Guides & answers

Straight answers for organizers.

Real questions from schools, nonprofits, teams, and businesses — answered with our own data from 2,500+ organizations.

Shipping, delivery & returns

Can a bulk custom apparel order ship directly to each team member's address?It can — though the simplest route isn't a bulk order at all. With a free team store, each member picks their size, pays, and gets...Read → Can supporters return or exchange items they bought from our fundraiser store?Because every item is printed to order, returns and exchanges for fit or preference generally aren't offered — that's standard across print-on-demand. Items that arrive damaged,...Read → How far in advance should we order custom shirts for an event?Count back from the day you need shirts in hand, not the event date, and remember the timeline has two parts: production, then shipping. As a...Read →

Gifting & store programs

Can our organization pay for merch orders instead of making members pay at checkout?Yes. Stores default to shoppers paying at checkout, but yours can be configured so orders are billed to your organization instead — with prices shown or...Read → How can our organization give every staff member or volunteer a free item from our merch store?Yes — that's exactly what a free gift store is for. Each person receives an emailed link, picks one item from a selection you curate, and...Read → What's the difference between a gift code and a discount code for an online merch store?A gift code belongs to one person: it works like a gift balance or a voucher for one free item, and it can be limited to...Read →

Money, tax & payouts

Do we have to collect and remit sales tax when our school or team sells spirit wear online?Generally, no. Purchases run through our platform, and any applicable sales tax is calculated at checkout and handled where required — so your school or team...Read → How and when does our organization receive the profits from its online merch store?You keep 100% of your store's profit — the difference between each item's base cost and the price you set. We send profits every quarter or...Read → How should we price products in our school or nonprofit merch store?Start from your goal, not a number. Price at cost if the aim is getting gear on as many people as possible; add a markup if...Read → If we offer a discount code on our merch store, who pays for the discount?Your organization does. A discount comes out of the markup you set on each item, and if a code is worth more than that markup, you're...Read → Our nonprofit is tax-exempt - do supporters still pay sales tax when they buy from our merch store?Usually, yes. A nonprofit's tax exemption covers its own income taxes — it doesn't make purchases from your store tax-free for supporters, because sales tax is...Read →

Getting started

Do we need to buy inventory upfront to sell custom merch for our school or nonprofit?No. Nothing is printed until a supporter orders it, so there's nothing to buy upfront, nothing to store, and no way to sell out. Starting is...Read → How do I set up a school spirit wear store online for free?It really is free — the Starter plan is $0 a month, and your school pays nothing until products sell. You don't build it alone, either:...Read → How long does it take to set up a merch store with Print Your Cause?Setup is quick: submit the store request form, and a real person replies — usually within a business day — then builds the store with you...Read → Should our organization place a one-time bulk t-shirt order or open an online merch store?It comes down to three questions: who pays, who chooses, and who receives. One payer, one design, one hand-out moment — that's a bulk order. Members...Read →

Bulk orders & quotes

How do reorders of custom apparel work - can we just get the same shirts again?Usually, yes — just treat the old order as a starting point rather than a locked contract. Garment styles and colors get discontinued, so availability and...Read → What information do I need to get a quote for a bulk t-shirt or custom merch order?Come with the specifics: product, garment colors, a size breakdown, total quantity, your artwork file, the placement, the date you need everything in hand, and the...Read → What should we do with leftover fundraiser t-shirts?Put them to work: sell them at your next event, thank volunteers and donors, hand them out as prizes or welcome gifts, or donate them locally....Read → Which custom products can be printed on demand, and which need a bulk order?Nearly everything in the standard catalog — apparel, hats, bags, and other merch — prints on demand, one item at a time, with no minimums. Screen...Read →

Artwork & printing

Should our logo be embroidered or printed on our custom apparel?Let the item decide. Embroidery belongs on structured pieces — polos, fleece, hats, bags — at small placements like the left chest, while printing wins on...Read → What is a DST file, and why does embroidery need one?A DST file is the instruction set an embroidery machine follows: where each stitch goes, in what order, and when to change thread. Ordinary logo files...Read → What kind of logo file do I need for custom t-shirts and merch?A vector file — .ai, .eps, or a true vector .pdf — is best, because it stays sharp at any print size. A high-resolution .png with...Read → Why don't the printed colors on our shirts match our logo on screen?Screens make color with light; shirts make it with ink and thread. The brightest screen colors sit outside what ink can physically reproduce, so printing shifts...Read →