and shipping wasn't charged, why?
While rare, this can happen if live carrier rates are temporarily unavailable during checkout. In these cases, fallback rates act as a backup to ensure customers can still complete their purchase without errors.
To prevent issues like this, make sure you’ve set fallback rates for both domestic (U.S.) and international orders.
You can update these settings by going to:
Shop settings → Shipping, then scrolling to Fallback rates and select Edit to add rates.
Can you calculate shipping for me?
Yes! As long as you're based in the U.S., you can use the Automatic shipping feature. You'll just need to enable it under Shop settings > Shipping settings.
I sell digital products — is there a way to disable shipping?
We have steps for selling digital products here.
Can I offer free shipping if a customer spends a certain amount?
Yes! You can create a discount code in your Big Cartel admin. In the When a customer... section, you’ll specify how much they need to spend to receive the offer.
If you’re on the Diamond plan, you can set it up as an automatic discount so customers don’t need to enter a code to get the offer at checkout.
Can I create shipping labels?
Yes! As long as you're located in the U.S., Canada, or the U.K., you can create shipping labels. You can find step-by-step instructions here.
Managing Orders
How do I refund or cancel an order?
To refund a payment you’ll head over to the Orders page in your admin, select and order and use the “View purchase in Stripe” or “View purchase in PayPal” to refund your customer.
For more details, check out our full guide: Managing Order Cancellations and Refunds
How do I download my orders?
You can download your order data from the Orders page of your admin, and that'll include a breakdown of each order, including customer name, email, shipping address, product ordered, etc.
Getting Paid
How do I accept payments?
When you open your Big Cartel shop, one of the most important steps is setting up how you’ll accept payments from customers. Big Cartel supports several payment options to give your buyers flexibility and convenience — including PayPal, credit/debit cards, and digital wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Afterpay with Stripe.
Set up your payment methods
To connect your preferred checkout option:
- Go to Shop settings → Payments in your Big Cartel admin.
- Choose your payment processor — Stripe or PayPal (or both).
- Follow the steps in our guide to complete setup: How to Set Up Checkout
Connecting both Stripe and PayPal gives your customers the widest range of payment options.
If you are using in-person checkout in our iOS or Android app, you can accept cash and credit card payments - either manually, tap to pay, or with a card reader - via Stripe Terminal.
Does Big Cartel offer more payment options like Afterpay?
Shops on paid plans using Stripe as a payment processor can offer additional payment options at checkout, such as Afterpay, Klarna, and more. For details on the options available and how to manage them, please refer to the Stripe payment methods section. Keep in mind, you'll need a paid plan to enable checkout options like Afterpay, Clearpay, Affirm, and Klarna. Gold sellers, upgrade now to access this feature.
Do I have to have a PayPal Business account?
That's correct! PayPal requires a verified business account to accept payments in your shop. But no worries, it's simple to upgrade your account. You can login right here to upgrade to a Business account for free.
And there's some info about how to verify your account here.
After that, you should be all set to accept PayPal Commerce Platform payments in your shop!
How do I update my bank account that payments are sent to?
If you are using Stripe to accept payments in your shop, you can update the bank account in your Stripe dashboard. There's more on that here.
If you use PayPal, you'll update your bank account info in your PayPal account. There's more info on that here.
What is this Big Cartel application fee?
That's sales tax you're seeing in your Stripe account breakdown, so it's not a fee Big Cartel keeps. PayPal labels sales tax as a partner commission, but it's definitely not that either. We wish we had some input on how sales tax is labeled on Stripe's and PayPal's end, because it's definitely confusing. But that portion of the order is sales tax, and it's remitted to the appropriate state.
Customization
Can I translate my shop to another language?
Yes. You can translate your shop into another language to better connect with your audience. Using the Text and translations settings, you can edit default text across your shop—such as buttons, navigation links, and system messages—or apply translations for your chosen language.
You’ll have two options for Translation mode:
- Automatic: Uses our default translations for the selected language.
- Manual: Lets you customize individual text elements, so you can refine translations or personalize messaging.
This makes it easy to localize your shop’s content and create a shopping experience that feels natural for your customers.
How do I add images to custom pages?
You can upload images to your custom pages in the Design section of your account. Once you're in the Shop designer section, click into Pages, then click the page you want to add an image to.
Click the image icon in your custom page's toolbar, then click the upload icon. Next choose the image you want to upload from your device, then add an image description-- the system will assign the width and height. Click Save, then Publish, and your images will display in your shop's custom page.
How can I adjust the font size in my shop?
