If you’re considering starting a print-on-demand business or want to change to another supplier for your products, CustomCat may be the answer.
This CustomCat review examines the products, printing process technologies, pricing, features, integrations, and more to help you decide whether to partner with this provider.
What Is CustomCat
CustomCat is a POD company that provides over 200 unique product selections. To get started, you must upload designs and choose the products you want to apply them. Then, connect to your online store and start selling to customers. CustomCat prints and ships the products to your customers for you.
Company
CustomCat Pros
CustomCat Cons
What products can you make with CustomCat? Apparel and accessories including:
- T-shirts
- Hoodies
- Sweatshirts
- Hats
- Jackets
- Polo Shirts
- Button Up
- Tank Tops
- Athletic Apparel
- Pants
- All-Over-Print
- Women’s Apparel
- Babies
- Youth Apparel
- Rugs & Mats
- Pillows
- Drinkware & Mugs
- Blankets
- Ornaments
- Towels
- Wall Art
- Bags
- Footwear
- Misc
CustomCat offers two pricing plans to choose the one that works best for you. The Lite Plan is free, so it’s perfect for beginners.
Pricing
The paid plan, known as the CustomCat plan, costs $30/per month. It has reduced pricing on all the products to help you spend more money. On the Lite plan, a t-shirt costs around $9. The paid plan costs around $7. If you’re a high-volume merchant, this can help your profit margins.
You can try the CustomCat plan with a 30-day free trial period. If you sell at least 15 units every month, then the subscription plan pays for itself. You won’t break even if you don’t sell at least that much.
Terms Of Service
CustomCat’s terms of service provide guidelines for using their print-on-demand services, covering account creation, intellectual property rights, and your responsibilities. These terms help maintain the quality of CustomCat’s services.
Refund Policy
CustomCat prioritizes replacement orders in its production facility to ensure they ship swiftly. However, refunds, returns, or replacements are generally not provided for errors arising from user actions like choosing incorrect sizes, designs, or colors.
Scam Reports
Many users report positive experiences with CustomCat, emphasizing its reliability and trustworthiness as a platform. This general satisfaction points to a well-managed operation and transparency in their services, further bolstered by the relatively low number of complaints observed online.
CustomCat is easy to use and is friendly for new business owners. There’s a mockup generator and design tool to make things easier for you; however, note that their mockup generator is a paid add-on through Placeit.
Unlike some competitors, CustomCat does not offer design services, nor does it provide warehousing or custom packaging.
Features
CustomCat offers personalization features, too. It is great to give your customers the option to personalize their products. Not all POD platforms offer this feature, so if this is a cornerstone of your ecommerce business, this may be one of your deciding factors.
The user interface of CustomCat is simple and functional. Whether you’re new or experienced, the platform is easy to navigate. The intuitive dashboard allows quick uploads of your designs, product selection, and store connections to start selling.
However, CustomCat does not have an integrated store, so you’ll need to set this up separately using one of their ecommerce or marketplace integrations.
Printing Technologies
CustomCat offers a variety of printing technologies. They will choose the best option for the product you’ve selected. They offer:
- Direct-to-Garment (DTG): This inkjet printing method applies ink directly to the fabric. The image becomes permanently embedded in the fibers, and the shirt can withstand laundering without degrading the image.
- Sublimation: When applied to the design, heat transfers from the paper to the final product. It can be used on clothing but is often used on drinkware.
- Digital Printing: This applies a design to paper pixel by pixel. DTG printing is a type of digital printing quality.
The product catalog details show the printing method used for each item. For instance, the dog tags in the jewelry section are printed with dye sublimation.
It’s important to note that while CustomCat offers direct-to-garment, sublimation, and digital printing, they do not provide embroidery or engraving services.
CustomCat’s customer service offers various support options to assist you effectively. You can communicate with them by phone, with the support team available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday. Additionally, an extensive knowledge base helps you with various issues.
Customer Support
Customer service is available via email, and the contact form on the official website typically responds in 1-2 business days. In addition to the knowledge base, there are a variety of resources, including selling guides, seller support, marketing guides, and FAQs, to aid you in navigating their services.
If you’re a seller, CustomCat offers dedicated seller support to help you maximize your business potential. This includes expert advice on product selection, design tips, and integration assistance with your online store.
However, be aware that it’s up to you to provide customer support directly to your customers. They need to know CustomCat is the fulfillment service but not to contact them for support issues. Additionally, CustomCat does not handle returns management; if products are returned to them, they are donated.
Although there isn’t live chat available, CustomCat does offer helpful phone support and a comprehensive help center on its website. If the print quality isn’t up to the mark and it’s found to be CustomCat’s fault, it takes full responsibility and will replace the product free of charge.
Products
CustomCat offers a comprehensive array of products catering to a wide range of niches and industries, with the potential to create and sell custom products that resonate with your target market.
Products
Locations
CustomCat operates from a central location in Detroit, Michigan. This strategically chosen location allows them to serve customers across the United States and worldwide efficiently. The company prides itself on its ability to offer quick turnaround times, which is a direct result of its well-optimized shipping processes facilitated by this central hub. Expedited shipping options also ensure that international customers receive their orders promptly.
Locations
Ecommerce Integrations
CustomCat integrates with many popular ecommerce platforms, including Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Etsy integration. Using another platform, you can use the CustomCat custom API to connect your accounts. Be aware that you may need to hire a developer to help you.
Integrations
Connecting CustomCat to your Shopify store automates the entire order process. Install the CustomCat app from the Shopify App Store on your website. Once a customer places an order on your website, it will go to CustomCat for production and customer’s order fulfillment. You must make immediate payment if you want the order to go directly into the CustomCat printing queue. You can use your PayPal account or a credit card to cover your payment responsibility. The rest is your profit to keep.
If a developer isn’t in your budget, you could also use the CustomCat CSV Upload feature to fulfill your orders. Regardless of where the orders come from, you can bulk upload them into the CustomCat platform for fast fulfillment.
Marketplace Integrations
Beyond the major ecommerce platforms, CustomCat also integrates with Etsy. If you’re using an Etsy store to market your products, then CustomCat makes it easy to fulfill your orders. If you’re using another service like Amazon or eBay, you must use the API integration or CSV Upload option.
CustomCat Alternatives
If you’re not convinced CustomCat is the partner you need, look at these other options. Several print-on-demand platforms might better suit your business needs. Alternatives like Printful, Printify, and Gooten each offer unique features and competitive pricing that could enhance your e-commerce venture.
Company
Printful
Printful is a fantastic alternative to CustomCat, offering a robust print-on-demand service for businesses of all sizes. With no monthly fees (unless you opt for Printful Pro), it’s accessible and intuitive. Printful boasts a broader range of products and smooth integration with platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Etsy, ensuring high-quality products and efficient turnaround times. Plus, it provides helpful resources like product mockups and design tools to create visually appealing items.
Printify
Printify offers over 200 products – much like the ones available from CustomCat. There’s no monthly fee for using it. The products are priced similarly (less expensive than Printful.) There’s a mockup generator to help you see what your products will look like so you can use the images on your website.
Gooten
Gooten is another POD app similar to CustomCat. It offers a broader range of customizable products. One drawback is that you must contact the sales team to sign up. You cannot sign up alone, which is a turnoff for some users. If you want to sell things like woven rugs or glass cutting boards, Gooten offers high-quality products and options.
Leave Your Review
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