How much does eBay take? Fees on every sale price
eBay takes 13.25% of the total sale plus a flat $0.40 per order in most categories, and that percentage is charged on the item price plus the shipping the buyer pays — not on the item price alone. On a $100 sale with free shipping eBay takes $13.65 and you keep $86.35. On a $3,000 sale it takes $397.90 and you keep $2,602.10. On a $10 sale it takes $1.73, which is 17.30% of the order, because the flat fee dominates small totals. Above $7,500 in a single order most categories drop to roughly 2.35% on the excess, so a $10,000 sale costs $1,052.90 rather than the $1,325.40 a flat rate would imply. Sell to a buyer abroad and add about 1.65%; run Promoted Listings and add whatever ad rate you set.
These are 2026 US rates for a standard-category seller in good standing. eBay revises category rates and per-order fees, so confirm your own category against eBay's currently published selling fees before you price anything.
How much eBay takes on every sale price, from $10 to $10,000
"Sale total" below means everything the buyer pays you — item price plus shipping. That is the number eBay applies its percentage to, and getting it wrong is the single most common reason a seller's fee estimate comes in low.
| Sale total | Final value fee | Per-order fee | Total eBay takes | You keep | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | $1.33 | $0.40 | $1.73 | $8.27 | 17.30% |
| $25 | $3.31 | $0.40 | $3.71 | $21.29 | 14.84% |
| $50 | $6.63 | $0.40 | $7.03 | $42.97 | 14.06% |
| $100 | $13.25 | $0.40 | $13.65 | $86.35 | 13.65% |
| $250 | $33.13 | $0.40 | $33.53 | $216.47 | 13.41% |
| $500 | $66.25 | $0.40 | $66.65 | $433.35 | 13.33% |
| $1,000 | $132.50 | $0.40 | $132.90 | $867.10 | 13.29% |
| $3,000 | $397.50 | $0.40 | $397.90 | $2,602.10 | 13.26% |
| $5,000 | $662.50 | $0.40 | $662.90 | $4,337.10 | 13.26% |
| $7,500 | $993.75 | $0.40 | $994.15 | $6,505.85 | 13.26% |
| $10,000 | $1,052.50 | $0.40 | $1,052.90 | $8,947.10 | 10.53% |
The $10,000 row is the only one that is not a straight 13.25%. In most categories that rate applies only to the first $7,500 of an order and the portion above is charged at about 2.35%, so the fee splits into $993.75 plus $58.75.
Read the effective-rate column from the bottom up and the shape of eBay's pricing becomes obvious. A $1,000 order costs 13.29%. A $10 order costs 17.30%. Nothing about the percentage changed — the flat $0.40 simply weighs four percentage points on a ten-dollar sale and four hundredths of a point on a thousand-dollar one. eBay is a comparatively cheap place to sell expensive things and an expensive place to sell cheap things, and every low-ticket seller feels that without always being able to name it.
"You keep" is the money eBay releases to you. It is not profit. Subtract what the item cost you, what shipping and packaging cost you, and any ad rate you set, and the eBay Fee Calculator does all four subtractions at once.
eBay fees on a $3,000 sale
$397.90. That is $397.50 in final value fee at 13.25% plus the $0.40 per-order fee, and it leaves you $2,602.10 of the $3,000 the buyer paid.
The interesting part of a $3,000 order is not the fee, which is fixed by arithmetic, but how little room the rest of the deal leaves. Here is a real one: a $3,000 item sold with free shipping, sourced for $1,950, costing $85 to pack and freight.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Buyer pays | $3,000.00 |
| Final value fee (13.25%) | −$397.50 |
| Per-order fee | −$0.40 |
| eBay releases to you | $2,602.10 |
| Cost of the item | −$1,950.00 |
| Shipping and packaging | −$85.00 |
| Net profit | $567.10 |
| Net margin | 18.90% |
eBay's cut is 13.26% of the order but 41.2% of the gross margin on that item — $397.90 against the $965.00 that was left after cost of goods and shipping. On thin-margin, high-ticket categories that ratio is what decides whether the listing is worth having, not the headline percentage.
Two variants worth knowing. If you sell that same item at $2,925 and charge $75 shipping, the buyer still pays $3,000 and the fee is still exactly $397.90 — eBay does not care how you split the total. But if you list at $3,000 and charge $120 shipping, the buyer pays $3,120, and the fee rises to $413.80. That extra $120 of shipping recovery cost you $15.90 in additional fee, so it netted $104.10.
