How to set up selling on STLShelf

How payment works

Every seller on STLShelf has their own Stripe account. Stripe is the payment company that runs checkout on STLShelf. When someone buys your model, they pay into your Stripe account, and Stripe pays it out to your bank.

• STLShelf takes 0%. No commission, no monthly fee, no listing fee.
• Stripe charges its normal card fee for your country on each sale, and bills it to you directly.
• STLShelf never sees your bank or ID details. Stripe collects and keeps them on its own secure pages.
• You manage refunds and payouts in your own Stripe dashboard at stripe.com.

STLShelf's part is small: when you tap Connect with Stripe, we ask Stripe to open your seller account and link it to your STLShelf listings, so buyers' payments go to you.

What you need before you start

• A free STLShelf account with a confirmed email, switched to a creator account.
• To live in a country where Stripe supports sellers (see the country list below).
• A bank account in your name in that same country.
• A photo ID, in case Stripe asks for one.
• Your tax number if your country uses one for sellers (for example an SSN or EIN in the US, an ABN in Australia).

Pick your country carefully. Stripe sets up your account for the country you choose and can't change it later. Choose the country where you live and where your bank account is.

What Stripe will ask for

The exact questions depend on your country and whether you sell as yourself or as a business. Stripe's form only shows the ones that apply to you.

In the United States

• Your phone number and email (Stripe may text you a code).
• Whether you're selling as an individual or a company.
• Your legal name, date of birth and home address.
• The last 4 digits of your SSN, or your full SSN or company EIN if Stripe needs it.
• The US bank account your sales should go to.

In other countries

• Your legal name, date of birth and home address.
• Your local business or tax number if you have one (for example an ABN in Australia or a VAT number in Europe).
• Sometimes a photo of your ID or a proof of address.
• A bank account in your country. Stripe pays you in your own currency.

Prices on STLShelf are in US dollars. If your bank is in another currency, Stripe converts your earnings when it pays you out and may charge a conversion fee.

Connecting step by step

1. Sign in on stlshelf.com and open Settings → Get paid.
2. Choose the country you live in from the list.
3. Tap Connect with Stripe. Stripe opens its own secure pages.
4. Fill in your details and your bank account, then submit.
5. Stripe sends you back to STLShelf. When the page says "Payouts are on", you're ready to set prices.
6. If it says "Stripe is checking your details", wait a few minutes and refresh. If it says Stripe needs more information, tap Continue with Stripe and finish the missing items.

Three ways to sell a model

You can turn on any mix of these for each listing.

• Sell the files. Buyers pay and download your STL or 3MF. Prices from $1 to $500.
• I print and ship it. You print it and post it to the buyer yourself. You set the price and how many days you need to ship.
• STLShelf prints and ships it. We print, box and ship it, to US addresses only. The buyer pays our print price plus the earnings you set, and we send your earnings to your Stripe account.

STLShelf only ships within the United States. Printed copies of any kind, whoever prints them, can only be sent to US addresses, and buyers outside the US can't order them. If you print and ship yourself from outside the US, set a price that covers postage to the US.

Every printed listing needs a photo of a real print of that model.

Which countries can sell

Where you can sell depends on where Stripe supports sellers, and for "STLShelf prints and ships it", where Stripe lets a US business send you your earnings.

Not available yet

Anywhere not listed above. That includes countries where Stripe is invitation-only (India, Indonesia) and countries Stripe serves only through a partner. If your country isn't listed, you can still create, download and share free models on STLShelf. We'll add countries as Stripe opens them.

Checked against Stripe's supported countries on November 6, 2026. Stripe makes the final decision when you connect.

Your local rules

You're the seller, so registering a business, reporting income and charging tax where required are up to you. STLShelf and Stripe can't do this for you. A few common examples:

• United States: report your sales income on your taxes. Stripe may send you a tax form if your sales pass the reporting limits. Some states also need a seller's permit.
• Australia: if you sell regularly to make a profit, get a free ABN at abr.gov.au. GST registration is needed once your turnover reaches A$75,000 a year. ABLIS (ablis.business.gov.au) lists any other licences for your state or council.
• United Kingdom: tell HMRC once your trading income passes the yearly trading allowance.
• European Union: register a business as your country requires, and check whether VAT applies to your sales.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change, so check with your local tax office or an accountant.

What you're allowed to sell

• Models you designed yourself, including ones you made with STLShelf's free tools.
• Models whose license clearly allows commercial sale of the files or prints.
• Not other people's designs without permission, or brand characters and logos you don't have rights to.

If something isn't working

• My country isn't in the list. Stripe doesn't support sellers there yet. Check back, as Stripe adds countries over time.
• I picked the wrong country. Email [email protected]. Stripe can't change a country, so we'll help you start a new account.
• No Buy button on my listing. Check Settings → Get paid says "Payouts are on", and that printed listings have a real print photo.
• "STLShelf prints and ships it" isn't showing. If you live outside the US, UK, Europe, Canada or Switzerland, set your earnings to $0, or sell the files and ship prints yourself.
• Stripe needs more information. Open Settings → Get paid and tap Continue with Stripe.