How much does eBay take from your sales? 13.6% plus $0.30-$0.40 per order for most categories. But eBay’s fee structure goes deeper than that single number, with different rates for different categories, additional fees for international sales, and penalties that can increase your costs significantly.
This guide breaks down every eBay seller fee for 2026, with real examples showing exactly what you’ll pay.
Quick Answer: What Does eBay Take From a Sale?
For most sales, eBay charges:
Final Value Fee + Per-Order Fee = Total eBay Fees
- Final Value Fee: 13.6% of the total amount of the sale for most categories, including shipping and sales tax collected
- Per-Order Fee: $0.30 for orders $10 or less, $0.40 for orders over $10
Example: You sell an item for $50 and eBay collects $3 in sales tax
- Final Value Fee: $53 × 13.6% = $7.21
- Per-Order Fee: $0.40
- Total eBay Fees: $7.61
This 13.6% rate applies to most categories up to the category threshold; the fee on the amount above that threshold is usually lower. eBay charges different rates for certain categories, and the category’s exact scope matters.
eBay calculates fees on the total amount of the sale, including item price, shipping and handling charges, and sales tax collected. Sales tax is part of the fee base, but is collected for the tax authority and is not seller proceeds. The examples below show the tax amount so the fee and proceeds can be checked.
eBay Fee Calculator: See Your Exact Fees
Use this calculator to see exactly how much eBay takes from your sale:
Included in eBay's fee base; excluded from your proceeds.
Music excludes Vinyl Records and Music NFTs. Basic eBay.com US rates; store, listing, and performance fees may differ.
$100.00
Fee base (includes tax)
-$14.00
Estimated eBay fees (14.0%)
$86.00
Net proceeds before other costs
To include your item cost, shipping paid, and other costs, use our eBay profit calculator. It separates selling fees from contribution profit.
If you sell as a business, see how eBay fees, refunds, and shipping labels show up in your payout and your books.
Here’s what sellers actually pay at different price points:
Example 1: $25 T-Shirt Sale
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Item price | $25.00 |
| Sales tax collected (6%) | $1.50 |
| Fee base | $26.50 |
| Final Value Fee (13.6%) | $3.60 |
| Per-Order Fee | $0.40 |
| Total Fees | $4.00 |
| Net proceeds before other costs | $21.00 |
Example 2: $100 Electronics Sale
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Item price | $100.00 |
| Sales tax collected (6%) | $6.00 |
| Fee base | $106.00 |
| Final Value Fee (13.6%) | $14.42 |
| Per-Order Fee | $0.40 |
| Total Fees | $14.82 |
| Net proceeds before other costs | $85.18 |
Example 3: $500 Jewelry Sale
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Item price | $500.00 |
| Sales tax collected (6%) | $30.00 |
| Fee base | $530.00 |
| Final Value Fee (15%) | $79.50 |
| Per-Order Fee | $0.40 |
| Total Fees | $79.90 |
| Net proceeds before other costs | $420.10 |
Example 4: $10,000 Heavy Equipment Sale
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sale price | $10,000.00 |
| Sales tax collected (6%) | $600.00 |
| Fee base | $10,600.00 |
| Final Value Fee (3% on first $15,000) | $300.00 |
| Per-Order Fee | $0.40 |
| Total Fees | $318.40 |
| Net proceeds before other costs | $9,681.60 |
Higher-priced items have a lower effective fee rate because the per-order fee has less impact. Certain categories like heavy equipment have dramatically lower percentage fees.
Calculate Your Own Fees
Use this formula:
Total Fees = (Fee Base × Category Fee %) + Per-Order Fee
For categories with a tiered fee, calculate the rate on each portion of the fee base. Some categories instead apply a different rate to the whole sale after a threshold. Use the current category table below.