The fee is charged on shipping and sales tax, not just the item
This is the detail that produces most "why is my eBay bill higher than I calculated" posts. The final value fee applies to the total amount of the sale: item, shipping, handling, and in the US the sales tax eBay collects and remits for you.
Total eBay fees = (item price + shipping charged + tax collected) × final value rate + $0.40
Sell a $200 item with free shipping into a state with 8% sales tax and the buyer pays $216. eBay charges on $216, not $200: $28.62 plus $0.40 = $29.02, where you probably budgeted $26.90. That $2.12 gap is charged on money you never touch, since the tax goes straight to the state. Model the tax portion with the Sales Tax Calculator if your buyers cluster in high-rate states.
Shipping is the bigger half. Charge $8 to ship a $50 item and the order total is $58, so the fee is $7.69 plus $0.40 — $8.09, not the $7.03 that 13.25% of $50 would give. The $8 you collected for postage nets $6.94 after eBay's cut.
What to price at if you want to keep a specific amount
Most fee questions run forwards — I sold at X, what do I keep? The more useful direction for pricing runs backwards. To land on a specific payout, divide your target by 0.8675 after adding the $0.40:
| You want to keep | List at | Final value fee | Per-order fee | eBay releases |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50 | $58.10 | $7.70 | $0.40 | $50.00 |
| $100 | $115.73 | $15.33 | $0.40 | $100.00 |
| $250 | $288.65 | $38.25 | $0.40 | $250.00 |
| $500 | $576.83 | $76.43 | $0.40 | $500.00 |
| $1,000 | $1,153.20 | $152.80 | $0.40 | $1,000.00 |
The mark-up needed is about 15.3% at the low end and 15.32% at the high end — call it "add roughly 15.5% and round up" for a mental rule. Note the direction of the error most sellers make: adding 13.25% to a target of $100 gives $113.25, which after fees releases $97.85, not $100. You have to divide, not add. Once you know your payout, turn it into a margin with the Profit Margin Calculator, and get the cost side right first with the Landed Cost Calculator.
eBay fee rates by category: from 3% to 15%
13.25% is the default rate, not a universal one. Below are the commonly published 2026 US rates applied to a $500 sale so the spread shows up in dollars rather than decimals.
| Category | Final value fee | eBay takes on $500 | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jewelry & Watches (first band) | ~15% | $75.40 | $424.60 |
| Books, DVDs, Movies & Music | ~14.95% | $75.15 | $424.85 |
| Most categories (Home, Electronics, Toys, Collectibles, Trading Cards) | 13.25% | $66.65 | $433.35 |
| Athletic shoes sold at $150 or more | ~7% | $35.40 | $464.60 |
| Guitars & Basses | ~6.35% | $32.15 | $467.85 |
| Select Business & Industrial (heavy equipment) | ~3% | $15.40 | $484.60 |
Sixty dollars per $500 order separates the top of that table from the bottom. Nothing else in this article moves your take-home that far. A $220 pair of sneakers listed in the athletic shoes category costs $15.80 in fees; the same pair listed in a generic clothing category at 13.25% costs $29.55. That is $13.75 lost per pair to a category dropdown.
Some categories — jewelry, watches, motors parts, bullion — are tiered rather than flat, charging one rate on the first band of the sale price and a lower one above it. A single percentage is an approximation there. Look up your exact rate on eBay and type it into the calculator's final value fee field instead of trusting any default.
What eBay takes above $7,500
In most categories the 13.25% rate stops at $7,500 per order and the remainder is charged at roughly 2.35%. The effect on large orders is significant.
| Sale total | Fee on the first $7,500 | Fee on the excess | Total eBay takes | You keep | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $7,500 | $993.75 | $0.00 | $994.15 | $6,505.85 | 13.26% |
| $8,000 | $993.75 | $11.75 | $1,005.90 | $6,994.10 | 12.57% |
| $10,000 | $993.75 | $58.75 | $1,052.90 | $8,947.10 | 10.53% |
At $10,000 the tier saves $272.50 against a flat 13.25%. The calculator applies one rate across the whole order, so for anything above $7,500 enter the blended percentage: 10.525% reproduces the $10,000 figure exactly, and 12.5688% reproduces the $8,000 one. Work yours out as (7,500 × 0.1325 + excess × 0.0235) ÷ sale total × 100.
The practical consequence is about lot sizing. Two $5,000 orders cost $1,325.80 in fees. One $10,000 order covering the same goods costs $1,052.90. If a buyer wants both, sell them as one order.
Does free shipping cost you more in fees?
