Etsy and eBay Fees Explained: 2026 Rates, Line by Line
Marketplace fees look small one at a time. Stacked on a single sale — listing, transaction percentage, payment processing, regulatory fees, promoted listings — they routinely take 12–20% of the sale price before shipping and materials. Pricing without the full stack is how busy shops end the month wondering where the money went.
Etsy, on a $40 sale
Etsy charges a $0.20 listing fee (per item, renewing every four months), a 6.5% transaction fee on the total including shipping charged to the buyer, payment processing around 3% + $0.25, and a small regulatory fee that varies by country. On a $40 item with $5 shipping: transaction fee $2.93, processing about $1.60, listing $0.20 — roughly $4.75, or about 11% of what the buyer paid, before any Etsy Ads or Offsite Ads charges. Offsite Ads deserve attention: if a buyer arrives via one, Etsy takes an additional 12–15%, and sellers above a revenue threshold cannot opt out.
eBay, on the same sale
eBay's main charge is the final value fee: for most categories about 13.25% of the total amount of the sale (including shipping and tax where applicable) plus a per-order fee of $0.30–$0.40. On the same $45 total that is about $6.36 — roughly 14%. Promoted listings add whatever percentage you bid. eBay's stack is simpler but heavier at the base rate; Etsy's is lighter until advertising fees attach.
- Price from net backwards: decide the margin you need after fees, then set the price that produces it.
- Shipping charges are fee-bearing on both platforms — 'free shipping' is a pricing decision, not an absence of cost.
- Recheck fee schedules quarterly; both platforms revise them and announce changes in seller updates.
Questions, answered
Which platform is cheaper overall?
For an unpromoted sale, Etsy is usually cheaper. With Offsite Ads fees triggered, Etsy can exceed eBay. Your own fee mix — testable in the calculators — decides it for your products.
Are marketplace fees tax deductible?
Yes, for a business seller they are ordinary business expenses that reduce taxable profit. Keep the platform's fee reports with your records.
Reviewed by Tahir Shehzad, ACMA. Figures are reviewed against the sources on our methodology page. This guide is education, not personal financial advice.