Total Fees = (Threshold × Higher %) + (Amount Over Threshold × Lower %) + Per-Order Fee
Complete eBay Fee Breakdown for 2026
Final Value Fees by Category
| Category | Fee Up to Threshold | Fee Above Threshold | Threshold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Categories | 13.6% | 2.35% | $7,500 |
| Books & Magazines; Movies & TV; Music except Vinyl Records and Music NFTs | 15.3% | 2.35% | $7,500 |
| Coins & Paper Money except Bullion; select collectibles | 13.25% | 2.35% | $7,500 |
| Jewelry & Watches, except Watches, Parts & Accessories | 15% if total sale is $5,000 or less; 9% if over | — | $5,000 |
| Watches, Parts & Accessories | 15% on first $1,000 | 6.5% from $1,000 to $7,500; 3% over $7,500 | $1,000 / $7,500 |
| Women’s Bags & Handbags | 15% if total sale is $2,000 or less; 9% if over | — | $2,000 |
| Guitars & Basses | 6.7% | 2.35% | $7,500 |
| Athletic Shoes (men’s and women’s) | 13.6% if total sale is under $150; 8% at $150 or more, with no per-order fee | — | $150 |
| Select NFT categories | 5% | — | — |
| Select Heavy Equipment categories | 3% on amount up to $15,000 | 0.5% on portion over $15,000 | $15,000 |
| Coins & Paper Money > Bullion | 13.6% if total sale is $7,500 or less; 7% if over | — | $7,500 |
The 2.35% or 0.5% rate applies only to the portion above the threshold in the tiered categories. Jewelry and Bullion use the lower listed rate on the whole sale once the threshold is exceeded. Category scope and seller type matter; check eBay’s current fee table before pricing unusual listings.
Insertion Fees (Listing Fees)
| Scenario | Fee |
|---|---|
| First 250 listings per month | FREE |
| Each additional listing | $0.35 |
| Guitars & Basses | FREE (unlimited) |
| Athletic Shoes ≥$150 starting price | FREE (unlimited) |
| Select Business & Industrial | $20 per listing |
| Classified Ads (30-day) | $9.95 |
| Real Estate | $35-$300 |
Most casual sellers never pay insertion fees since 250 free listings per month is enough. High-volume sellers should consider an eBay Store subscription for additional free listings.
If your item doesn’t sell, the insertion fee is non-refundable. Relisting the same item uses another insertion fee allowance.
Per-Order Fees
Every sale on eBay includes a per-order fee:
- Orders $10.00 or less: $0.30
- Orders over $10.00: $0.40
This fee is charged on top of the final value fee. The exception in the categories shown here is athletic shoes when the total amount of the sale is $150 or more; that category has no per-order fee.
Additional eBay Fees You Need to Know
Beyond the standard final value and insertion fees, several additional charges can affect your profitability.
International Selling Fees
If you sell to buyers outside your country, eBay charges an additional 1.65% international fee on the total sale amount. This stacks on top of your regular final value fee.
For example, a $100 domestic-price sale with no shipping or sales tax, sold internationally in a standard category:
- Final Value Fee: $13.60
- International Fee: $1.65
- Per-Order Fee: $0.40
- Total: $15.65 (15.65% effective rate)
Consider whether international shipping makes sense for your margins, especially on lower-priced items.
Currency Conversion Fees
When you receive payment in a foreign currency, eBay charges a 3% currency conversion fee to convert it to your local currency.
Dispute and Chargeback Fees
If a buyer opens a dispute or initiates a chargeback through their payment provider, eBay charges a $20 dispute fee. This fee is non-refundable even if you win the dispute.
To minimize dispute fees:
- Provide accurate item descriptions
- Ship with tracking and signature confirmation for valuable items
- Respond quickly to buyer messages
- Issue refunds promptly when appropriate
Promoted Listings Fees
eBay’s Promoted Listings program lets you pay for better visibility in search results. You set an ad rate (typically 2-10%), and you’re only charged when someone buys through your promoted listing.
Promoted Listings fees are separate from final value fees, so a 5% ad rate plus 13.6% final value fee means you’re paying 18.6% plus the per-order fee.
Use Promoted Listings selectively on high-margin items where the extra visibility justifies the cost.
Regulatory Operating Fee
eBay charges approximately 0.35% as a regulatory operating fee in most states. This covers eBay’s costs for regulatory compliance.
eBay Seller Performance Penalties
Your seller performance rating directly impacts your fees. Poor performance can increase your costs significantly.
Below Standard Seller Penalty
If eBay rates your account as “Below Standard,” you’ll pay an additional 6% on all final value fees. That means a standard 13.6% category becomes 19.6%.
Below Standard status is triggered by:
- High defect rate (transaction defects)
- Too many cases closed without seller resolution
- High late shipment rate
- Tracking not uploaded on time
Check your seller dashboard regularly to monitor your metrics. If you’re at risk of Below Standard status, prioritize fixing the issues immediately—6% on every sale adds up fast.
High Return Rate Penalty
Sellers with a “Very High” rate of “Item Not as Described” (INAD) returns pay an additional 5% on final value fees in those categories.
This penalty is category-specific, so you might pay extra fees in one category while your other listings are unaffected.
