Compare Marketplace Fees

This comparison runs one US sale through eBay, Etsy, Poshmark, Mercari, PayPal, Depop and Whatnot at the same time, using the official rates we checked on 11 November 2026. The fee bases are different enough that a single remembered percentage will mislead you, which is why each column keeps its own official rule instead of one blended take rate. Nothing here is a recommendation to list on a particular site; it is a way to see fees, payout and profit side by side before you copy a listing.

Why the same sale is not the same base

eBay's US final value fee for most categories is 13.6% of the total sale, including shipping charged and sales tax, plus a $0.30 or $0.40 per-order fee. Poshmark takes $2.95 under $15 or 20% of the listing price at $15 and above, and does not take that percentage of buyer-paid postage in this model. Mercari takes 10% of the item price plus buyer-paid shipping, and the 3.6% Buyer Protection fee is paid by the buyer. If you compare '13.6% versus 20% versus 10%' without those bases, you will pick the wrong platform for a $14 hoodie and for a $200 jacket in the same afternoon.

Enter one item price, one shipping charge, one shipping cost, one item cost and one tax amount.
Each platform then applies its own official base and rate.
Profit on every column uses the same cost and the same postage you actually pay.

A mid-price clothing example

Take a $50 item, $8 charged for shipping, $6 of actual postage, $18 of cost and no tax. On eBay most categories, the total sale is $58, fees are 13.6% of $58 plus $0.40, or $8.29, payout is $49.71, and profit after $18 and $6 is $25.71. On Poshmark the $50 listing pays 20% ($10.00); if the buyer pays the prepaid label, shipping charged is $0 in that column and profit is $50 − $10 − $18 = $22.00, assuming you do not also pay postage. On Mercari, 10% of $50 + $8 is $5.80, payout on a $58 intake is $52.20, and profit after $18 and $6 is $28.20. Those three profit numbers are only as good as the shipping assumptions; change who pays the label and the ranking can flip.

Under $15 the story changes again. A $14.99 Poshmark sale pays $2.95 and can beat both a short eBay sale, which still pays a $0.40 per-order fee, and a Mercari sale that still pays 10% of item plus shipping. Type the two prices on either side of $15 before you decide that 'Poshmark is always 20%.' The comparison table updates as you type; it will not average the platforms into a single blended fee.

What the free comparison does not include

It does not apply Promoted Listings, Etsy Offsite Ads, Depop Boost, or a Whatnot custom commission in the same grid. Those belong in the individual calculators, where you can turn those options on for a single platform. This grid uses eBay's 'most categories' and no-store table unless you leave this page and use the eBay calculator's category control. Trading cards, sneakers over $150, and store discounts will not show up in the eBay column here. That is intentional: mixing an 8% sneaker row into a clothing comparison would make eBay look cheaper than it is for the garment in your hand.

How to use the grid without fooling yourself

Enter one honest sale, then change only one variable at a time: the $14.99 versus $15.00 pair, shipping charged versus free shipping, or tax on versus tax off. That is how you see the Poshmark breakpoint and the way eBay's official total grows with postage and tax. If you need a special eBay category, leave this grid and use that calculator; mixing an 8% sneaker row into a clothing comparison makes eBay look cheaper than the garment in your hand. Use the individual calculators when you need ads, Offsite Ads, Boost or a custom Whatnot commission on top of the same sale.

How to use this calculator

1. Enter one shared sale. Use the same item price, shipping, cost and tax for every column. The whole point is a controlled comparison.
2. Adjust shipping to match how each platform actually works. If the Poshmark buyer pays the prepaid label, the shipping-charged field should be zero in your head for that platform. The current free grid uses one shipping-charged input for all three, so treat Poshmark results with that caveat or set shipping charged to zero when you are modelling a Posh-only label.
3. Watch the $15 Poshmark line. Run $14.99 and $15.00 before you write off or crown Poshmark.
4. Open a specialist calculator when the category is special. Trading cards, sneakers over $150, Etsy ads and PayPal checkout all have their own pages. Do not force them into this three-platform grid.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and updates

• Seller fees | eBay Seller Center, checked 2026-11-11.
• Guide to Poshmark, checked 2026-11-11.
• Fees on Mercari | Mercari Help, checked 2026-11-11.