No — and the arithmetic settles an argument that runs in every seller forum. Take an item that cost you $45 and costs $9 to ship, and compare three ways of getting to the buyer.
| Approach | Item price | Shipping charged | Order total | eBay takes | Net profit | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charge shipping separately | $120.00 | $12.00 | $132.00 | $17.89 | $60.11 | 45.54% |
| Free shipping, price raised to cover it | $132.00 | $0.00 | $132.00 | $17.89 | $60.11 | 45.54% |
| Free shipping, price left alone | $120.00 | $0.00 | $120.00 | $16.30 | $49.70 | 41.42% |
Rows one and two are identical to the cent, because eBay charges on the total either way. Free shipping only costs you money when you absorb the postage without moving the price — row three, a $10.41 hit on every single order.
So offer free shipping and build the postage into the price. It reads better in search results and costs exactly the same.
The per-order fee is where order structure genuinely matters, because it is charged once per order, not per item. Three $20 items sold separately cost $3.05 each — $9.15 total, a 15.25% effective rate. The same three items combined into one $60 order cost $8.35, or 13.92%. Combined shipping saves you two per-order fees and lifts your average order value at the same time.
Listing fees once you pass 250 free listings
Everything so far is charged only when something sells. Insertion fees are charged whether it sells or not.
Sellers without a Store get 250 zero-insertion-fee listings a month in most categories. Beyond that, each new listing or relist costs about $0.35. The allowance resets monthly and counts listings created that month, so a single bulk catalogue upload can exhaust it in an afternoon and then bill for every item after the 250th.
| Active listings | Listings over the allowance | Insertion cost per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 | 0 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 400 | 150 | $52.50 | $630.00 |
| 600 | 350 | $122.50 | $1,470.00 |
| 1,000 | 750 | $262.50 | $3,150.00 |
Auto-relisting deserves particular attention. Items that never sell quietly consume the allowance every cycle, so a dead-stock tail of 200 listings can cost $70 a month indefinitely. Audit anything that has not sold in six months before it bills you again.
When an eBay Store starts paying for itself
A Store subscription raises the free-listing allowance, cuts the overage rate, and adds a small final value fee discount plus branding and coupon tools. Approximate 2026 US pricing on annual billing:
| Store tier | Per month | Free listings | Pays for itself at roughly |
|---|---|---|---|
| No Store | $0.00 | 250 | — |
| Starter | ~$4.95 | 250 | no listing benefit; value is in the storefront |
| Basic | ~$21.95 | 1,000 | ~313 active listings |
| Premium | ~$59.95 | 10,000 | ~422 active listings |
| Anchor | ~$299.95 | 25,000 | ~1,107 active listings |
The break-even is simple division: a Basic Store at $21.95 buys back 62 overage listings at $0.35 each, so it wins from about 313 listings onward. Compare that against the table above — at 400 listings you would otherwise pay $52.50 a month, so Basic saves $30.55 monthly, or $366 a year, before any fee discount. At 1,000 listings the saving is $240.55 a month.
Starter is the outlier: its allowance matches the free 250, so subscribe only if you want the branded storefront and seller coupons. Confirm current pricing before committing to twelve months, since eBay adjusts tiers.
Promoted Listings, international buyers and the below-standard surcharge
Three charges stack on top of the 13.25%, and all three are levied on the same order total. The table below runs a $250 sale through each one and through the worst realistic combination.
| Situation | Effective rate | eBay takes on $250 | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top Rated Plus discount (10% off the fee) | 11.925% | $30.21 | $219.79 |
| Standard seller, domestic, no ads | 13.25% | $33.53 | $216.47 |
| International buyer (+1.65%) | 14.90% | $37.65 | $212.35 |
| Promoted Listings at a 5% ad rate | 18.25% | $46.03 | $203.97 |
| Below-standard seller surcharge (+6) | 19.25% | $48.53 | $201.47 |
| All three stacked | 25.90% | $65.15 | $184.85 |
Promoted Listings are charged only when a promoted click leads to a sale, but they are charged on the full order total, so a 5% ad rate on a $250 item is $12.50 — real money against a typical margin. To model an ad rate, just add it to the final value percentage in the calculator: 13.25 + 5 = 18.25 gives the same answer. Work out the ad rate your margin can carry with the Breakeven ROAS Calculator.
The international fee of about 1.65% applies when the delivery address is outside your country. It is cheap relative to the extra demand, and most sellers should keep international shipping on; just price with it in mind if overseas buyers are a big share of orders.
The below-standard surcharge is the one worth actively avoiding. Roughly six extra percentage points on every sale means a seller doing $10,000 a month hands over about $600 more each month than a standard seller, for nothing. Late shipment rate and defect rate are the two metrics that put you there.
