The fee on an eBay sale is not one number. It is a final value fee that depends on the category, a per-order fee that depends on the order total, and, for many sellers, listing, store, promoted-listing, and international fees on top. The headline rate for most categories is 13.6% of the total sale amount up to $7,500 per item, plus 2.35% on the portion above $7,500, plus a per-order fee of $0.30 for orders of $10.00 or less and $0.40 for orders over $10.00. This guide works the full schedule as eBay publishes it, with worked examples that show every line, explains the category exceptions that change the rate by several percentage points, and shows how to check the rate that applies before listing, because the rate on the listing page is the rate that governs, and the schedule changes. Figures in this guide are the rates as published by eBay and re-checked on the build day; always confirm the current rate for the category before listing, because eBay updates its fee schedule periodically.

What the fee is charged on: the total sale

The final value fee is charged on the total amount of the sale, and eBay defines that total broadly. It includes the item price, any handling charge, any shipping amount charged to the buyer, and any sales tax collected on the sale. A listing that sells for $100 with $10 shipping charged to the buyer and $8 of sales tax is charged on $118, not on $100, and the fee is higher by the fee rate applied to $18 that the seller never keeps. Free shipping does not avoid the issue: the shipping cost is still paid by the seller, and the fee is charged on the item price plus tax, while the seller bears the postage. The practical consequence is that the fee should always be calculated on the total the buyer pays, including tax, and the shipping cost should be treated as a cost, not as a pass-through, when working out whether a price is profitable.

Sales tax is collected and remitted by eBay in most United States jurisdictions under marketplace facilitator laws, so the seller does not keep the tax and does not remit it, but the fee is still charged on it, because eBay charges the fee on the total amount of the sale as the buyer sees it. A seller who prices an item at $100 and sees $118 collected should expect the fee to be calculated on $118, and should not be surprised by the difference between the fee on $100 and the fee on $118. The eBay Fee Calculator works on the sale price entered, and the tax should be added to that price when estimating the fee, or the estimate will understate the fee by the tax amount times the rate. The worked examples below include tax explicitly, so the difference is visible.

The per-order fee is charged per order, not per item, and it is $0.30 for orders of $10.00 or less and $0.40 for orders over $10.00. An order with three items from the same seller, bought in one checkout, carries one per-order fee, while three separate orders carry three. The threshold is the order total, including shipping and tax, as eBay states it, so a $9.50 item with $2 shipping is over $10.00 and carries the $0.40 fee. The fee is small, but on low-value sales it is a large share: on a $5 sale, $0.30 is 6% before the percentage fee is added, which is why low-value selling is hard to make profitable, and why the per-order fee is the first line to check on any small sale.

The fee schedule, category by category

Rates as published by eBay and re-checked on the build day. The category of the listing decides the rate. Confirm the current rate for the category before listing.

The $7,500 tier matters only for high-value items, and it matters a great deal when it applies. The fee is 13.6% on the first $7,500 of the total sale, and 2.35% on the portion above $7,500, per item. A $10,000 sale in a default category carries a fee of 13.6% of $7,500, which is $1,020, plus 2.35% of $2,500, which is $58.75, for a total of $1,078.75, plus the per-order fee. The tier is per item, not per order and not per seller, so two $5,000 items in one order each get the full $7,500 tier, while one $10,000 item gets the tier once. The tier rewards high-value single items, and it is the reason the fee percentage falls as the price rises above $7,500.

The category exceptions are the most common source of fee surprises, because sellers assume the default rate and discover a different one after the sale. Books at 15.3% cost $1.70 more per $100 than the default. Jewelry at 15% to $5,000 costs $1.40 more per $100 than the default on the first $5,000, then $4.60 less per $100 above it. Guitars at 6.7% cost $6.90 less per $100 than the default, which is a large advantage for a category where the average sale is high. Athletic shoes at $150 and over, at 8% with no per-order fee, cost $5.60 less per $100 than the default. The category is assigned by the listing category chosen at listing time, and choosing the wrong category — listing shoes in a general clothing category, for example — can cost the seller the category rate, as well as the category visibility, so the category choice is a fee decision as well as a merchandising one.

