marketplace questions

Do I need to be a registered business to sell on Hive Moms?

Yes — and this applies to every seller regardless of what you sell or how often. Whether you offer handmade products, digital downloads, or services, all sellers are required to have a registered business entity to receive payouts through Stripe. Stripe will walk you through their own verification process when you connect your account — they'll collect your business information directly.If you're not set up yet, we'll point you to resources inside the Colony to help you get there before your shop goes live.Hive Moms is not a tax advisor. Every seller is solely responsible for reporting and paying all applicable taxes on their earnings. By selling on this platform you acknowledge that responsibility.

Hive Moms has two connected sides. Your Colony membership — $29/month through Skool — is where your community, onboarding classrooms, and seller support live. Your Market Hive shop is where your listings live and where buyers find you. An active Colony membership is required to sell on Market Hive. The two go together — that's what makes this a community-backed marketplace and not just another platform.

Yes. Your $29/month Colony membership is billed monthly through Skool with no long-term contract. You can cancel anytime.

Stripe processes payments and releases funds automatically once a transaction is completed. Payouts go directly to your connected bank account on Stripe's standard payout schedule.

You set your own shipping fee per listing and fulfill orders on your terms. There's no integrated label printing at launch — we recommend Pirateship, which is free and widely used. You can share tracking information with your buyer directly through marketplace messaging. Integrated shipping is on the roadmap.

No. Reviews on Hive Moms come from completed transactions on this platform only. Every review you earn here is verified and 100% yours.

If a buyer requests a return or refund, they'll reach out to you directly through marketplace messaging. From there it's between you and your buyer to resolve based on your shop policies. If you agree to a refund, you'll issue it manually through your Stripe dashboard — it goes back to the buyer the same way they paid. There's no automated return or refund system, which is why clear shop policies matter. Set them before you launch and honor them consistently. Hive Moms reserves the right to step in on disputes when needed.

Service sellers set their availability, pricing, and booking terms directly in their listing. Buyers book and pay through the platform. Commission and Stripe fees apply the same way. Shipping does not apply to service listings. All service listings are reviewed and approved before going live.

The Colony is your seller community hosted on Skool. It's where onboarding, support, rhythm, and connection live. Your $29/month membership includes full Colony access, Hive Foundations onboarding, classrooms, and ongoing community support.

Once your application is approved you'll receive an email with your next steps. First you'll join the Colony on Skool — your community home and where your membership lives. Once your payment is confirmed, you'll automatically receive your Market Hive shop setup link to get your seller account created. From there you'll move through Hive Foundations inside the Colony before your shop goes live. The whole process is designed to make sure you feel ready before you're visible.

What is Market Hive

Market Hive is the Hive Moms marketplace — a curated space where mom-owned brands sell handmade products, digital downloads, and services. Every seller here is a mom who has applied, been reviewed, and been approved. When you shop Market Hive you're supporting real women building real businesses from within motherhood.

Market Hive carries handmade and curated physical products, digital downloads, online services, and bookable in-person or virtual services — all from mom-owned brands. Every seller is vetted before their shop goes live, so what you find here is intentional, quality-driven, and backed by a mom who stands behind what she sells.

Yes — every seller on Market Hive is a mom who has applied, been reviewed, and been approved before their shop goes live. This isn't an open marketplace where anyone can list anything. Every brand here has been vetted and every mom behind it is part of the Hive Moms community.

Add items to your cart and proceed to checkout when you're ready. If you're shopping from multiple sellers, you'll complete a separate checkout for each seller's items. Payment is processed securely through Stripe — you can pay with any major credit or debit card.

Yes — shop from as many sellers as you'd like. Items from the same seller check out together. If you have items from multiple sellers you'll complete a separate checkout per seller. This is standard across most marketplaces and keeps each order organized between you and the seller.

Each seller sets their own return and refund policy — you'll find it in their listing description before you purchase. If you need to request a return or refund, reach out to the seller directly through marketplace messaging. They'll work with you to resolve it based on their shop policy. If you're having trouble reaching a seller or resolving an issue, you can contact Hive Moms at hello@hivemoms.com and we'll step in to help.

All payments on Market Hive are processed through Stripe — one of the most trusted payment processors in the world. Your card information is never stored on our platform. Stripe handles all payment security, encryption, and fraud protection so your information stays safe every step of the way.

A favorites and wishlist feature is on the roadmap for a future update. For now we recommend sharing listings you love directly with friends and family — every purchase supports a mom-owned brand.

After your order is completed you'll receive an email prompting you to leave a review for your seller. Reviews help other buyers make confident decisions and go a long way for the mom behind the shop — so if you loved your experience, take a minute to share it.

You'll need to create a free account to complete a purchase on Market Hive. It takes just a minute and keeps all your orders, messages, and receipts in one place. No membership fee required — accounts are free for buyers.

