How to Sell on Instagram: Link in Bio Shop, Checkout and Instagram Shopping | How-to Guide
A practical guide to selling on Instagram: the three ways to take orders (DMs, a link-in-bio shop, Instagram Shopping), Meta's eligibility rules, a worked example of a small shop page with real card-fee arithmetic, and a posting routine that sells.
To sell on Instagram you need three things: posts that show the product clearly, a place to pay that is one tap from your profile, and a routine that keeps new people seeing both. The payment part is where most small sellers lose orders, so this guide spends most of its time there, with a worked example of a small shop page and the real card fees on each sale.
The three ways to take orders
| Method | How it works | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DM orders | People message you; you send a payment link or invoice. | One-off or custom pieces, first few sales. | Every sale needs a conversation; it does not scale and orders get lost in the inbox. |
| Link-in-bio shop | Your bio links to a page on your own website where people pick a product and pay by card. | Most small sellers. Works for physical and digital products. | You need a checkout, and a refund and shipping policy on the site. |
| Instagram Shopping | You connect a product catalog so posts can carry product tags that lead to your site. | Sellers of physical goods who meet Meta's requirements. | Eligibility rules below; checkout still happens on your website. |
Most people should start with a link-in-bio shop, then add Instagram Shopping once it is running, because Shopping needs a website you can buy from anyway.
Instagram Shopping: Meta's requirements
From Meta's help pages (setup requirements, setting up a shop, catalog eligibility), checked September 2026:
- Your Instagram account must be a professional (business) account connected to your business's Facebook Page.
- You must be in a country Meta supports for shops.
- You must comply with Meta's merchant agreement and commerce policies (which exclude items such as alcohol, tobacco and weapons) and Instagram's terms and community guidelines.
- Shops are for physical goods. Catalogs of services, hotels, flights, vehicles or home listings cannot be used.
- Your products must be available to buy directly from a website domain you own and have verified with Meta.
- Refund and return policies should be clear and easy to find.
Meta reviews the account before shopping features appear, and the rules change. Check Instagram's shopping help for the current version. If you sell services, classes or digital downloads, skip Shopping and use a link-in-bio shop.
Worked example: a link-in-bio shop on We.Inc
A fictional ceramics maker, "Clayfield Studio", sells mugs at $38 and bowls at $52 and posts twice a week. (This is a demonstration, not a customer.) Here is the page and the arithmetic.
The page
- Top: name, one line ("Hand-thrown mugs and bowls, made in small batches"), and a profile photo that matches Instagram so people know they are in the right place.
- This week's pieces: the three products from your latest posts, each with a photo, price and "Buy" button.
- All products: the rest of the range.
- Custom orders: a short form for commissions (so DMs do not become the order book).
- Policies: shipping and returns, linked in the footer. Our shipping policy and refund policy generators give you a first draft.
On a paid We.Inc plan (Starter is $20/month), stores and checkout run through your own Stripe account; We.Inc adds no transaction fee of its own, so you pay Stripe's fees. The free plan covers template sites on a we.inc address only, with no custom domain, so for Instagram Shopping (which needs a domain you own and verify) you would need Starter or above. See the link in bio page builder and pricing.
The arithmetic per sale
Stripe's standard US card rate is 2.9% + 30¢ per successful charge, plus 1.5% for international cards and 1% if currency conversion is needed (Stripe pricing, September 2026).
| Mug, US card | Bowl, US card | Mug, international card | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $38.00 | $52.00 | $38.00 |
| Stripe fee | $1.10 + $0.30 = $1.40 | $1.51 + $0.30 = $1.81 | $1.40 + $0.57 = $1.97 |
| You receive | $36.60 | $50.19 | $36.03 |
If Clayfield sells 30 mugs and 10 bowls a month to US buyers, card fees are 30 × $1.40 + 10 × $1.81 = $60.10, and the Starter plan is $20. Monthly platform and payment costs: $80.10 on $1,660 of sales, about 4.8%. Work out whether your prices leave enough after materials and shipping with how to price a product and the profit margin calculator.
Setting up, step by step
- Switch to a professional account in Instagram settings, and connect your Facebook Page if you will use Shopping.
- Build the shop page and connect Stripe. Buy one product yourself to test the whole checkout, then refund it.
- Put the link in your bio and name it in your bio text ("Shop: link below").
- Connect your domain and verify it with Meta if you want Shopping tags.
- Apply for Instagram Shopping once the site is live and the catalog is set up.
Posts that sell
- Show the product in use and at the right scale: a mug in a hand, a bowl with food in it.
- Price in the caption. "DM for price" sends people to your inbox and many will not bother.
- One call to action per post: "Link in bio, 12 made this week."
- Batches and restocks give people a reason to buy now without inventing urgency.
- Reels and stories for process; carousels for detail shots. Get sizes right with social media image sizes.
- Measure which posts get saves and link taps. The engagement rate calculator helps you compare posts.
Common mistakes
- A bio link that goes to a homepage instead of the products people just saw.
- No shipping cost until the last step. Show it on the product or the shop page.
- Taking payment by bank transfer from strangers, with no record or buyer protection.
- Product photos that look different from the posts, so people are unsure it is the same shop.
Sources
- Stripe pricing (checked Sept 28, 2026)
- Meta: Setup requirements for shopping on Instagram (checked Sept 28, 2026)
- Meta: How to set up a shop on Facebook and Instagram (checked Sept 28, 2026)
- Meta: Catalog eligibility requirements (checked Sept 28, 2026)
- Instagram Help: Shopping on Instagram (checked Sept 28, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a website to sell on Instagram?
Not for DM orders, but you do for Instagram Shopping: Meta requires products to be buyable on a website domain you own and have verified. A link-in-bio shop page covers both.
What are the requirements for Instagram Shopping?
Per Meta, as of September 2026: a professional account linked to a Facebook Page, a supported country, compliance with Meta's commerce policies, physical goods, and products for sale on your own verified domain.
Can I sell services or digital products through Instagram Shopping?
Meta says shops are for physical goods. Sell services, classes or downloads through a link-in-bio page with checkout instead.
How much does it cost to take card payments?
Stripe's standard US rate is 2.9% + 30 cents per charge, plus 1.5% for international cards, as of September 2026. On a $38 sale that is $1.40.
Can I sell from a We.Inc link in bio page?
Yes, on a paid plan. Stores and checkout run through your own Stripe account, and We.Inc adds no transaction fee of its own.
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