GearLaunch Review: Start Selling Print On Demand Products for Free (2022)

A lot of people want to get into the eCommerce business. Why not? While other industries are having a hard time thriving due to the pandemic, this sector has been seeing tremendous growth amid the changing consumer needs.

If you’re thinking about joining the bandwagon, selling print on demand (POD) products is a good starting point. There are literally dozens of platforms offering POD fulfillment services, so you won’t run out of options. A POD service provider will produce the product only when a customer orders it, which means you don’t need to keep an inventory. They will also take care of the packaging and shipping to the end customer.

In this post, we take a look at GearLaunch to help you get started with your selection process of the best POD to work with.

Table of Contents

What is GearLaunch?

GearLaunch is a print on demand fulfillment provider headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was founded in 2014, offering helpful tools and resources for online retailers. It manages the production, shipping, and customer service for your business.

How to Start Selling POD Products With GearLaunch

Getting started with GearLaunch is easy and straightforward. You only need to register an account for free and set up your online store.

GearLaunch doesn’t have a dedicated marketplace like RedBubble or TeeSpring does. To start selling POD products with GearLaunch, you have two options: use the GearLaunch platform for your storefront or integrate it with your Shopify store.

Using the GearLaunch Platform

1. If you choose to use the GearLaunch Platform, go here and login using your Google account.
2. It will lead you to the seller information form that you need to fill out and submit.
3. Add your domain registrar and domain at the bottom of the page. Click submit and wait for the approval within 24 hours.
4. When your store has been approved, log in to your GearLaunch account and go to the DNS settings page.
5. Check DNS records.
6. Go to your domain registrar account and update your DNS with the details from your GearLaunch dashboard.
7. Set up your email forwarding settings.
8. Go back to GearLaunch and verify DNS records.
9. Create your storefront.
10. Add your designs to your storefront and launch your campaigns.
11. When an order comes in, GearLaunch will take care of its production and shipping.

Using the Shopify App

1. Log in to your Shopify account and add the GearLaunch app from the app store. You can choose between Lite (free) or Premium ($4.99/month).
2. Install the app and create your GearLaunch account.
3. Upload your designs on the GearLaunch app.
4. Sync your products to your Shopify store.
5. When an order comes in, GearLaunch will take care of its production and shipping.

What Kind of Products Can You Sell With GearLaunch?

GearLaunch has a wide range of products you can sell in your store, and its catalog is constantly expanding. You can pick from the following categories:

• Apparel
• Bathroom essentials
• Bedroom essentials
• Drinkware
• Jewelry
• Kitchen and Dining
• Lawn signs
• Phone cases
• Puzzles
• Tote bags
• Tapestries
• Journals
• Wall arts

How to Design Products With GearLaunch

You must use your own design for the products you want to sell using the GearLaunch platform or app. GearLaunch has a built-in mockup generator that allows you to create your design from scratch. You can also use other design software and upload the image on your GearLaunch dashboard.

When creating your design, you have to make sure that it is original and doesn’t violate any trademark or copyright. You don’t want to be involved in a GearLaunch lawsuit. GearLaunch has been sued several times over copyright and trademark violations coming from its merchant partners, which is why it has placed strict guidelines on these.

If you’ve violated copyright and trademark rules, GearLaunch will automatically lock your campaign and investigate. Your designs will be taken down, so make sure that you only use original designs.

How Does the Order Fulfillment Process Work?

When a customer orders a product from your store, it is automatically forwarded to GearLaunch for fulfillment. It has several production partners all over the United States and Europe, which allows it to serve the international market.

GearLaunch supports various payment methods, which is good, so you can cater to a range of customer preferences. It accepts payments through major credit card providers, such as Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. It also accepts PayPal payments.

You can monitor the order fulfillment progress on your GearLaunch dashboard. Local orders can be fulfilled within 3 to 5 days, while it may take up to 21 days for international orders. These fulfillment times are comparable to other POD service providers.

GearLaunch has tracking information for every order on your store. It also creates tracking numbers for the products when they’re shipped based on the carrier.

What we like about GearLaunch’s fulfillment process is how it keeps you updated with the progress. Once your customer has purchased a product, they will receive the tracking information straight to their email. When the product is shipped, they will also receive shipping updates on their emails.

When the order has been fulfilled, you can initiate a payout for any profits generated on your GearLaunch dashboard. Payouts are made through PayPal, Payoneer, Pingpong, or bank wire transfer.

GearLaunch Shipping and Delivery

Customers’ orders will be ready for shipping within 3 to 5 days. Customers may receive their package within 5 to 10 business days, depending on the local postal service. The final delivery is usually carried by USPS, although GearLaunch works with multiple shipping carriers.

International deliveries, including Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico, can take 2 to 4 weeks. The final delivery is typically handled by the local postal service.

Shipping costs vary per product depending on the size, weight, and number of orders. Rates start at $3.45 per item, with surcharges for every additional item. You can check the latest rates here.

If you’re using the GearLaunch platform, it has a new shipping warranty that protects customers. GearLaunch guarantees that the order is in good condition at delivery, but if the customer is unsatisfied with it upon receipt, they can report the problem to GearLaunch. GearLaunch will then investigate the case and determine if the customer is qualified for a refund or product replacement.

Running Campaigns and Tracking Sales

Selling print on demand products through GearLaunch doesn’t end with uploading the designs to your store. You need some extra hard work to promote your store and market your products. That’s another thing we like about GearLaunch—it has features to help create and run campaigns, and track your sales.

Create a name for your campaign, choose the products you want to feature, and select where you want your campaign to appear. You can add it to your storefront and improve your store branding so that it will appear in search engines. Feature your social media handles as well.

