Is Selling T-shirts On Redbubble Profitable
Last updated: April 2026 ·affiliate disclosure
Most t-shirt sellers on Redbubble see net profit margins between 3% and 8% per sale after all fees. You won't get rich, but you can generate passive income if you upload designs in volume and drive external traffic. The platform handles production and shipping, so your only real cost is design time and marketing effort.
Redbubble Fees for t-shirts Sellers
Redbubble takes a base markup on every t-shirt sold—typically $4.50 to $6.50 depending on the shirt style and size. On top of that, you set your markup (your profit), but Redbubble also charges payment processing fees (around 2-3% for most payment methods) and any transaction fees from payment processors. If you price a t-shirt at $20 retail, Redbubble's production cost is roughly $5, leaving you with $15 to split between your markup and Redbubble's fees. After payment processing (roughly $0.60), you're left with $14.40—but that's before you factor in any marketing spend.
Profit Margin Benchmarks
A 'good' margin on Redbubble t-shirts is 25-40% of your selling price ($5-$8 profit on a $20 shirt). Most sellers land in the 'average' range of 15-25% margin ($3-$5 on a $20 shirt). 'Poor' margins fall below 15%, which happens when you price too low or when payment fees eat into thin markups. Your actual take-home depends heavily on whether you're relying on Redbubble's internal traffic (usually lower volumes, 0-10 shirts/month) or driving your own customers through social media or other channels (often 50-200+ shirts/month).
Calculate your actual numbers
The margins above are averages. Your real profit depends on your specific price, costs, and volume.
Run Your Redbubble Profit Calculation →Verdict: Is It Worth It?
Selling t-shirts on Redbubble is profitable only if you treat it as a long-term, volume-based side hustle. One or two designs won't make money. You need 50+ designs, external traffic sources, and realistic expectations: expect $200-$500/month at scale, not thousands. If you're willing to invest time upfront with no guaranteed payoff, it's worth trying. If you want quick cash or significant income, look elsewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Redbubble t-shirt royalties?
Redbubble doesn't use a traditional royalty system. Instead, you set a markup on top of Redbubble's production cost (typically $5-$6.50 for a standard t-shirt). Your profit is your markup minus payment processing fees (2-3%). If you add a $5 markup, you keep roughly $4.85 per sale after processor fees.
What profit margins should I expect on Redbubble t-shirts?
Realistic net margins range from 3-8% of your selling price after all Redbubble fees. On a $20 t-shirt with a $5 markup, you'll net around $4.85 after payment processing. This assumes no marketing spend; paid traffic reduces margins further.
How much money can you make selling t-shirts on Redbubble?
Most part-time sellers make $100-$300/month with 20-30 designs and organic traffic. Aggressive sellers with 100+ designs and external traffic drive $500-$2,000/month. Full-time profitability requires treating it like a business: design systems, SEO optimization, and paid ads to build sales volume.
Is Redbubble t-shirt business worth it in 2026?
Yes, if you're patient and willing to upload 50+ designs before expecting meaningful income. No, if you expect passive income without initial effort or want to earn a living wage quickly. It works best as a supplementary income stream alongside other revenue sources.
Tools that improve these margins
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Compare T-shirts across platforms
Sell T-shirts on other platforms — fee and margin breakdowns for the same product type.
| Platform | Calculator | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon FBA | Open calculator → | View full breakdown → |
| Merch by Amazon | Open calculator → | View full breakdown → |
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