Worked examples: every line, nothing hidden

Work an example with tax included, because tax is where estimates most often go wrong. An item sells for $400, the buyer pays $14 shipping, and sales tax is $10, so the total sale is $424. The final value fee at 13.6% of $424 is $57.66. The per-order fee is $0.40, because the order is over $10.00. The total fees are $58.06. The seller receives $365.94 from the $424 collected, before postage and the cost of the item, and the $10 of tax is part of the $424 but is remitted by eBay, not kept by the seller, so the seller proceeds from the buyer payment are $365.94, from which the $14 shipping cost, if the seller bears it, and the item cost must still be paid. A seller who calculated the fee on $400 alone would estimate $54.80, and would understate the fee by $3.26, which is the fee on the $24 of shipping and tax. The listing-page fee preview applies the rate to the full total, and it is the figure to trust over any hand calculation, because it uses eBay own rounding and tier application.

Work a clean example at the default rate, without tax, so the arithmetic is transparent. An item sells for $100, free shipping, no tax collected. The total sale is $100. The final value fee is 13.6% of $100, which is $13.60. The per-order fee is $0.40, because the order is over $10.00. The total fees are $14.00. The seller receives $86.00 before postage, packaging, and the cost of the item. If postage and packaging cost $8, the seller keeps $78.00 before the item cost, and an item that cost $70 to acquire leaves $8.00 of gross profit, before any other cost. The fee is 14% of the sale, and the postage is 8%, so 22% of the sale is gone before the item cost is considered, which is the reality of low-margin selling on eBay.

Work a high-value example, to show the tier. An item sells for $10,000 in a default category, free shipping, no tax. The final value fee is 13.6% of $7,500, which is $1,020, plus 2.35% of $2,500, which is $58.75, for $1,078.75. The per-order fee is $0.40. The total fees are $1,079.15, which is 10.79% of the sale, compared with 14% at $100, because the tier lowers the average rate. The seller receives $8,920.85 before other costs. The tier is the reason high-value sellers can accept the default rate, and the reason low-value sellers feel it most: the percentage is highest where the sale is smallest, and the per-order fee adds a fixed charge on top.

Work a category example, to show the exception. A book sells for $50, free shipping, no tax. The final value fee is 15.3% of $50, which is $7.65, plus the $0.40 per-order fee, for $8.05, which is 16.1% of the sale. The same $50 item in a default category would cost $7.20, so the category costs $0.85 more. A guitar sells for $1,000, free shipping, no tax. The final value fee is 6.7% of $1,000, which is $67.00, plus $0.40, for $67.40, which is 6.74% of the sale, compared with $136.40 at the default rate, a saving of $69.00. The category is worth $69 on a single sale, which is why the category choice at listing time is worth the minute it takes to check.

Work a small-sale example, to show the per-order fee effect. An item sells for $5.00, free shipping, no tax. The final value fee is 13.6% of $5.00, which is $0.68. The per-order fee is $0.30, because the order is $10.00 or less. The total fees are $0.98, which is 19.6% of the sale. The seller receives $4.02 before postage, and postage alone will exceed the proceeds for most items at this price, which is why $5 single-item sales with free shipping are rarely profitable, and why small items are usually sold in lots, or with calculated shipping charged to the buyer, so that the postage is recovered and the fee is charged on a larger total. The per-order fee is the fixed cost that makes small sales hard, and it is the first figure to check on any low-value listing.

Listing fees, stores, and upgrades

Listing, or insertion, fees are charged when a listing is created, and the allowance is generous: 250 zero-insertion-fee listings per month, per account, in most categories, with additional listings at $0.35 each. The 250 are counted across categories, and they reset monthly, so a seller listing 300 items in a month pays $0.35 on 50 of them, or $17.50, which is small compared with the final value fees on the same items, but not negligible for a high-volume low-value seller. Listings that do not sell and are relisted consume the allowance again, unless they are relisted under a rule that preserves it, so relisting discipline matters: a listing that has sat unsold for months, relisted monthly, consumes an insertion fee each time, and the cost accumulates without a sale.

