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Is dropshipping legit?
Yes, it is a legal way to sell. What goes wrong is the supplier, your shipping promise and the cost of finding customers.
“Dropshipping is a legal and widely used ecommerce fulfillment model.”Shopify
What it really pays
Shopify’s guide quotes an average net margin of 15% to 25%, and says marketing and finding customers top the list of first-year challenges. Read the numbers on our dropshipping page.
Where it goes wrong
- Scam suppliersShopify warns of counterfeit products that may be illegal to import. Prices that sound too good to be true are a warning sign, and so is a new supplier with no reviews.
- Late shippingIn the US, if you state no delivery time you must have a reasonable basis to ship within 30 days. If you cannot ship and the customer does not agree to a delay, you must cancel and refund.
- Ad spendYou pay for ads whether or not they bring sales.
- ImportsUS imports valued under $800 are no longer exempt from extra duties and taxes.
The course trap
- Anyone selling a dropshipping course earns from the course, whatever happens to you.
- Check any income claim against the 15% to 25% margin above.
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Sources
- Shopify: what is dropshipping, checked 5 Nov 2026
- FTC: Mail, Internet or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule, checked 5 Nov 2026