Hive Moms is the platform — each shop on Market Hive is independently owned and operated by the mom behind it. She is responsible for her listings, pricing, order fulfillment, shipping, and customer service. Hive Moms vets every seller before they go live and stands behind the integrity of this marketplace, but your transaction is directly with the seller. If you have a question or issue with an order, reach out to your seller first through marketplace messaging.

why hive moms

What is Market Hive?

Market Hive is the Hive Moms marketplace — where mom-owned brands sell products and services to buyers who are actively looking to support them. It lives inside the broader Hive Moms ecosystem alongside the Colony, your seller community. When you become a Hive Mom, you get a shop on Market Hive and a seat in the Colony. The two work together — your community is what makes your marketplace better.

Etsy puts you in a marketplace of millions and charges you to compete in it. Hive Moms puts you in a curated network of mom-owned brands — with a flat commission that never changes, no listing fees, and a Colony behind you that's actually invested in your growth. This marketplace was built for the mom and the ambition. You're a founding member of something being built intentionally, from the ground up, with moms like you at the center.

Etsy charges multiple fees that stack up fast. Every listing costs $0.20 and renews every four months whether it sells or not. When something does sell, Etsy takes 6.5% of the total sale price including shipping. Then Etsy Payments adds another 3% + $0.25 per transaction. That's already close to 10% before anything optional.On top of that, Etsy can advertise your listings on Google and Facebook without your approval — and if a sale comes from those ads, they take an additional 12–15% of that sale. Sellers making under $10K a year can opt out, but many don't even realize it's happening.At Hive Moms, you pay a flat 10% commission on sales plus Stripe's standard processing fee of approximately 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. No listing fees. No recurring renewal fees. No surprise ad charges. And that 10% is locked permanently — it will never go up.

Not at launch. Unlike Etsy, we will never advertise your listings somewhere and take a percentage of the sale without your knowledge. Any future promotional tools we build will be opt-in, transparent, and in your control. For now, your best promotion happens through the Colony, your Hive Link, and the community itself.

Your Hive Link is your personal branded page inside Hive Moms — it lives at hivemoms.com/mom/yourshopname and gives you one link to share everywhere you show up online. Instagram bio, TikTok, email signature — one link that points people directly to your shop and your presence inside the hive. It's included with your membership.

Yes. There's no exclusivity requirement. Many of our founding sellers run multiple shops across platforms.

how it works

Do I need to be a registered business to sell on Hive Moms?

Yes — and this applies to every seller regardless of what you sell or how often. Whether you offer handmade products, digital downloads, or services, all sellers are required to have a registered business entity to receive payouts through Stripe. Stripe will walk you through their own verification process when you connect your account — they'll collect your business information directly.If you're not set up yet, we'll point you to resources inside the Colony to help you get there before your shop goes live.Hive Moms is not a tax advisor. Every seller is solely responsible for reporting and paying all applicable taxes on their earnings. By selling on this platform you acknowledge that responsibility.

Hive Moms has two connected sides. Your Colony membership — $29/month through Skool — is where your community, onboarding classrooms, and seller support live. Your Market Hive shop is where your listings live and where buyers find you. An active Colony membership is required to sell on Market Hive. The two go together — that's what makes this a community-backed marketplace and not just another platform.

Yes. Your $29/month Colony membership is billed monthly through Skool with no long-term contract. You can cancel anytime.

Stripe processes payments and releases funds automatically once a transaction is completed. Payouts go directly to your connected bank account on Stripe's standard payout schedule.

You set your own shipping fee per listing and fulfill orders on your terms. There's no integrated label printing at launch — we recommend Pirateship, which is free and widely used. You can share tracking information with your buyer directly through marketplace messaging. Integrated shipping is on the roadmap.

No. Reviews on Hive Moms come from completed transactions on this platform only. Every review you earn here is verified and 100% yours.

If a buyer requests a return or refund, they'll reach out to you directly through marketplace messaging. From there it's between you and your buyer to resolve based on your shop policies. If you agree to a refund, you'll issue it manually through your Stripe dashboard — it goes back to the buyer the same way they paid. There's no automated return or refund system, which is why clear shop policies matter. Set them before you launch and honor them consistently. Hive Moms reserves the right to step in on disputes when needed.

Service sellers set their availability, pricing, and booking terms directly in their listing. Buyers book and pay through the platform. Commission and Stripe fees apply the same way. Shipping does not apply to service listings. All service listings are reviewed and approved before going live.

The Colony is your seller community hosted on Skool. It's where onboarding, support, rhythm, and connection live. Your $29/month membership includes full Colony access, Hive Foundations onboarding, classrooms, and ongoing community support.

Once your application is approved you'll receive an email with your next steps. First you'll join the Colony on Skool — your community home and where your membership lives. Once your payment is confirmed, you'll automatically receive your Market Hive shop setup link to get your seller account created. From there you'll move through Hive Foundations inside the Colony before your shop goes live. The whole process is designed to make sure you feel ready before you're visible.