"What percentage does eBay take?" is the first question every new seller asks and the one experienced sellers keep re-checking, because the answer moves. In 2026 the short version is: for most categories eBay keeps 13.6% of the total sale plus $0.40 per order, and there is no separate payment processing fee on top of that.
The long version has category exceptions, an international surcharge, optional ad fees, and a store subscription that changes the math once you sell enough volume. This guide walks through every line item so you can price with confidence instead of guessing at your margin after the sale.
All fee figures below are US rates as of 2026 — verify on eBay's fee page before relying on them for tax or accounting purposes. If you just want a number, plug your price into our free eBay fee calculator.
• Final value fee: 13.6% of item price + shipping + sales tax, plus $0.40 per order
• Per-order fee drops to $0.30 when the order total is $10 or less
• Category exceptions: sneakers $150+ at 8% (no per-order fee), trading cards 13.25%, books/movies/music 15.3%, jewelry 15%
• 250 free listings per month, then $0.35 each
• Promoted Listings General: your chosen ad rate (min 2%), only charged when it sells via a promoted click
• International fee: 1.65% when the buyer's address is outside the US
• Payment processing is included — no extra card fee
The Final Value Fee: What Percentage eBay Takes
The final value fee is the main eBay seller fee. It has two parts: a percentage and a flat per-order amount. For most categories the percentage is 13.6% and it is calculated on the total amount of the sale, which means item price plus the shipping you charge the buyer plus any sales tax eBay collects. Yes, you pay a fee on tax the buyer paid — that trips up a lot of people.
On top of the percentage there is a $0.40 per-order fee. If the total order is $10 or less, that per-order fee is $0.30 instead. It is charged per order, not per item, so a buyer who bundles three things into one checkout triggers it once.
Since eBay runs its own managed payments, there is no separate PayPal-style processing fee. The 13.6% already covers card processing, which is why it looks higher than the raw commission on some competitors like Mercari (10% + 2.9% + $0.50) but ends up comparable once you add their processing line.
Fee = (item price + shipping charged + sales tax) × 13.6% + $0.40
Payout = item price + shipping charged − fee − your actual label cost
Category Exceptions (Table)
Not every category pays 13.6%. eBay adjusts rates where it competes hard for supply (sneakers) or where margins are structurally different (media). These are the exceptions resellers hit most often, as of 2026 — verify on eBay's fee page:
| Category | Final value fee | Per-order fee |
|---|---|---|
| Most categories (clothing, home, electronics, etc.) | 13.6% | $0.40 ($0.30 if order is $10 or less) |
| Athletic shoes / sneakers sold for $150+ | 8% | None |
| Trading cards | 13.25% | $0.40 ($0.30 if order is $10 or less) |
| Books, movies & music | 15.3% | $0.40 ($0.30 if order is $10 or less) |
| Jewelry | 15% | $0.40 ($0.30 if order is $10 or less) |
| Portion of any sale above $7,500 | 2.35% on the amount over $7,500 | Standard per-order fee applies |
The sneaker exception is the one that changes behaviour: a $200 pair pays 8% with no per-order fee, which is dramatically cheaper than a $200 jacket in the same closet. If you sell across categories, our eBay fee calculator lets you pick the category so you are not applying 13.6% to everything.
Insertion (Listing) Fees
eBay gives every seller 250 free insertion fees per month. Once you list item number 251 in a calendar month, each additional listing costs $0.35, and that fee is charged whether or not the item sells. Store subscribers get a larger monthly allotment, which is one of the main reasons volume sellers subscribe.
Good-Til-Cancelled listings renew automatically each month and use an insertion credit each time, so a large stale inventory quietly burns through your 250 free listings. If you are consistently over 250 active listings, compare a Basic Store subscription against paying $0.35 per extra listing — the store usually wins sooner than you expect.
Promoted Listings and Ad Fees
Promoted Listings General is optional. You choose an ad rate as a percentage of the sale (minimum 2%), and eBay only charges it when a buyer clicks a promoted placement and buys the item within the attribution window. No click, no fee. If the buyer finds the listing organically, no fee.
The trap is treating the ad rate as free money. A 5% ad rate on top of 13.6% means eBay is taking close to 19% of the sale. Worth it for slow movers or crowded searches, but decide per item rather than blanketing the store at eBay's "suggested" rate.
