Frequently asked questions

PODProfit takes your selling price, supplier base cost (Printful / Printify), shipping, marketplace and payment fees, optional ad spend, and currency, then returns your estimated net profit per order and per SKU. SKU = Stock Keeping Unit, the unique ID for each product variant (size + color). We surface margin %, breakeven units, and the minimum price needed to hit a target margin. You can compare multiple variants side by side, so you instantly see which mug, tee, or poster combination is paying you and which one is losing money once fees and ad costs are added back.

On the marketplace side we model Etsy and Shopify fee structures (transaction, payment processing, listing, offsite ads, plan tiers). On the supplier side we cover Printful and Printify base costs and shipping zones. The calculator runs in USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, and JPY, with regularly refreshed FX rates so you can price in your home currency while selling in your customer's. Amazon Merch, Redbubble, Gelato, and SPOD are on our roadmap based on demand. If you need a marketplace or supplier we don't yet cover, email hello@getpodprofit.com — coverage is one of our most-requested roadmap items and we prioritize by demand.

The calculator is as accurate as the inputs you give it. Marketplace fees, payment processor rates, and supplier base costs are manually verified at launch and re-checked monthly (automated change detection rolls out post-launch). There are scenarios we cannot see from the outside: store-specific Etsy Plus or Shopify plan discounts, Printful / Printify membership discounts, regional VAT or sales tax, customs duties, and promotional fee waivers. We do not compute VAT, sales tax, or customs liability — these vary by jurisdiction and seller status, and you should always confirm them with a qualified tax professional. Treat the output as a tight estimate, not a bookkeeping figure.

Fee tables are manually verified at launch (2026-06-09) and re-checked monthly against published Etsy / Shopify / Printful / Printify rate cards. Confidence is highest for base fees and supplier costs (deterministic, public), medium for FX (refreshed regularly but not tick-by-tick), and lower for advertising costs (you supply the input). The underlying calculation math is fully deterministic — no AI in the calculation path. If you spot a wrong number, please report it (see Q12) and we will confirm and patch on a best-effort basis within 1 business day (JST, Mon–Fri).

Yes — the free tier has two separate daily limits depending on how you use the calculator:

• Web calculator: 50 calculations/day per browser (counted per browser session; clearing storage resets the count).
• Public API (POST /api/v1/calculate): 100 requests/day per IP (no API key required).

These two limits are independent: web UI usage does not consume API quota, and vice versa. Sign up for higher limits — Pro ($9/month) and Lifetime ($149) accounts have no daily limit on either path. If you hit the free limit and need more headroom for a one-off batch (e.g. importing 200 SKUs), email hello@getpodprofit.com and we'll usually grant a temporary increase.

Lifetime is a one-time payment of $149 USD (processed by Stripe, our payment processor for the core product) that unlocks every current Pro feature with no recurring billing. It is capped at 100 seats — once those are sold, the offer closes permanently and only the monthly Pro plan ($9/month, also via Stripe) remains. Lifetime includes saved presets, batch SKU comparison, CSV export, multi-currency, priority email support, and every future Pro Tool we ship for the lifetime of this product. The Excel Template (releasing 2026-07-23) and the Quarterly Benchmark Report PDF (releasing 2026-08-20) are included at no extra cost.

"Forever" means the lifetime of the PODProfit product as currently branded. It covers any new tool, template, report, or feature we add to the PODProfit Pro tier. Confirmed examples: Excel Profit Template (7/23) and Quarterly POD Benchmark Report PDF (8/20). It does not cover: (a) entirely separate products we may launch under different brand names (e.g. Phase 2 products such as AIOAxis are outside this license), (b) third-party paid integrations that carry their own license, and (c) services subject to a sunset notice (we commit to a minimum 30-day notice and the MIT-licensed source remains available for self-hosting). Subject to our Terms of Service.

Two reasons: rewarding earliest believers with a small, capped cohort, and protecting the unit economics of the recurring Pro plan that funds ongoing development. Once 100 seats are sold, Lifetime closes permanently and only Pro at $9/month remains. Live seat availability is shown in real time on the pricing page at getpodprofit.com/lifetime — the counter decrements on each successful Stripe purchase and the checkout closes automatically at seat 100. If the page shows seats remaining, the offer is open; if it shows "closed", Lifetime is fully sold.

No — the founding cohort is closed. 8 founding seats were allocated at $0 to specific testers who participated in the pre-launch build phase (April–May 2026). All 8 are reserved and accounted for; we are not accepting new founding-cohort applications. The equivalent forever-included path is now Lifetime at $149, with 92 publicly available seats at launch (100 total minus 8 founding). If you want to be considered for future closed beta cohorts on Phase 2 products, email hello@getpodprofit.com and we will keep your address on file (no commitment).

The Excel Profit Template is a structured workbook that mirrors the PODProfit calculator's logic offline: per-SKU profit sheets, batch comparison tabs, breakeven and target-margin calculators, pre-built drop-downs for supported marketplaces and suppliers. It is for sellers who want a permanent, editable record of pricing decisions outside the web app. Release: 2026-07-23. Standalone price: $19 USD, processed by Lemon Squeezy (our merchant of record for downloadable digital goods, who also handles VAT/sales tax). Lifetime license holders receive it free, automatically — a download link arrives by email on release day.

