Every seller on Etsy has probably thought about it at least once: “How can I become a Star Seller?” This badge stands as a symbol of trust, quality, and hard work. But does it all come down to selling a lot, or is there more to the story? In this article, we’ll delve into our Etsy Star Seller data. We’ll explain what the program means, how to qualify for it, and what to expect from the badge. We’ll also examine Star Sellers across countries, categories, and shop sizes. Join us as we explore the insights behind Etsy’s Star Seller badge!
Table of Contents
What is a Star Seller
The Etsy Star Seller program was introduced by Etsy to recognize and reward sellers who consistently offer a high level of customer service and products. The program aims to highlight sellers who are meeting or exceeding shoppers’ expectations in key areas. These are:
- Message Response Rate: This evaluates the speed at which sellers interact with their customers, ensuring open and timely communication.
- Average Rating: This assesses customer satisfaction, indicating how pleased buyers are with their received products.
- On-time Shipping & Tracking: This checks the punctuality of product deliveries and whether they are traceable, guaranteeing that buyers receive their orders as expected.
Etsy distinguishes these exceptional sellers by rewarding them with a unique Star Seller badge. Displayed prominently on product listings and the seller’s shop page, this badge helps potential buyers quickly spot and prefer shopping from Star Sellers. In essence, when buyers see this badge, they can be confident they’re dealing with a trustworthy and reputable seller.
Requirements for becoming a Star Seller
To get the Etsy Star Seller badge, your shop must meet the following criteria based on the previous three months of your shop’s stats:
- Message response rate:
- You must respond to 95% or more of the initial messages in a thread within 24 hours. You don’t have to respond to every single message in the thread, only to the first one.
- On-time shipping & tracking:
- At least 95% of your orders should be shipped on time, accompanied by tracking details or with a shipping label purchased on Etsy.
- Orders of digital listings are not included in this criteria because they cannot be shipped. However, it’s essential to categorize such listings correctly as “digital” to ensure they are not considered under the shipping stats.
- Ratings average:
- You must maintain an average rating of 4.8 or above for reviews in the 3-month period.
- Sales Volume and Value:
- You must achieve a minimum of 5 orders and generate at least $300 in sales over the 3-month review timeframe.
- Duration on Etsy:
- You should have been active on Etsy for a minimum of 90 days since your first sale.
Etsy conducts reviews of sellers on the first day of every month, examining the preceding three months of shop data to determine eligibility. Sellers’ performance is assessed irrespective of any vacation mode periods. If a seller meets the Star Seller criteria upon returning from vacation during the evaluation period, they qualify for the badge.
Benefits of becoming a Star Seller
Achieving the Star Seller status on Etsy not only signifies your commitment to excellence but also offers a suite of tangible benefits:
- Enhanced click rate in organic search:
- Having the Star Seller badge next to your listing in the search results can lead to a higher click rate. This is mostly due to the increased trust potential buyers place in Star Sellers.
- Increased visibility in search:
- While the Star Seller badge does not inherently boost your Etsy ranking in regular searches, it provides a distinct advantage when buyers specifically filter for items from Star Sellers. If a user chooses to view only Star Sellers, your shop will be displayed in the results.
- Access to live chat support:
- Star Sellers gain the privilege of accessing live chat support directly from their shop dashboard. Given that reaching out to Etsy’s support via phone or email can sometimes be cumbersome, this real-time assistance can prove invaluable.
- Absence of payment reserves:
- Star Sellers are exempt from having payment reserves placed on their accounts. Considering Etsy’s recent practice of imposing payment reserves on numerous accounts, being a Star Seller provides an added layer of financial security. While these reserves are temporary, avoiding them altogether is a welcome advantage for many sellers.
Overall, the Star Seller program not only acknowledges outstanding sellers but also offers perks that can further enhance their selling experience on Etsy.
How many star sellers are there?
The latest data from Koalanda shows that there are currently about 348,000 Star Sellers on Etsy. This figure represents about 5.52% of the total active sellers, who currently number around 6.30 million on the platform.
At first glance, this percentage might seem relatively low. Yet, it’s essential to put this into perspective. A significant portion of active Etsy shops are either dormant with no listings or haven’t recorded any sales at all. When the focus shifts to only those shops that have at least one listing and one sale in the past 30 days, the percentage of Star Sellers leaps to an impressive 23.40%. This means that nearly one in four of the truly active Etsy sellers proudly showcases the Star Sellers badge.