Note that the ad fee is calculated on the same total-sale base as the final value fee, so model both together before promoting a low-margin item.
International Fee, High-Value Sales, and Stores
International fee (1.65%)
When the buyer's registered address is outside the US, eBay adds an international fee of 1.65% of the total sale. This applies even if you ship through eBay International Shipping, so cross-border sales carry roughly 15.25% in standard categories before any ad spend.
Sales above $7,500
For big-ticket items, the standard percentage applies up to $7,500 and only 2.35% applies to the portion above that. A $10,000 sale in a 13.6% category pays 13.6% on the first $7,500 and 2.35% on the remaining $2,500.
eBay Store subscriptions
An eBay Store is a monthly subscription that gives you more free insertion fees and discounted final value fee rates in many categories. The exact discounted percentages vary by category and store tier, so check the current fee page for your categories. The rule of thumb: once your monthly fee savings exceed the subscription cost, subscribe. Most sellers doing a few thousand dollars a month in standard categories are already past that line.
Worked Example: $60 Jacket + $10 Shipping
Say you sell a vintage jacket for $60 and charge the buyer $10 shipping. To keep the example simple, assume no sales tax was collected and the buyer is in the US. Standard category, no promotion.
Percentage fee: $70 × 13.6% = $9.52
Per-order fee: $0.40
Total eBay fee: $9.92
Gross payout before shipping cost:$70 − $9.92 = $60.08
If your label actually costs $8.50: you net $51.58
Notice that eBay's fee is 14.2% of the sale once you fold in the per-order fee, and 16.5% of the item price alone. Now add a 4% promoted rate: another $2.80, bringing the fee to $12.72 and your net to $48.78. Add an international buyer: 1.65% × $70 = $1.16 more. Small percentages, but they stack.
Run your own numbers in the eBay fee calculator, or compare the same jacket on Poshmark and Depop with the rest of our free fee calculators.
How to Lower Your eBay Fees
You cannot negotiate the final value fee, but you can control what it is applied to and how many extras you stack on top of it.
1. Stay under 250 listings or get a Store. Paying $0.35 per listing on items that never sell is dead money. Either prune stale inventory or subscribe so the insertion allowance and discounted rates cover it.
2. Promote selectively. Use Promoted Listings on items with real competition or aging inventory, at a rate you have modeled. Turn it off on items that sell organically.
3. Know your category.Sneakers over $150 pay 8%. If a listing could reasonably sit in a lower-fee category, list it there (accurately). Do not misclassify — eBay will move it and may penalize you.
4. Charge accurate shipping and encourage bundles. Fees are calculated on shipping too, so padding shipping costs you 13.6% of the padding. And since the $0.40 is per order, combined-shipping discounts that get buyers to bundle save you money.
5. Diversify beyond eBay.The single biggest lever is not paying eBay fees on sales that could have happened somewhere cheaper. Depop charges sellers no commission (payment processing 3.3% + $0.45), Whatnot is 8% + processing, Grailed is 9% + processing. Cross-listing lets the item sell wherever it sells first — see our guide on how to cross-list on multiple platforms and the roundup of sites like eBay.
FAQ
What percentage does eBay take from a sale?
For most categories, 13.6% of the total sale (item price + shipping + sales tax) plus $0.40 per order, as of 2026. Sneakers $150+ pay 8% with no per-order fee; trading cards 13.25%; books, movies and music 15.3%; jewelry 15%. Verify on eBay's fee page.
Does eBay charge a fee on shipping?
Yes. The final value fee is calculated on the total the buyer pays, including shipping and sales tax. That is why free shipping with a higher item price and paid shipping with a lower item price produce the same fee — only the total matters.
Is there a separate payment processing fee on eBay?
No. eBay's managed payments processing is included in the final value fee. Compare that with Mercari (2.9% + $0.50), Depop (3.3% + $0.45), or Etsy (3% + $0.25), which bill processing separately.
How much does it cost to list an item on eBay?
Nothing for your first 250 listings each month. After that, $0.35 per listing whether it sells or not. Store subscribers get more free listings as part of the subscription.
How do I calculate eBay fees quickly?
Use our free eBay fee calculator: enter item price, shipping charged, category, and optional ad rate, and it returns the fee and your net payout. There are matching calculators for Poshmark, Depop, Whatnot, and Etsy.