How to Sell Handmade Products on Instagram With UPI Checkout
Handmade sellers lose most sales in the gap between "how much?" and "here is my UPI ID, send a screenshot". A proper checkout removes that gap. With Viralyze you list each handmade item once, customers pay by UPI on a page made for you, and a comment keyword delivers the link while you are still at the workbench.
Here is how crochet makers, resin artists, potters and embroidery studios set it up.
Why does a checkout page beat sharing a UPI ID?
Because it removes three manual steps: quoting the price, confirming payment, and recording who bought what. When a customer pays on the checkout page, the order is recorded, the payment is confirmed, and the buyer becomes a contact with the reel they came from as the source tag.
Sharing a bare UPI ID also invites haggling and fake screenshots. A checkout page shows a fixed price and a real payment status.
How do you list a handmade item?
Each item becomes a physical product with its own checkout page. Follow these steps:
1. Photograph the item in daylight, with one photo showing scale (a hand or a coin). 2. In Viralyze, add a physical product and upload the photos. 3. Write the description: material, size, making time, and whether it is made to order. 4. Set the price including your packaging and shipping. 5. Add the item to your link-in-bio page and copy the checkout link.
For made-to-order pieces, state the lead time plainly ("ships in 7 to 10 days"). Payment is collected upfront, which protects you from the "I will pay after delivery" pattern that hurts small makers.
How does the comment to DM flow work for makers?
Post a reel of the item being made. End with "comment MINE to order". In Viralyze, set an automation on that reel with the keyword MINE, and write the DM.
A sample DM for a macrame studio: "Hi! The 3-foot macrame wall hanging is ₹1,450 including shipping. Here is the checkout; pay by UPI and you will get a confirmation. Each piece takes 5 days to make, so expect dispatch by the end of next week." Add a public reply such as "Sent you the order link" so other viewers know the item is available.
Keywords tolerate typos and Hinglish, so "mine please", "MINE" and "mujhe chahiye" can all be set up to trigger the same reply.
What if you only have a few pieces?
Use the auto-pause setting. You can stop the automation after a fixed number of DMs, after N days, or on a date. If you have five mugs, set auto-pause after five DMs and change the public reply to a "Sold out, next batch Friday" message when you reopen it.
The automation states in the app (Scheduled, Live, Paused, Needs attention) let you see at a glance which drops are still open.
How do payouts and records work?
Payments through the checkout arrive via an RBI-authorised payment aggregator and are paid out to your bank every week. The platform fee is 0%, so a ₹600 item is ₹600 before payment processing, with no cut taken on each sale.
Every order sits in your contacts list with the source tagged. Export to CSV at the end of the week to prepare courier labels or to message earlier buyers when a new collection is ready.
Frequently asked questions
**Can customers pay with something other than UPI?** Yes. The checkout also takes cards and net banking, so an overseas buyer or someone without UPI can still pay.
**Do I need to be online to send the link?** No. The Auto-DM sends the checkout link within about a second of the comment, whether you are online or not.
**Can I take custom orders through the same flow?** Yes. Send a checkout for a deposit or a fixed custom price, then discuss details in the Inbox, where the conversation keeps the original comment for context.
Start your 7-day free trial of Viralyze today, no card needed, and let the next "how much?" comment pay you by UPI.