The discount runs the other way too. Top Rated Plus takes 10% off the final value fee — 13.25% becomes an effective 11.925% — so the same $250 order releases $219.79 instead of $216.47. Across $10,000 a month that is about $132 back.
How to lower what eBay takes
Start with the scale of the problem. Same revenue, different average order values, standard 13.25% category:
| Monthly revenue | Average order | Orders/month | Fees per month | Fees per year | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | $10 | 200 | $346.00 | $4,152.00 | 17.30% |
| $2,000 | $25 | 80 | $296.80 | $3,561.60 | 14.84% |
| $2,000 | $50 | 40 | $281.20 | $3,374.40 | 14.06% |
| $2,000 | $100 | 20 | $273.00 | $3,276.00 | 13.65% |
| $2,000 | $250 | 8 | $268.24 | $3,218.88 | 13.41% |
| $2,000 | $500 | 4 | $266.60 | $3,199.20 | 13.33% |
Identical sales, and a $952.80 annual difference between the top row and the bottom — created entirely by the $0.40 per-order fee. That single line is the cheapest thing on this list to fix.
- List in the right category. Worth up to 12 points of revenue, and it takes one dropdown.
- Raise average order value. Bundle, multipack, and set combined-shipping rules. Both the fixed fee and your packing time fall as a share of revenue.
- Combine multi-item orders. Each combined order is one $0.40 saved and one less parcel to pack.
- Earn and keep Top Rated Plus. A permanent 1.325-point discount on standard listings, free.
- Protect your seller metrics. Avoiding the below-standard surcharge is worth about six points of revenue.
- Subscribe to a Store past ~313 active listings, and cull dead stock rather than auto-relisting it.
- Set ad rates deliberately. Check whether promoted sales are incremental before raising the rate.
- Build shipping into the price rather than absorbing it — the fee is the same, the profit is not.
- Price backwards from your target payout using the divide-by-0.8675 table above instead of adding 13.25%.
- Check whether eBay is even the cheapest channel for the item. Run the same product through the Marketplace Fee Comparison Calculator, and see how to reduce seller fees for platform-by-platform tactics.
Frequently asked questions
Does eBay take a percentage of shipping?
Yes. The final value fee is charged on the total amount of the sale, which includes the shipping the buyer pays and, in the US, the sales tax eBay collects. Charging $8 shipping on a $50 item makes it a $58 sale, so the fee is $8.09 rather than $7.03.
How much does eBay take on a $100 sale?
$13.65 in most categories — a $13.25 final value fee plus the $0.40 per-order fee — leaving you $86.35 before your own costs. In a 14.95% category such as books and music it is $15.35, and with a 5% ad rate it is $18.65.
Is there a fee if my item doesn't sell?
No final value fee and no per-order fee, since both are triggered by a sale. You may still pay an insertion fee of about $0.35 if the listing was created past your 250 free listings for the month, and that applies to relists as well as new listings.
Does eBay refund fees when I refund a buyer?
eBay generally credits back the percentage-based final value fee when you issue a full refund, but the $0.40 per-order fee is not returned. Confirm the current policy on eBay, as the treatment of partial refunds and returns differs from full cancellations.
Does eBay charge a separate payment processing fee?
No. eBay's managed payments fold card processing into the final value fee, which is why 13.25% looks higher than Etsy's headline 6.5% — Etsy adds roughly 3% + $0.25 on top. If you sell off-platform through invoices instead, compare against the PayPal Fee Calculator or the Stripe Fee Calculator, which price at roughly 2.9–3% plus a fixed charge.
What is the cheapest way to sell on eBay?
High-value items in a low-rate category, sold as combined orders, with free shipping priced into the item, from an account holding Top Rated Plus status and no ad rate. That combination can put your effective cost near 11% instead of the 17.30% a $10 promoted sale costs.
Run your own numbers
Every figure above comes straight from the eBay Fee Calculator — enter your item price, the shipping the buyer pays, your cost of goods and your category rate, and it returns the fee, the payout and the margin. For the wider picture, the full 2026 marketplace fee data set compares eBay against every major channel, Etsy vs eBay vs Amazon fees runs the same order across all three, and the best platform to sell online in 2026 works through which channel suits which product. Per-platform math lives in the Etsy Fee Calculator, the Amazon FBA Profit Calculator and the Poshmark Fee Calculator.
Rates cited are 2026 US published rates for standard-category sellers. eBay changes category rates, per-order fees and Store pricing; check its current fee schedule before you set prices.