The template is built and tested in Microsoft Excel (2019 and later, plus Excel for Microsoft 365). It uses standard formulas and avoids macros, so it imports cleanly into Google Sheets in most cases — some conditional formatting and drop-downs may render slightly differently, but calculations are preserved. Apple Numbers compatibility is best-effort only: most formulas work, but layout fidelity is not guaranteed. If your team is fully on Sheets, email hello@getpodprofit.com — a Google Sheets-native version is on the table if there's enough demand from Lifetime and Pro users.

The Benchmark Report is a quarterly PDF aggregating anonymized pricing, margin, and category trends across the POD market — drawn from public marketplace data, supplier rate cards, and (with explicit consent) opted-in user inputs. Each issue covers top categories (apparel, mugs, posters, accessories), median selling prices and margins by marketplace, supplier cost movement, and ad-cost benchmarks. First issue: 2026-08-20. Standalone price: $29 USD via Lemon Squeezy per issue. Lifetime holders receive every future issue free. To report a wrong number in the report or fee tables: (a) hello@getpodprofit.com for fastest response, or (b) GitHub Issues for public tracking — best effort to confirm and patch within 1 business day (JST, Mon–Fri).

The report is built primarily from public marketplace listings, published supplier rate cards, and aggregated industry data. We do not use your individual calculator inputs in the report by default — calculator inputs are not stored (see Q18). If you opt in via a separate consent form, we may include your figures in fully anonymized, aggregated form (e.g. "median margin across opted-in mug sellers"), never tied to your account, store, or email. Opt-in is genuinely optional and can be withdrawn anytime by emailing hello@getpodprofit.com. We will never publish data that could identify an individual seller or store.

PODProfit is a digital product delivered instantly, so as a general rule all sales are final. We make narrow exceptions in clearly unintended situations, structured to match our Terms of Service §7:

• Lifetime refunds ($149): refundable within 7 days of purchase AND with 0 calculator launches from the account (verified by server-side access logs). Both conditions must hold; if either fails, Lifetime is non-refundable. (See Terms §7.1.)
• Duplicate charges: always refundable, separate from the Lifetime policy above. We refund duplicate charges automatically within 1 business day of detection, regardless of usage.
• Pro Monthly ($9/month): cancelling stops future billing; we do not pro-rate the current period unless the cancellation is the result of a billing error on our side. (See Terms §7.2.)
• Excel Template ($19) / Benchmark Report ($29) — sold via Lemon Squeezy: digital downloads are generally non-refundable once the download link is delivered, with narrow exceptions for duplicate charges, zero-download cases, and material defects. (See Terms §7.3.)

Refund requests must be sent to hello@getpodprofit.com within the applicable window with your order ID. We review each request individually with the relevant logs and respond typically within 3 business days, and no later than 7 business days. Approved refunds are processed back to the original payment method (Stripe for Lifetime/Pro; Lemon Squeezy for Excel/Report).

EU/UK customers: under the EU Consumer Rights Directive (and equivalent UK regulations), you normally have a 14-day right of withdrawal for digital purchases. By completing checkout and accessing the product immediately, you expressly agree to waive this right — Stripe (for Lifetime/Pro) and Lemon Squeezy (for Excel/Report) collect this consent on our behalf at checkout. The narrow refund exceptions above still apply. Full policy: /legal/refunds.

Two payment processors are involved depending on the product:

• Lifetime ($149) and Pro ($9/month) are processed by Stripe. Your card statement will show a charge from Stripe / PODProfit. Stripe accepts major credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other regional methods.
• Excel Template ($19) and Quarterly Report PDF ($29) are processed by Lemon Squeezy, our merchant of record for downloadable digital goods. Lemon Squeezy handles VAT, sales tax, and invoicing on our behalf for these items, and your statement will show a charge from Lemon Squeezy.

You can manage Pro subscription, update payment method, download invoices, and cancel at any time via the customer portal links in your purchase confirmation emails. Lifetime is a one-time charge with no recurring billing.

All prices are listed in USD. Stripe and Lemon Squeezy will charge your card in USD, and your issuing bank will convert to your local currency at its prevailing FX rate. Foreign-currency conversion fees and cross-border transaction fees are charged by your bank, not by us — typical ranges are 1–3% depending on your card issuer. If you have a USD-denominated card or a no-FX-fee card, you can avoid these. We are unable to refund bank-side FX or cross-border fees.

First, check your spam and promotions folder for an email from Stripe, Lemon Squeezy, or hello@getpodprofit.com — delivery is usually within minutes but can take up to an hour during release-day spikes. If it still hasn't arrived, email hello@getpodprofit.com with the email you used at checkout and the order ID (in your card statement and Stripe / Lemon Squeezy receipt). We will verify the order and resend your license key or download link, typically within 1 business day. Please do not file a chargeback before contacting us — almost every "missing email" case is resolved within hours.