Explore all active shops on Etsy with Koalanda’s free top Etsy shops tool.
Star Sellers by country
The percentage of shops earning the Star Seller badge varies significantly across countries. Among countries with over 1,000 shops, Chile has the lowest proportion at 1.00%, while Ukraine stands out with a notable high of nearly 18.00%.
| Country | Total shops | Total Star Sellers | Star Sellers % |
| Ukraine | 24,590 | 4,407 | 17.92% |
| Moldova | 1,059 | 146 | 13.83% |
| Bulgaria | 12,120 | 1,307 | 10.79% |
| China | 7,960 | 820 | 10.30% |
| Lithuania | 12,696 | 1,266 | 9.97% |
| Poland | 31,859 | 2,998 | 9.41% |
| Latvia | 13,171 | 1,228 | 9.32% |
| Serbia | 2,208 | 202 | 9.14% |
| Vietnam | 9,498 | 863 | 9.09% |
| Israel | 14,426 | 1,202 | 8.33% |
It appears that countries with the highest number of Etsy sellers aren’t as proficient in securing the badge.
| Country | Total shops | Total Star Sellers | Star Sellers % |
| United States | 3,694,123 | 220,772 | 5.98% |
| United Kingdom | 798,728 | 38,881 | 4.87% |
| Canada | 289,260 | 9,129 | 3.16% |
| Australia | 199,208 | 7,150 | 3.59% |
| Germany | 181,670 | 13,217 | 7.28% |
| France | 143,600 | 7,360 | 5.13% |
| Turkey | 84,200 | 5,902 | 7.01% |
| India | 65,754 | 2,665 | 4.05% |
| Italy | 60,606 | 2,600 | 4.29% |
| Spain | 56,003 | 2,000 | 3.57% |
Star Sellers by category
The results also differ across categories, but not as much.
| Category | Star Sellers % |
| Craft Supplies & Tools | 10.11% |
| Pet Supplies | 6.95% |
| Home & Living | 6.86% |
| Weddings | 6.75% |
| Toys & Games | 6.26% |
| Accessories | 5.91% |
| Jewelry | 5.77% |
| Electronics & Accessories | 5.65% |
| Paper & Party Supplies | 5.55% |
| Bags & Purses | 4.66% |
| Clothing | 4.55% |
| Books_ Movies & Music | 4.51% |
| Art & Collectibles | 3.41% |
| Bath & Beauty | 3.35% |
| Shoes | 3.16% |
Star Sellers by shop size
The data indicates a significant correlation between the total number of shop listings and the likelihood of attaining Star Seller status.
| Number of listings | Star Sellers % |
| More than 1000 listings | 43.08 |
| Between 100 and 1000 listings | 32.36 |
| Between 10 and 100 listings | 10.53 |
| Between 0 and 10 listings | 1.04 |
Star Sellers by sales
There’s a similarly robust correlation between the total number of shop sales and the likelihood of achieving Star Seller status.
| Total number of shop sales | Star Sellers % |
| More than 100000 | 62.80% |
| Between 10000 and 100000 sales | 43.01% |
| Between 1000 and 10000 sales | 30.84% |
| Between 100 and 1000 sales | 16.15% |
| Between 10 and 100 sales | 3.26% |
| Between 0 and 10 sales | 0.03% |
Does the Star Seller badge increase sales?
Looking at the data, there’s a noticeable connection between high sales volumes and possession of the Star Seller badge. Nevertheless, it’s crucial to differentiate between correlation and causation. The question arises: Does having many sales lead to acquiring the Star Seller badge, or does obtaining the badge lead to increased sales?
Our analysis suggests that the Star Seller badge, in isolation, doesn’t lead to a substantial increase of Etsy sales. While there might be a slight uptick in sales due to the badge, it’s not the primary driving factor.
Conclusion
While it is true that the Star Seller badge doesn’t necessarily bring more sales, the extra benefits of the program certainly make it worthwhile. Instead of solely pursuing the badge, you should prioritize enhancing your product quality and customer service. By maintaining high standards in these areas, the Star Seller badge will come as a natural recognition of excellence.