To avoid this penalty:
- Write accurate, detailed descriptions
- Include clear photos showing any flaws
- Grade condition conservatively
- Respond professionally to return requests
eBay Store Subscriptions: Are They Worth It?
An eBay Store subscription provides additional free listings and lower final value fees.
| Store Level | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost (per month) | Free Listings/Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| No Store | $0 | $0 | 250 |
| Starter | $4.95 | $2.50 | 250 |
| Basic | $21.95 | $7.95 | 1,000 |
| Premium | $59.95 | $27.95 | 10,000 |
| Anchor | $299.95 | $124.95 | 25,000 |
| Enterprise | $2,999.95 | Custom | 100,000 |
When Does a Store Make Sense?
Basic Store ROI Calculation:
If you list more than 250 items per month, you’re paying $0.35 per additional listing. A Basic Store costs $7.95/month (annual billing) and includes 1,000 free listings.
Break-even point: $7.95 ÷ $0.35 = 23 additional listings
If you list 273+ items per month, the Basic Store pays for itself in insertion fee savings alone. Store subscribers also get lower final value fees in some categories, making the actual break-even point even lower.
Premium Store ROI Calculation:
Premium costs $27.95/month (annual) with 10,000 free listings.
Premium makes sense for sellers consistently listing 1,500+ items monthly.
Store Subscriber Final Value Fee Discounts
Store subscribers receive reduced final value fees in certain categories—typically 0.5-2% lower than non-store sellers.
How to Reduce Your eBay Fees
You can’t avoid eBay fees entirely, but these strategies minimize what you pay:
1. Maintain Above Standard Status
Staying “Above Standard” or “Top Rated” saves you from the 6% Below Standard penalty. This is the single biggest fee savings available—it requires no additional investment, just good seller practices.
Focus on:
- Shipping within your stated handling time
- Uploading tracking promptly
- Resolving buyer issues quickly
- Accurate item descriptions
2. Choose the Right Store Level
Calculate your actual listing volume and compare store costs against insertion fees. Pay annually instead of monthly to save 30-60% on subscription costs.
Don’t over-buy: a Premium store doesn’t help if you’re only listing 500 items monthly.
3. Sell in Lower-Fee Categories
If you have flexibility in what you sell, prioritize lower-fee categories:
- Select Heavy Equipment categories: 3% on the amount through $15,000, then 0.5% on the excess
- Guitars & Basses: 6.7%
- Athletic Shoes ≥$150: 8%
Versus high-fee categories:
- Books & Magazines; Movies & TV; eligible Music categories: 15.3% through $7,500
- Jewelry & Watches (except Watches, Parts & Accessories): 15% on the whole sale at $5,000 or less; 9% on the whole sale above $5,000
4. Bundle Items to Reduce Per-Order Fees
Two separate $50 sales = $0.80 in per-order fees One bundled $100 sale = $0.40 in per-order fees
When possible, offer bundles or combined shipping to reduce the number of individual transactions.
5. Be Strategic with Promoted Listings
Only promote items where:
- Your margin can absorb the extra fee
- The category is competitive enough that promotion drives meaningful extra visibility
- You’ve tested different ad rates to find the minimum effective rate
6. Limit International Sales When Margins Are Thin
The 1.65% international fee plus potential currency conversion fees can eat into tight margins. For low-margin items, consider domestic-only shipping.
eBay Fees vs Amazon vs Etsy
How does eBay compare to other major marketplaces?
| Platform | Typical Fee Range | Monthly Fee | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| eBay | 13-15% + $0.30-$0.40 | $0-$300 (store optional) | Used items, collectibles, variety |
| Amazon | 15% referral + FBA fees | $39.99 (Professional) | New products, Prime shipping |
| Etsy | 6.5% + $0.20 + 3% payment | $0 | Handmade, vintage, craft supplies |
eBay advantages:
- No monthly fee required (unlike Amazon Professional)
- Better for used and vintage items
- Auction format for collectibles
- Lower fees than Amazon in many categories
eBay disadvantages:
- Higher fees than Etsy for handmade items
- No fulfillment network like Amazon FBA
- Seller performance penalties can increase costs
Choose your platform based on what you’re selling and your target customers, not just fees alone.
For detailed breakdowns of other platform fees, see our guides on Amazon seller fees and Etsy seller fees.
How eBay Fees Show Up in Your Payout and Your Books
The calculator shows the fee on one order. Your bank sees something different: one payout for many orders, after eBay has taken its costs out. If you sell as a business, your books need to explain the difference.