No personal pricing data is persisted. The web calculator runs entirely in your browser; calculations never leave your device unless you save a share link. The public API at /api/v1/calculate processes inputs server-side (Edge runtime) but does not store them — inputs exist only for the duration of the calculation and are not written to any database tied to your account. Standard server access logs (timestamp, IP, request path) are retained for 14 days for security and rate-limit purposes per our Privacy Policy, and contain no calculator input values. Saved presets and share links (Pro and Lifetime) are the one exception: those are stored deliberately because you asked us to save them, and you can delete them anytime from your account settings. We designed it this way because your pricing data is competitively sensitive: the less of it we hold, the less risk to you.

Yes. We follow GDPR principles for all users regardless of region: data minimization, purpose limitation, the right to access, and the right to be forgotten. To request a copy of your account data or full deletion, email hello@getpodprofit.com from the address tied to your account with the subject line "GDPR Data Request" or "Deletion Request". We confirm receipt within 3 business days and complete the request within 30 days (extendable by up to 2 additional months for complex requests, as permitted under GDPR Article 12, with notice to you). Lifetime license deletion is irreversible — once removed we cannot restore your seat, and the seat does not reissue toward the 100-seat cap.

California residents have additional rights under the CCPA/CPRA (right to know, right to delete, right to opt out of sale of personal information — note: we do not sell personal information). Use the same email above with subject line "CCPA Request".

We disclose AI use in two places — inside the product, and in customer support — and the rollout timing differs:

• Inside the calculator: the underlying math is fully deterministic, with no AI in the calculation path. AI is used only to summarize results and suggest pricing improvements as advisory text. AI-generated suggestions are advisory only and should not be treated as professional pricing advice. You remain solely responsible for your pricing decisions.
• In customer support: AI-assisted CS will be available from approximately 2026-06-23, pending evaluation of demand and quality criteria post-launch. Until then, all support is responded to manually by Satsuki (the founder). Once enabled, AI assists with drafting replies and a real person reads, edits, and approves every message before sending — we will not run a fully automated support bot.
• Your message contents are processed only to answer you and are not used to train external AI models.

Both documents are linked in the footer of getpodprofit.com and available at fixed URLs:

• Privacy Policy: /legal/privacy
• Terms of Service: /legal/terms

Current version: v0.1, published 2026-06-09 alongside launch, covering: (1) AI use in product features and support (with the staged rollout described in Q20), (2) Stripe as processor for Lifetime/Pro and Lemon Squeezy as merchant of record for Excel/Report, and (3) GDPR/CCPA-aligned language. A substantive update is planned before the Excel Template launch on 2026-07-23 to expand AI usage details and EU/UK-specific language. Existing users will be notified by email of any material changes with a clear summary of what changed and when it takes effect. For specific privacy or terms questions, email hello@getpodprofit.com.

Languages: at launch, the UI is English only. Japanese localization is under consideration for v1.3 or later based on demand from Lifetime and Pro users — email hello@getpodprofit.com if you need it. Other languages will follow user demand. Mobile: the calculator is a responsive web app and works in modern mobile browsers (iOS Safari, Android Chrome) for one-handed quick calculations. The full batch-comparison and CSV export experience is optimized for desktop / tablet width, and the Excel Template is desktop only by nature. There is no native iOS or Android app planned for Phase 1.

Two channels: (a) email hello@getpodprofit.com for the fastest response (target first reply: under 1 business day, JST), or (b) GitHub Issuesat our public repository for issues you'd like tracked transparently. For wrong fee numbers, attach a screenshot or link to the source rate-card page. Bug reports are triaged by severity (data correctness > calculation correctness > UX > cosmetic). Feature requests are welcome but prioritized by demand across Lifetime and Pro users. We commit to acknowledging every report; we cannot commit to implementing every request.

Yes — the calculator source is MIT-licensed and available on GitHub. You can deploy your own instance on Vercel, your own infrastructure, or any Node.js host. The hosted service at getpodprofit.com is the canonical source for fee tables (manually verified and refreshed monthly) — self-hosters maintain their own fee data. We do not provide support for self-hosted instances; community contributions are welcome via pull request. Lifetime and Pro features (saved presets, priority support, included templates and reports) apply only to the hosted service.

No. Etsy, Shopify, Printful, Printify, Stripe, and Lemon Squeezy are trademarks of their respective owners. PODProfit is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any of these companies. We model their publicly published fee structures and rate cards under nominative fair use, solely to identify the platforms our calculator supports and the payment processors we use. If you have an issue with one of these companies' services, please contact them directly — we cannot intervene on their behalf.

The information in this FAQ and in the calculator is general information only. We are not a tax advisor, accountant, attorney, or licensed financial advisor in any jurisdiction. We cannot answer questions about your specific tax obligations, business structure (sole proprietor / LLC / corporation), VAT / sales tax registration thresholds, customs liability, income recognition, deductions, or international tax treaties. Please consult a qualified specialist licensed in your jurisdiction (CPA, tax attorney, customs broker, or equivalent) for any decision that affects your tax filings, regulatory compliance, or legal standing.