Global shipping for Merch is here!

Updates
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Hey there,

You asked and we listened — Merch for Membership now supports global shipping to all your patrons ! We know a lot of your patrons are located all over the world and dealing with global shipping costs can be a huge headache. So we took care of that for you with a flat shipping rate that’s already included in the price of every item. And now that shipping rate covers your patrons no matter where they are!

As a reminder, we now support T-shirts, posters, mugs, and stickers, all customizable with your designs. And stay tuned for more merch announcements in the coming weeks — we’ve got more fun stuff planned. Is there something you’d like to see us support in the future? Comment and let us know!

To see if you’re eligible for Merch for Membership, head on over to your creator page editor.

Cheers and happy creating!
George

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That’s very exciting news! I’ve been hesitant to jump on board the Merch for Membership train, but it’s quickly evolving and looking more and more appealing.

Right now there’s one big barrier that is keeping me from diving in, and that’s the lack of a really informative, visual, intuitive way to explain exactly how this system works. I’ve floated the idea before that a widget (perhaps one that can be linked to that is nestled in the “My Benefits” tab) that looks akin to a Kickstarter stretch goal chart would do wonders for letting people see how close they to getting merch they qualify for.

Tying in things like custom badges for lifetime support (think a Twitch Sub Badge) that raise awareness for milestones and the fact that it’s a thing would work wonders. Because my issue is that currently, I can leverage merchandise in a proven, extremely effective way via Special Offers, whereas with Merch for Membership it feels like I have to do a lot of explaining and patrons have to do a lot of reading and comprehending.

I love product fulfillment, global shipping, and the merch currently being offered. It’ll be a game changer if Patreon starts offering enamel pins as one of the items. It’s the hottest piece of merch in the game right now, and I have a hunch that this isn’t news to Patreon.

I don’t want to be overly critical of a system that is clearly getting a lot of resources put into it and is so promising, so I want to make it clear that I have a ton of hope for Merch for Membership. If there are creators who use the system and have really mastered the sell when it comes to pitching it to patrons, I’d love to see it in action.

In my mind, it’s very hard to keep tier descriptions clean and informative to the point that patrons will actually read and comprehend the value proposition, and putting anything about the complicated way that Merch for Membership works in that space actively works against you as a creator. It could just be that I haven’t figured it out, and maybe a fresh set of eyes could totally make it work. It’s just hard to want to make that kind of commitment when Special Offers are free and massively impactful as it stands. Shipping it all myself sucks, but the results are undeniable.

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Thanks for the reply YuuriVoice, those are a lot of great ideas! We want to invest heavily in both the creator and patron experience this year, and I’ve saved your feedback for our archives. We also think enamel pins would be a game changer. :slight_smile:

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My apologies, maybe I’m old. I don’t understand how it works, what should I see on my page?

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Hey, Ingrid!

Not all creators are eligible for Merch yet because our shipping systems can’t support enough orders to offer it to everyone. I checked and you’re not part of the eligible group yet. We don’t have very good support in the product right now for seeing whether you’re eligible or not and I apologize for that. If you want to learn more please DM me! We’re working hard to improve our fulfillment systems this year so we can offer more access!

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My question is about if this merch is sustainably and ethically sourced (both environmentally and for those humans who do the work).

I would love to be able to bring about stickers and whatnot for those who want them, but I don’t think I’ll engage the merch store unless the products are ethical. Shipping too.

Maybe this has been answered already and I just didn’t notice in the announcement, if so, I apologize.

Thank you.

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Hi ArtemisCaine, thanks for the question!

We strive to work with fulfillment partners who carry a commitment to sustainability and fair practices. Here are some selected quotes from the folks who help us get merch out to your patrons:

  • “Each facility has implemented corporate social responsibility initiatives, like LED lighting and recycling programs for paper, plastic, and glass. All ink waste is disposed of to meet environmental regulations. We also donate damaged products to charitable organizations.”

  • “We try to do our best to minimize waste in packaging and source eco-friendly packaging materials. Many of our packaging materials are either recyclable or biodegradable. Bubble wraps are made from a minimum of 15% recycled plastic and 10% post-consumer content. Our kraft tubes are made from 70-100% post-consumer recycled content and 0-30% secondary recycled content.”

  • “[Every employee at our facility] enjoys paid time off, healthcare benefits, and a safe and friendly work environment.”

We know that there’s always more we can do to make progress in this area, and we want to keep these issues top of mind. We’re really excited that we just launched tote bags, our first 100% organic item! You can find out more info here.

Cheers,
George

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Hello and thank you for replying! (Sorry for the late reply, I’m finally digging through my emails and getting rid of the “what we are doing for coronavirus efforts” emails from every company who has ever had my email).

While you guys have started working, I’m not comfortable as yet with using your product lines and I’ll describe why below…

“social responsibility initiatives, like LED lighting and recycling programs for paper, plastic, and glass. All ink waste is disposed of to meet environmental regulations. We also donate damaged products to charitable organizations.”

SRI is simply a term that means that you have an initiative to make one look good to the public. It doesn’t actually require you to meet any standards, as far as I know. LED lighting, recycling and =following environmental regulations= ARE good (and the last one is a legal requirement) but isn’t really above and beyond anything. Donating damaged (but still usable) products to charities is also pretty cool… but once again nothing to brag about.

“We try to do our best to minimize waste in packaging and source eco-friendly packaging materials. Many of our packaging materials are either recyclable or biodegradable.”

What does “try to do our best” mean? This is a filler statement that has absolutely 0 value. Same with the “many” word. The rest of that quote was more specific, but I think that they could do better, still.

“[Every employee at our facility] enjoys paid time off, healthcare benefits, and a safe and friendly work environment.”

Once again this is bragging about basic legal requirements. It’s not something to brag about, at all. Also how do you ensure a “friendly work environment”?

In short, the questions that I posed have not actually been addressed by anything more than filler statements that have not exactly left me thrilled.

When I hear of a more sustainable Patreon perks I may join in, but right now I’m waiting to know that the whole product line is ethical, from the treatment of the “lowest” worker in a field, to the materials they are harvesting all the way up to the corporate responsibility of the CEO(s) and where the business investments are going.

We only have one planet, and more than ever we should be aware that business as usual cannot continue - we need a new way forward.

Thank you.