Merch FAQs

What does Altacolor charge to give me a webstore to sell my merch?

Nothing. Not a cent. Your success is our success. No monthly fees, no licence costs. Nada.

Can I use my own domain name?

Yes - we can help you set that up. You own your domain name or you can use a sub-domain name like "MyMerchShop.altacolor.com".

What can I sell on my store?

We can customise any product in our main catalog. This includes t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, sweatpants, rally towels, blankets, drinkware, pillows - you name it! Do you have a special requirement? Let us know and as long as we can source the raw materials, we can make it.

What makes Altacolor different from the giant providers?

We're different because we don't limit what you can do with your merch or your site. As long as what you want to market is allowed on the target platform, you can do it.

Can I use another merch provider in additiion to your service?

No for two big reasions. Licensing and logistics issues and because we know from experience that clients using multiple servicers enjoy lower sales and conversions overall due to purchaser confusion. Have multiple providers takes away the 'impulse' from the impulse purchase. Further, the purchasers will be confused as to who to contact if there is a purchasing issue. It's just a bad plan, therefore, we suggest selecting and promoting one provider for best results.

Do you protect my IP (intellectual property)?

Only you have access to your own design, protected by your credentials. We don't share your designs or any information about our association.

Do you own my copyright, then?

No - you are the creator and so, you own the copyright. By using Altacolor to make and distribute your product, you grant Altacolor a limited exclusive licence to reproduce all artwork you approve for manufacture,

Who makes the product?

We do. Unlike some providers, we own our manufacturing capabilities. We've been making decorated products for major brands since 2008 using all commerically available processes and have even developed one or two of our own. For non-domestic orders, we have vetted and tested affiliate providers on 3 continents in seven countries and we're interconnected via the Altacolor software platform. Our quality guarantee applies no matter where your customer lives.

How does Altacolor assure quality product?

We rely on good manufacturing practises including colour controls, ink and raw product quality control. Further, all manufactured product is subject to formal outgoing QC before shipping. Why spend that much time and money on making sure product is made the right way? Two self-serving reasons - we want to keep you happy by keeping your fans happy and it's much cheaper to not have to remake product and reship it.

Where do you ship?

We're located centrally in the U.S., so that shipping times are shorter to most zips. For all other locations, we operate and manage an affiliate network with providers pledged to match or exceed our high standards for quality. Most product is fulfilled from our owned facilities so that we can assure control over and the consistency of the product we make. If you expect to have merch sales outside of North America, talk to us about your expected volume and we'll work to set up that capability for you.

How much do I make from each sale?

That's up to you! The average mark-up for existing creators is around 50%, so if a t-shirt costs $14, you're retailing it at $21 and you net $7. If you're like some creators, you can multiply that by 500 units per month and . . . well, you do the math.

What brands do you use?

We have deep stock from a number of major brands and you can specify your favourites. Scan our catalogue or tell us what you'd like, and we'll make suggestions that have been successful for others in the past.

Do you guarantee that I'll sell merch?

Your creativity and fanbase determines how much merch you can shift. The best advice we can offer is to keep rolling out variations to excite your fans. And regular promotion of your merch will remind and entice your fans.

How often do I get distributions from my store?

We we create a store for you, you'll be able to enter your PayPal information to receive a distribution monthly. This is the only method we use for commisions distributions because it's secure and something you can control and manage.

What if a customer gets the wrong stuff or their order is damaged?

Don't worry - we'll take care of it. Your customers are important and we treat them like we would want to be treated. If there's an issue, the customer will have a dedicated email they can use to make a request and we will respond to arrange a replacement or refund within 24 hours. Your commisions will not be impacted.

How long does it take for an order to get shipped?

For domestic orders shipping in the U.S., we turn all orders in 4 business days. If we miss that window, the shipment is automatically upgraded to Priority service. We carefully manage information relating to successful delivery conformance to discover improvement opportunities and trends. Our international partners are committed to a turn-time of six business days in Canada, Mexico, GB/UK, EU and Australia.

What about Latvia? I run a Latvian cooking channel and I need to ship to Latvia. What's the deal?

Latvia has been a part of the EU since 2004 and that product would ship from Germany. Shipping to Latvia from Germany is usually 7-10 days. Shipping time within Canada to the lower provinces is 1-5 days. To Paris from Germany, 4 days and England to Scotland, 2-4 days.

Are all shipments trackable?

In theory, yes, however, tracking in, let's say, Latvia, not so much. Sweden, Norway, Germany, Poland, France, Switzerland, Austria, Spain are all reliable reporters.

And if the shipment gets lost?

We allow up to 30 days for a package to be delivered. If after that time there's no resolution, we'll remake and reship the product once.

Do you verify addresses?

When your customer enters an order in your store, the address they enter is verified for the U.S. or Canada.

Do I have to sign a contract?

We have Terms & Conditions of Sale, like most businesses, but we don't lock you into a contract. If something's not working for you and we can't fix it, we'll long to work with you to find a solution.

What methods do you use to make my merch?

We apply the method best suited to the product and artwork. We have invested heavily in state-of-the-art capabilities in direct-to-garment, digital transfer film, screen print, sublimation and embroidery. In general, print-on-demand for garments is fulfilled with digital print.

My goat is having a baby and I need to take a month off from my channel. Will you keep the store open?

Yes - we don't delete the creator stores due to inactivity. If something happens and you or someone you assign needs to close up shop, just make contact and we'll work to tie things up.

You're not on the YouTube approved retailers list, so I guess I can't use your services.

You guessed wrong. YouTube's instructions are not the clearest on this topic. If you're on YouTube or Twitch or IG, you can post a link directly to your products in your branded store we provide. If you have a Shopify store that you 100% own and run, you can link directly to products in your branded store. The best method is to link your products to cards in your videos and link to your merch store in the links section of your videos. Remember - the more persistent your promotion of your own merch, the more sales you will make!

Do you provide support for these merch stores?

Yes, absolutely. You can either learn to configure your store through the powerful online interface or we can configure and maintain your store and decorated products for you - at no additional charge.