You can easily update the font size in your shop by going to Shop Settings > Shop Designer.
In the Shop Designer, select Settings > Text sizing, or click here to go directly to that page.
From there, you can make changes to your font size. Be sure to click Done and Publish changes so your updates are applied to your shop.
Can I add a video to the homepage of my store?
Yes! If you're using one of the following themes — Cosmos, Ranger, Roadie, Luna, Lunch Break, Foundry, or Trace — you can easily add a video to your homepage.Your video will need to be hosted on a platform like YouTube or Vimeo before adding it to your store.
Custom Domains
Can I use my own domain?
Yes, all Big Cartel shops on paid plans can use a custom domain with their shop. There's more info on that here.
Can I remove the .bigcartel.com from my URL?
There's not a way to delete or deactivate your store's bigcartel.com URL, but you can definitely use a custom domain as well. Have a domain you already own? You can connect it to your shop in a few steps. If you need to purchase a new domain, you can also do so in your admin, with prices as $1 for the first year.
Security
I received a suspicious email claiming to be from Big Cartel. Is this legit?
If you received a suspicious email, please don't click any links in that message until we can verify that it was sent by us. Please forward it to support and we can take a look.
Is my shop SSL-encrypted?
Each page in your online storefront is SSL-encrypted as is the backend admin, so any time sensitive data like payment details are passed, it's encrypted.
However, if you see a red lock in the Shop settings page of your admin, it means that your domain is not currently SSL-encrypted. This is due to a problem with your custom domain redirect settings, unsecured assets detected in your shop, or the SSL certificate's failure to generate. There's more information on how to resolve those issues in our SSL security help article here.
Integrations
How do I set up Instagram tagging (shoppable posts) for my products?
Connect your Big Cartel shop to Facebook Shopping and put your products in front of millions of potential buyers. With seamless integration, you can tag posts to showcase your products directly on Facebook and Instagram, making it easy for shoppers to discover and purchase from your shop.
Visit Meta Commerce in your Big Cartel admin to connect your shop and get set up. Once connected, you’ll be able to tag your products in posts and stories on both Facebook and Instagram.
Can I add a newsletter signup?
Absolutely! You can easily add a newsletter signup popup to your shop using the Mailchimp or Omnisend integrations.
With either option, customers can subscribe directly through your shop, and you’ll manage your newsletters and promotional emails from your connected account.
- Mailchimp: Create and send newsletters, manage subscribers, and automate campaigns.
- Omnisend: Add signup popups, design automated emails, and track performance right from your Omnisend account. Learn more about the setup process in our Omnisend email marketing guide.
Once connected, you’ll be able to grow your audience and keep your customers in the loop with updates, promotions, and product launches.
Can I add customer reviews to my shop?
As long as you're using a premium plan, you can easily add a product reviews and rating widget to your shop using our integration with Fera.
No coding is required on your part, and it's equipped with more handy features like allowing image uploading with reviews and the option to automatically reach out to customers days after their purchase to request reviews. Use this link to easily connect Fera to your store to add reviews.
Can I add a pop-up to promote an offer when customers visit my page?
Yes! Poptin offers a wide range of advanced pop-ups that are easy to install in your shop. You can enable that integration using the link above.
Can I add an image gallery to a custom page?
Yes! You can do this using Common Ninja, which offers a variety of widgets — including image galleries — that can be embedded on your custom pages.
Can I add a live chat option?
Absolutely! We have integrations with LiveChat and Powr.io that make it easy to add a chat widget to your store.
Can I add age verification to my shop?
Yes! You can easily add an age verification popup using our Common Ninja integration.
Billing
Can I upgrade or downgrade my plan at any time?
Definitely! You can upgrade anytime if you find you need more product listings and features. Or you can downgrade if you don't end up using the paid features. All of that can be done from the Account settings > Plan & billing section of your admin.
Why is my monthly payment failing?
Your payment may be failing for a few reasons:
- Prepaid cards aren’t accepted for monthly subscriptions. You’ll need to use a standard credit or debit card to continue your plan.
- Your card issuer may be blocking the charge due to recent unusual activity or security precautions.
- The billing address (AVS) information on your account may not match what your bank has on file.
- Other issues specific to your bank or card issuer could also cause the payment to fail.
We recommend reaching out to your card issuer or bank to ask if they’ve flagged or declined the payment attempt. It helps to have them look specifically for the failed charge from Big Cartel, rather than just checking your card’s general status.
If the issue persists, try using a different payment method or card that isn’t prepaid.