What eBay takes out before it pays you:
- Selling fees. eBay deducts final value fees, per-order fees, and other selling costs from your sales proceeds automatically.
- Refunds. eBay pays a refund from your Available and Processing funds. If those funds are not enough, eBay uses your linked checking account or the payment method on file. You may get a fee credit if you refund the buyer on eBay without eBay stepping in.
- Shipping labels. You can pay for a label bought on eBay from your available funds or from the payment method on file. You choose when you print the label. A label paid from your funds reduces what is left to pay out.
So the payout in your bank is a net amount. If you record only the deposit as sales, your sales are understated, and your fees, refunds, and label costs are missing from your expenses.
How a payout is recorded in your books: split the payout into its parts. The parts must add up to the bank deposit.
| Part of the payout | Where it goes in your books |
|---|---|
| Sales and shipping charged to buyers | Income |
| Refunds | Income account, as a reduction of sales |
| Final value, insertion, ad, and payment processing fees | Expense |
| Shipping labels bought on eBay | Expense |
| Disputes and chargebacks | Expense |
| Sales tax collected and remitted by eBay | Liability |
Taxomate does this split for each eBay payout and posts one summarized entry with the same total as the deposit. See how it works in your accounting system:
- eBay to QuickBooks: one summarized journal entry or invoice per payout, which you match to the bank deposit.
- eBay to Xero: one summarized invoice per payout, which you match to the bank deposit.
If a deposit does not match the payout you expected, enter the parts in the payout mismatch checker to find the difference.
eBay Fees and Your Taxes
eBay fees are tax-deductible business expenses for sellers operating as a business. Properly tracking these fees can reduce your taxable income significantly.
Key points for tax purposes:
- Final value fees are deductible as cost of sales or selling expenses
- Store subscription fees are deductible as business expenses
- Promoted Listings fees are deductible as advertising expenses
- Keep records of all fees paid throughout the year
Tracking eBay fees manually is tedious and error-prone. Accounting software that integrates with eBay can automatically categorize and track your fees, ensuring accurate records for tax time.
Taxomate’s eBay integration automatically syncs your eBay sales and fees to QuickBooks or Xero, eliminating manual data entry and ensuring your books are always accurate.
FAQ: eBay Seller Fees
How much does eBay take from a $100 sale?
With no shipping or sales tax, eBay takes $14.00 from a $100 sale in most categories: $13.60 (13.6% final value fee) plus $0.40 per order. If eBay collects $6 in sales tax, the fee base is $106 and the estimated fee is $14.82; the $6 tax is excluded from your proceeds.
Does eBay charge to list items?
Your first 250 listings per month are free. After that, each additional listing costs $0.35. eBay Store subscribers receive more free listings depending on their subscription level.
Does eBay take a cut of shipping?
Yes. eBay calculates final value fees on the total amount of the sale, including item price, shipping charged to the buyer, and sales tax collected. The tax is included in the fee base and excluded from your proceeds.
What is the cheapest way to sell on eBay?
To minimize fees: maintain Above Standard seller status (avoid the 6% penalty), sell in lower-fee categories when possible, bundle items to reduce per-order fees, and get an eBay Store subscription if you list more than 250 items monthly.
How do I avoid eBay fees?
You cannot avoid eBay fees entirely—they’re part of using the platform. However, you can minimize fees through good seller practices, strategic category choices, appropriate store subscriptions, and avoiding penalties for poor performance.
Are eBay fees higher than Amazon?
They’re comparable. eBay charges 13-15% for most categories; Amazon charges 15% referral fees plus additional FBA fees if you use their fulfillment service. eBay often works out cheaper for non-FBA sellers, while Amazon may be more cost-effective for high-volume sellers using Prime shipping.
Start Tracking Your eBay Fees Automatically
Understanding eBay fees is the first step to pricing your items profitably. But manually tracking fees across hundreds of transactions is time-consuming and error-prone.
Taxomate automatically imports your eBay sales, fees, and refunds into your accounting software. Every transaction is categorized correctly, fees are tracked separately, and your books stay up-to-date without manual data entry.
Start a Taxomate eBay trial or see how the eBay to QuickBooks workflow works.
Sources: eBay Selling Fees and fee table, last verified October 14, 2026. Payout, refund, and shipping label details: Getting paid, Refunding buyers, and Printing shipping labels, verified October 19, 2026. The examples are estimates using basic eBay.com US rates and assume a 6% sales-tax amount where stated; eBay Store, listing, shipping, and seller-performance details may change the actual fee.