Optional listing upgrades — subtitle, bold, gallery plus, and similar — carry additional fees, and they are charged whether the item sells or not, which makes them a gamble on visibility. The upgrade fees are shown at listing time, and they should be evaluated as a cost per sale: a $2 subtitle that lifts the sale price by $5 on one sale in five is a losing upgrade, while the same subtitle that lifts the price by $5 on every sale is a winning one. The guide does not recommend upgrades generally, because their value depends on the category, the competition, and the item, and the only evidence that matters is the seller own sales history with and without them. Test upgrades on a small number of listings, compare the outcomes, and scale only what the data supports.

An eBay Store subscription changes the listing allowance and the fee structure, and it is worth considering for a regular seller. Store subscribers receive a larger zero-insertion-fee allowance, depending on the store tier, and access to store tools, custom categories, and promotional features. The subscription is a monthly cost, and it should be evaluated as a fixed cost against the variable saving: a seller listing 500 items a month saves 250 insertion fees, or $87.50, against the subscription cost, plus the tool value, and the calculation is straightforward once the tier and the volume are known. A seller listing 50 items a month saves nothing on insertion fees, because the 250 free listings already cover them, and the store is then a tool decision, not a fee decision. The store tiers and prices are published by eBay and change periodically; check the current tier before subscribing, and do not subscribe for the fee saving alone if the volume does not support it.

Promoted listings, international sales, and below-standard

Promoted listings are eBay advertising: the seller sets an ad rate, a percentage of the sale, and the listing is shown more prominently in search, and the ad fee is charged only when the promoted item sells, and only on the sale that came through the promotion, as eBay attributes it. The ad fee is additional to the final value fee, so a 5% ad rate on a $100 sale adds $5.00 to the $14.00 of fees, for $19.00 total, and the seller receives $81.00 before other costs. The ad rate is chosen by the seller, and eBay suggests rates based on the category, but the seller sets the rate, and a high rate buys visibility at the cost of margin, while a low rate buys little visibility. The right rate is the lowest rate that produces sales at an acceptable volume, and it is found by testing, starting low and raising it only if the volume is insufficient. Promoted-listing fees are the most common reason a seller net is lower than expected, because the ad fee is charged on the same sale as the final value fee, and the two together can exceed 20% of the sale.

International sales carry an international fee of 1.65% of the total sale, applied when the buyer registered address is outside the United States, unless the sale goes through eBay International Shipping, in which case the international fee is waived, because eBay handles the international leg. The fee is charged on the total sale, including shipping and tax, like the final value fee, so a $100 sale to a buyer abroad carries an additional $1.65, for a total fee of $15.65 at the default rate, plus the per-order fee. The fee is small compared with the final value fee, but it is charged on every international sale, and it should be included in the price or the margin calculation for international listings, rather than discovered after the sale. Sellers who do not want international sales can restrict shipping destinations at listing time, and sellers who do want them should price for the fee.

Below-standard performance carries a penalty that is charged on the final value fee: an additional 6% of the final value fee, applied to sales in the evaluation period, rising to 7% after four or more consecutive months below standard. The penalty is applied to the fee, not to the sale, so a 6% penalty on a $13.60 fee is $0.82, which is small per sale, but it is charged on every sale in the period, and it signals a performance problem — late shipment, defects, cases — that costs more in lost sales and account standing than in the penalty itself. The penalty is avoidable by maintaining the performance standards eBay publishes, and it is the most expensive fee in the schedule in the sense that it is charged on top of a problem that is already costing sales. Sellers who receive a below-standard notice should treat the performance issue as the priority, and the fee as the symptom.

