Selling and marketing
Ways to Sell Baked Goods Online: 4 Channels and Fees (2026)
Four ways to sell online, the fees each one takes, and how to pick your first channel.
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What to remember
- Your own shop keeps more per order when you pay a flat fee and no commission.
- Marketplaces and delivery apps set their own fees, so ask before you list.
- Social media works when you already have local buyers who know you.
- Check your state cottage food rules before you take the first order.
- Price ingredients, labor, and overhead before you compare channels.
You have more ways to sell baked goods online than a single marketplace, and the right one depends on how far you want to drive and how much you want to pack. This guide compares four channels by fees, control, and setup, then shows a worked example so you can see what you keep. It also flags the rules to check before you list.
Which ways to sell baked goods online fit your kitchen?
Your own shop gives you the most control. You set the photos, the colors, and the web address, and you keep the buyer relationship.
A local marketplace brings buyers who are already shopping, but you follow its rules and its fee. Social media is a good first step if you have a local following. A delivery app adds reach, and it adds another fee to check.
Local buyers can pick up at your porch, a market, or a coffee shop. Shipped boxes need more packing and a delivery window. Pick the channel that matches how you want to hand off the box.
What does each channel cost you?
Your own shop with Brevl is one flat $20 a month with 0% commission. You take card payments through your own Stripe or Square account, so you still pay your processor’s terms. Brevl has a 14 day free trial.
A marketplace or delivery app sets its own fee, and that fee can change. Ask for the current fee in writing before you list. For a fee comparison, see best place to sell baked goods online.
Shipping is a separate cost from your channel fee. If you plan to mail boxes, read shipping rules and fees before you promise a delivery date. Local pickup removes shipping from the price and gives you a simple first option.
Your Stripe or Square account has its own terms. Add that cost to your price before you compare a marketplace fee.
What should your order page show?
Show the box size, the pickup window, and the price. Add a clear photo of the actual box, not a stock photo.
List the ingredients your state requires and any allergen note. Tell the buyer how you will confirm the order and when you will take payment. A short page with clear terms beats a long page with missing details.
Repeat buyers already know your baking. Send them back to your own shop so you can take the order directly and keep the relationship.
Set a pickup window that you can keep. A two hour window on a Saturday is easier to manage than a full day. Put the address and the contact number in the order confirmation.
If you ship, weigh the packed box before you set the price. The box, the tape, and the label are part of the cost. Do not guess the shipping price at the counter.
How do you pick your first channel?
Check your state rules
Confirm that your state allows online sales from a home kitchen and what label you need.
Pick one channel
Choose your own shop, a local marketplace, social media, or a delivery app for your first month.
Price one box
Add ingredients, your labor, and monthly overhead before you compare fees.
Set up payment
Connect your Stripe or Square account and list the other ways you accept money.
Write down the fee, the pickup or shipping cost, and the time you spend per order for each channel. Pick the one with the clearest total. You can test a second channel after one month.
What should you check before you commit?
Rules change by state. In Alabama, the Cooperative Extension System cottage-food certification costs $25 and is valid for three years, according to the NCF Alliance state guide.
Alabama has no annual cottage-food sales cap, the same guide says. Check your own state before you list, because a rule that works in one state may not travel. The guide on selling baked goods online laws walks through the first checks.
Keep the certificate where you can find it. If a market or a buyer asks, you can show it without searching.
Ask what label your state requires and where it must appear. Keep your label text simple and exact. Save the wording you use so every box matches.
What does a real order leave you?
For example, you sell 12 bars for $36. Ingredients cost $6, and you pay yourself $12 for one hour.
If you sell in Alabama, overhead is $20 for Brevl plus $25 for the certification spread over three years, or about $0.69 a month. At 8 batches a month, overhead is about $2.59 per batch. Your total cost is $20.59, so you keep $15.41, a margin of about 43%.
That margin pays you for the hour and leaves money for the next batch. If the margin is thin, raise the price or cut the box size before you cut your pay.
Before you list, find your break even point. If a batch costs $20.59 and sells for $36, one sale covers that batch. Each batch after that adds to your month.
Try the free bake pricing calculator
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Common questions
Can I sell baked goods online from my home kitchen?
Your state decides whether you can sell from a home kitchen. Check your state cottage food page before you list. The guide on what is needed to sell baked goods online covers the first steps, including labels, permits, and payment setup.
Which way has the lowest fees?
Your own shop with a flat monthly fee and 0% commission keeps more per order than a marketplace that takes a cut. Brevl is $20 a month with no commission. You still pay your card processor's fees through Stripe or Square, so check those terms.
Do I need a website to sell online?
No. You can start with social media or a local marketplace. A shop of your own gives you a place to send repeat buyers and lets you keep your customer list. Brevl includes a shop with your own web address and a 14 day free trial.
How do I get paid?
Brevl lets you take card payments through your own Stripe or Square account. You can also accept Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, and cash. Set your payment terms before you take the first order so the buyer knows what to expect.
What is the biggest mistake when selling online?
Counting your labor as free. A batch that looks profitable at the ingredient level can lose money once you pay yourself and cover your monthly costs. Add ingredients, labor, and overhead before you set a price. Then check the margin after all three.
Sources
General information, not legal or tax advice. Check your state cottage food rules and your card processor terms.