Are your campaigns working? GearLaunch also allows you to view campaign statistics. These include the traffic it generated toward your store, the marketing variables, and how much profit you’ve earned through the campaign.

What Is GearLaunch Pricing Like?

It’s free to use the GearLaunch platform, which is good if you’re a newbie in this field and you have a limited budget. You only have to worry about marketing campaigns.

For Shopify, GearLaunch also has a free version. If you want more features, you can use its premium option that costs $4.99 per month.

When it comes to product prices, GearLaunch will only charge you for the base costs of production. You can set the prices you want to appear on your store, depending on how much margin you want.

There are hundreds of products on GearLaunch. Here are some examples and their base costs:

• Unisex Short Sleeve Classic Tee - $8.95
• Unisex Basic Premium Crewneck Tee - $16.95
• Kid’s Classic Tee - $11.85
• 11 oz Ceramic Mug - $5.90
• 15 oz Travel Tumbler - $13.50
• Circle Luxury Necklace (Gold) - $15.97
• Circle Luxury Necklace (Stainless) - $9.97
• Door Mat – Large - $29.95
• Table Runner Poly Twill 16x72 - $16.95
• iPhone Flexi Case - $7
• Samsung Flexi Case - $7
• 13x13 Basketweave Tote Bag - $13.65
• Wrapped Canvas 10x10 - $12.55

Does GearLaunch Provide Customer Service?

Yes, GearLaunch provides customer service, which is one of the things that set it apart from other POD service providers. Most POD companies don’t handle the end customer support, but GearLaunch manages this for you.

GearLaunch customer agents are available from Monday to Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST. You can reach them via phone or email (hello@gearlaunch.com). Its average response time is 4 hours or less.

Sellers can also reach the support team via email: support@gearlaunch.com for the platform users and merchant-support@gearlaunch.com for Shopify users.

What is GearLaunch’s Refund Policy?

Order mistakes do happen, and when GearLaunch determines that a customer’s dissatisfaction with its products is valid, the customer can contact the support team for a refund, return, or replacement. The request must be sent within 20 days from the date of the purchase.

GearLaunch will take responsibility if:

• The product is flawed
• The printing quality is poor
• The product sent is different from what they ordered

If the claim is valid based on these criteria, GearLaunch will issue a refund or send a replacement. Refunds are processed immediately but may take 5 to 10 business days before they appear on the customers’ accounts.

GearLaunch may also request for the product to be returned to them, unused and in perfect condition before they process the refund and replacement. Otherwise, there will be no refund or replacement, and the product is forfeited.

What GearLaunch Alternatives Are There?

As mentioned, there are dozens of POD companies out there similar to GearLaunch. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular ones and how GearLaunch compares to them.

GearLaunch vs Printful

Printful is a top print on demand company, and people tend to go for popular names. How does GearLaunch compare to it?

• It’s free to use both services, but unlike GearLaunch, Printful doesn’t have a premium version.
• Both use sublimation printing and direct-to-garment (DTG) printing methods.
• GearLaunch can only be integrated with Shopify, but you can use Printful on 22 different eCommerce platforms.
• Both have various fulfillment centers across the world.
• Printful offers warehousing services; GearLaunch doesn’t have this option.
• GearLaunch’s product prices are mostly cheaper than Printful’s.
• Both have built-in design tools.
• Printful doesn’t provide end customer support.
• Printful has an average rating of 4.3 stars on Shopify, while GearLaunch only has 2.2.

We have a comprehensive review of Printful here if you want to dig deeper.

GearLaunch vs Printify

If you’ve heard about Printful, you probably know about Printify, too. They’re the most popular POD companies in the industry today. How does GearLaunch compare with Printify?

• Printify also offers premium options for added features.
• Both work with a network of printing partners in various locations.
• Prinfity offers services to other continents aside from the US and the EU, such as China and Australia.
• GearLaunch has more products in its catalog than Printify.
• Both have an easy-to-use mockup generator.
• Printify doesn’t offer end customer support.
• Printify doesn’t support product replacement, return, or refund unless the product is defective in the first place.
• Printify has an average rating of 4.2 stars on Shopify.

Here’s our review of Printify if you want to know more.

GearLaunch vs Redbubble

Redbubble is one of the best platforms for beginners and creatives. Here’s how GearLaunch compares to it:

• Both are free to use; no monthly subscription. Redbubble doesn’t have a paid version, unlike GearLaunch.
• Redbubble has a dedicated marketplace. You sell products on its platform, but you can’t integrate them with other eCommerce platforms.
• Their product prices are quite similar.
• Redbubble has a faster fulfillment time at 1 to 3 days compared to GearLaunch’s 3 to 5 days.
• Both provide customer service support for sellers and buyers.
• Redbubble doesn’t require you to use a registered domain to start selling on its platform.

Check out our detailed Redbubble review for more information.

GearLaunch FAQs

Is GearLaunch Legit?

Yes, GearLaunch is legit in the sense that it has existing users and delivers orders. However, it has a credibility issue based on customer reviews, mainly because they fail to receive their orders or they didn’t receive a refund. It’s also not accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and information about its founder is hidden, casting even more doubts about its reliability.

What printing methods does GearLaunch have?

GearLaunch uses sublimation and direct-to-garment (DTG) printing methods, depending on the type of products.

What eCommerce platforms can you use with GearLaunch?

GearLaunch is currently available on Shopify only.

GearLaunch Review Conclusion

If we’re to choose a POD service provider, GearLaunch would not come at the top of the list. While it has a wide range of products to sell and the quality of products is okay, many sellers aren’t satisfied with its customer service. And we know that customer satisfaction is mainly anchored to how their issues are addressed. It also needs to be more transparent about its business to increase its credibility and trust rating. If GearLaunch can improve on these aspects, it will receive more favorable reviews and can compete with the best POD companies.