Disputes, refunds, and currency conversion

When a buyer opens a case and eBay decides in the buyer favour, or when a payment dispute is resolved against the seller, eBay may charge a dispute fee of $20, in addition to refunding the buyer. The dispute fee is charged per dispute, not per item, and it is not refunded if the dispute is later resolved in the seller favour through a different channel, because it is charged for the handling of the dispute itself. A $20 fee on a $15 sale is a loss that exceeds the sale, which is why dispute prevention — accurate descriptions, prompt shipping, responsive communication — is worth more than dispute handling. Sellers with a high dispute rate should treat the rate as a business problem, not as a fee problem, because the fee is the smallest cost of a dispute: the refund, the lost item, and the account standing cost more.

Refunds do not automatically refund the final value fee in full. eBay credits the final value fee when a sale is cancelled or refunded in full through the eBay system, subject to the conditions eBay states, but the credit is not instant, and it is not guaranteed for every refund path. A refund issued outside the eBay system, or a partial refund, may not carry a full fee credit, and the per-order fee is generally not refunded. The seller should process refunds through the eBay system, promptly, and check the fee credit on the invoice, because a missing credit is a cost that is easy to miss in a busy month, and it is recoverable if raised with eBay support within the window eBay states. The guide does not state a universal refund-credit rule, because eBay conditions change, and the seller should check the current policy for the refund type before assuming a credit.

Currency conversion carries a charge of 3.25% for United States-registered sellers when eBay converts a payment from another currency, applied to the converted amount, in addition to the exchange rate eBay uses. The charge is separate from the international fee, and the two can both apply to the same sale: a sale in euros to a buyer abroad, converted to dollars, carries the 1.65% international fee and the 3.25% conversion charge, on top of the final value fee. Sellers who price in dollars and receive payment in dollars avoid the conversion charge, and sellers who accept foreign-currency payments should include the charge in the price. The exchange rate and the charge are shown at the time of the transaction, and the seller should check both, because the rate and the charge together determine the dollars received.

How to check the rate before you list

Check the rate in three places, in order, before listing. First, the eBay fee schedule for the category, on the eBay help pages, which states the current rate, the tiers, and the exceptions, and which is the source for this guide. Second, the listing page itself, which shows a fee preview as the listing is created, with the final value fee, the per-order fee, and any upgrade or promotion fees, calculated on the entered price, and which is the authoritative figure for that listing, because it applies the current schedule to the specific category and price. Third, the seller invoice after the sale, which shows the fees actually charged, and which should be checked against the preview, because a difference indicates a category, tier, or promotion issue that should be understood before the next listing. The three checks take minutes, and they prevent the most common fee surprise, which is discovering a different rate after the sale.

Check the category first, because it decides the rate. The category is chosen at listing time, and eBay suggests categories based on the title, but the suggestion is not always right, and the seller should confirm the category against the item, not against the suggestion. A trading card listed in a general collectibles category may carry the default rate instead of the 13.25% collectibles rate, and a book listed in a general media category may carry the default rate instead of the 15.3% books rate, in either direction, and the difference is the fee on the sale. The category also decides visibility, so the right category is worth the minute, for the fee and for the buyer who is searching in that category. The companion article on sports cards and cars works the category distinction in detail, because those two areas have the largest category-driven fee differences.

Re-check the schedule periodically, because eBay updates it. Fee changes are announced in advance, usually by email and on the seller hub, and they take effect on a stated date, and the listing-page preview applies the new rate from that date, whether or not the seller has read the announcement. A seller who prices from a memorised rate, and does not re-check, will price from a stale rate after a change, and the margin will be wrong on every sale until the change is noticed. The habit of checking the preview on every listing, and the schedule quarterly, is the cheapest fee insurance available, and it takes less time than reconciling a month of invoices priced from a stale rate.

