Terms and conditions for a print-on-demand seller

A print-on-demand seller sells goods it never sees, made and shipped by a supplier it cannot control, to a consumer who has never heard of the supplier. The terms have to say plainly that the seller is the trader responsible to the customer, describe production and shipping accurately, deal with sizing and print variation, handle designs the customer uploads, and run returns on items that were made for one order. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Print-on-demand sellers, designers and brands in England and Wales selling clothing, homeware, prints and gifts through their own website with production and fulfilment by a third-party print partner, and through marketplaces under the marketplace's rules.

What matters in print-on-demand terms

You are the trader, whoever prints it

The terms should say that the seller is the business the customer contracts with, that products are manufactured and despatched by a production partner on the seller's behalf, and that the customer's rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 are against the seller. A seller who tells a customer to take a fault up with the printer has misunderstood its own business.

Production times, shipping and delivery

Products are made to order and despatched from the partner's facility, sometimes abroad, and the terms should state production times and shipping estimates separately, say that delivery times are estimates, that goods are at the seller's risk until received, and that duties on international deliveries are the customer's where the terms said so before the order. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 requires the headline price to include all mandatory charges.

Sizing, print placement and variation

Apparel is described by the partner's size charts and must carry a fibre composition label under the Textile Products (Labelling and Fibre Composition) Regulations 2012, and the terms should say that garments matching the chart are not faulty for not fitting, that print placement and colour may vary slightly between items and from screen mockups, and that variation within a stated tolerance is a characteristic of the process. A mockup is an illustration; the description and size chart are the description.

Designs, uploads and rights

Where the seller's own designs are printed, the seller owns them under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and the customer buys the product, not the design. Where the customer uploads a design or text, the terms should say that the customer warrants it is theirs to use and does not infringe anyone's rights or break the partner's content rules, that the seller may refuse designs, and that personalised items are excluded from the cancellation right by regulation 28 of the 2013 Regulations once production starts.

Returns, quality issues and data

Standard items can be cancelled within fourteen days of delivery under regulation 30 of the 2013 Regulations and returned, and the terms should say how, who pays postage and that items must be unworn; personalised items are excluded. Faulty or misprinted items are replaced or refunded under the consumer's rights on report with photographs, and the seller claims from the partner separately. Card payments carry no surcharge, and the privacy notice covers the customer data passed to the partner for fulfilment as a processor under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted for your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want them checked and brought up to date. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Email me at geoffrey@caesar.co.uk with what you need and any documents, and I will confirm the scope and the fee in writing, usually the same working day. If you would rather pay straight away, buying online forms the engagement on payment: the scope is what the terms and conditions drafting page describes, you accept the Terms of Service at checkout, and I will be in touch promptly to get started.

What you get

• A full set of bespoke terms drafted for your business, reflecting the legal requirements that apply to your business and sector
• A note in plain English explaining the terms I have drafted for you
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions that protect your position and are drafted to withstand scrutiny from the other side
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly
• Your questions and comments answered by email or phone
• One round of amendments to finalise the terms ready for use

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers (I am happy to quote for this as an additional service if required)
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country
• Tax advice

Questions I am often asked

A customer received a misprinted mug. Do we have to deal with it, or the printer?

You do. You are the trader, and the consumer's remedy is against you: replace or refund on the evidence. Claim from the printer under your agreement with them.

A customer uploaded a cartoon character for a t-shirt. Can we print it?

The terms should let you refuse designs that infringe others' rights or break the partner's rules, and make the customer responsible for the rights in what they upload. A known character is not the customer's to use, and printing it is the seller's risk as much as the customer's.

A customer wants to return a hoodie because the print colour is slightly different from the mockup. Must we?

They can cancel within fourteen days and return it unworn at their cost if the terms said so. It is not a fault if the variation is within the tolerance the terms describe.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495
• Terms and conditions for a dropshipping business
• Terms and conditions for a business selling made-to-order or personalised goods

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.