From fees to net profit: the seller calculation

Net profit on a sale is the sale proceeds minus every cost, and the fee is only one of the costs. The calculation is: total sale, minus final value fee, minus per-order fee, minus any promotion, international, or upgrade fees, minus postage and packaging, minus the cost of the item, minus any other cost such as materials or labour, equals net profit. Work it on the $100 example: $100 sale, $13.60 final value fee, $0.40 per-order fee, $8 postage and packaging, $70 item cost, no other fees, leaves $8.00. The fee is 14% of the sale, the postage is 8%, the item cost is 70%, and the profit is 8%. A seller who knows only the fee, and not the postage and item cost, does not know the profit, and a seller who prices from the fee alone will price too low, because the fee is not the only cost, and it is not the largest cost.

Price from the profit, not from the fee. Decide the profit required, add the item cost, add the postage and packaging, add the fees at the category rate on the total including tax, and the result is the minimum price that delivers the required profit. The eBay Fee Calculator works the fee part of that calculation, and the seller must add the other costs, because only the seller knows them. A price that delivers the required profit at the default rate may not deliver it at a higher category rate, or with a promotion, or internationally, and the price should be set for the worst case that is likely — the category rate, the promotion if it will be used, the international fee if the listing is open internationally — rather than for the best case, because the best case is not the case that governs the margin. Price for the fees that will be charged, not for the fees that might be charged, and check the preview before committing.

This guide is general information about eBay published fee schedule, re-checked on the build day. It is not tax advice, and it is not a substitute for the fee preview on the listing page, which is the authoritative figure for a specific listing. Fees change, categories change, and the schedule changes, and the seller should confirm the current rate for the category before listing, and check the invoice after the sale, every time.

Frequently asked questions

What is the eBay final value fee for most categories?

13.6% of the total sale up to $7,500 per item, plus 2.35% on the portion above $7,500, plus a per-order fee of $0.30 for orders of $10.00 or less or $0.40 for orders over $10.00. The total sale includes the item price, handling, shipping charged to the buyer, and sales tax collected. Category exceptions apply: books 15.3%, select collectibles including sports trading cards 13.25%, jewelry 15% to $5,000 then 9%, guitars 6.7%, and athletic shoes $150 and over 8% with no per-order fee.

Does eBay charge a fee on shipping and tax?

Yes. The final value fee is charged on the total amount of the sale, which includes the item price, handling, shipping charged to the buyer, and sales tax collected. Free shipping does not avoid the fee on the item price and tax, and the seller still bears the postage as a cost. When estimating the fee, calculate it on the total the buyer pays, including tax, or the estimate will understate the fee.

How much does it cost to list on eBay?

The first 250 listings per month are zero-insertion-fee in most categories, and additional listings cost $0.35 each. Optional upgrades, such as a subtitle, carry additional fees whether the item sells or not. An eBay Store subscription increases the free-listing allowance and adds tools, and it should be evaluated against the seller volume, because a seller listing fewer than 250 items a month already receives the full allowance without a store.

What are promoted listing fees on eBay?

Promoted listings are advertising: the seller sets an ad rate as a percentage of the sale, the listing is shown more prominently, and the ad fee is charged only when the promoted item sells. The ad fee is additional to the final value fee, so a 5% ad rate on a $100 sale adds $5.00 to $14.00 of fees. The right rate is the lowest that produces sales at an acceptable volume, found by testing, starting low and raising it only if volume is insufficient.

What is the eBay international fee?

1.65% of the total sale when the buyer registered address is outside the United States, unless the sale goes through eBay International Shipping, in which case the fee is waived, because eBay handles the international leg. The fee is charged on the total sale, including shipping and tax, like the final value fee. Sellers who do not want international sales can restrict shipping destinations; sellers who do should price for the fee.

What happens to eBay fees if I refund a buyer?

eBay credits the final value fee when a sale is cancelled or refunded in full through the eBay system, subject to the conditions eBay states, but the credit is not instant and is not guaranteed for every refund path, and the per-order fee is generally not refunded. Process refunds through the eBay system promptly, and check the fee credit on the invoice, because a missing credit is recoverable if raised with eBay support within the stated window. Check the current refund policy for the refund type before assuming a credit.