If you sell on eBay.com in 2026, your profit depends on a handful of fees applied to every sale. This guide explains each one — what it is, how it's calculated and how to keep it down — using the same verified rates as our eBay profit calculator. Selling outside the US? The last section covers what's different.
Fees verified against eBay's official United States fee pages on 13 October 2026. Checked daily for changes (fee change tracker). Source: eBay eBay.com fee page.
How eBay fees stack up
Most eBay fees are calculated on the total amount of the sale: item price plus shipping, handling and sales tax. For each sale you can pay:
- a final value fee (a percentage that depends on the category);
- a per-order fee ($0.30 or $0.40);
- an international fee if the buyer is outside the US;
- a promoted listings fee if you advertise;
- a performance surcharge if your account falls below standard.
There's no separate payment processing fee — eBay includes it in the final value fee.
1. The final value fee
Most categories pay 13.6% on the total sale up to $7,500 per item and 2.35% on any part above. Some categories pay more, some much less:
| Category | No store | Basic store or higher |
|---|---|---|
| Most categories | 13.6% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 12.7% up to $2,500, 2.35% on the rest |
| Clothing, shoes & accessories | 13.6% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 12.7% up to $2,500, 2.35% on the rest |
| Athletic shoes (sneakers) | 13.6% if the sale is up to $150; 8% (no per-order fee) above $150 | 12.7% if the sale is up to $150; 7% (no per-order fee) above $150 |
| Women's bags & handbags | 15% if the sale is up to $2,000; 9% above $2,000 | 13% if the sale is up to $2,000; 7% above $2,000 |
| Jewelry (except watches) | 15% if the sale is up to $5,000; 9% above $5,000 | 13% if the sale is up to $5,000; 7% above $5,000 |
| Watches, parts & accessories | 15% up to $1,000, 6.5% to $7,500, 3% on the rest | 12.5% up to $1,000, 4% to $5,000, 3% on the rest |
| Books, movies & music | 15.3% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 15.3% up to $2,500, 2.35% on the rest |
| Vinyl records | 13.6% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 12.7% up to $2,500, 2.35% on the rest |
| Trading cards, comics & CCGs | 13.25% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 12.35% up to $2,500, 2.35% on the rest |
| Coins & paper money (except bullion) | 13.25% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 9% up to $4,000, 2.35% on the rest |
| Bullion | 13.6% if the sale is up to $7,500; 7% above $7,500 | 7.5% if the sale is up to $1,500; 5% above $1,500; 4.5% above $10,000 |
| Cameras, phones & consumer electronics | 13.6% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 9.35% up to $2,500, 2.35% on the rest |
| Laptops, desktops, tablets & game consoles | 13.6% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 7.35% up to $2,500, 2.35% on the rest |
| eBay Motors parts & accessories | 13.6% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 11.5% up to $1,000, 2.35% on the rest |
| Musical instruments & gear (except guitars) | 13.6% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 10.35% up to $2,500, 2.35% on the rest |
| Guitars & basses | 6.7% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 6.7% up to $2,500, 2.35% on the rest |
| Stamps | 13.6% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 9.7% up to $2,500, 2.35% on the rest |
| NFTs | 5% | 5% |
| Heavy equipment, printing presses & food trucks | 3% up to $15,000, 0.5% on the rest | 2.5% up to $15,000, 0.5% on the rest |
Watch the two kinds of thresholds. In tiered categories (watches, books, coins, guitars, heavy equipment) the lower rate applies only to the part of the sale above the threshold — a $10,000 watch pays $150.00 + $422.50 + $75.00 = $647.50. In whole-sale categories (jewelry, handbags, bullion, sneakers) crossing the threshold changes the rate on the entire sale: sneakers that sell for $150 or more pay 8% and no per-order fee at all.
Quick example
A $200 jacket with $15 shipping pays 13.6% on the full $215: $29.24 before anything else.
2. The per-order fee
$0.30 on orders of $10 or less and $0.40 above, charged once per order however many items the buyer checks out together. On a $5 sale, $0.30 is 6% on its own — bundling cheap items helps.
3. The international fee
1.65% of the total sale when the buyer's delivery or registered address is outside the US — unless you use eBay International Shipping, which waives it on eligible listings.
4. Promoted listings
Optional. With general (cost-per-sale) campaigns you pick an ad rate — commonly 2% to 20% — and pay it only when a buyer clicks your ad and buys. It's charged on top of everything else, so 8% on a $100 sale is another $8.
Rule of thumb: if your margin after normal fees is under 15%, promoting at 5% or more usually turns a profit into a loss. Model it in the calculator first.
5. Performance surcharges
These are extra percentage points on the total sale, not a percentage of your fee — a 13.6% fee becomes 19.6% for a Below Standard seller.
| Seller status | Surcharge on the total sale |
|---|---|
| Top Rated / Above Standard | None |
| Below Standard | +6 points (+7 points after 4+ months) |
| Very high 'item not as described' rate | +5 points in the affected categories (+6 points after 4+ months) |
The flip side: Top Rated Plus listings (Top Rated seller, same- or 1-day handling, free 30-day returns) get 10% off the final value fee.
Store subscriptions
eBay Stores don't give a flat percentage discount. Starter keeps the standard rates. Basic and higher switch you to a lower category table — 12.7% instead of 13.6% for most categories (up to $2,500), and bigger cuts in electronics, computers, coins and motors parts — plus more free listings.
| Plan | Monthly fee | Free listings | Effect on final value fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| No store | — | Unlimited | — |
| Starter | $4.95 ($7.95 monthly renewal) | 250 | None (listing benefits only) |
| Basic | $21.95 ($27.95 monthly renewal) | 1,000 | Lower category rates |
| Premium | $59.95 ($74.95 monthly renewal) | 10,000 | Lower category rates |
| Anchor | $299.95 ($349.95 monthly renewal) | 25,000 | Lower category rates |
| Enterprise | $2,999.95 | 100,000 | Lower category rates |
On a $110 sale in most categories, a Basic store saves $0.99 in final value fees. At $21.95 a month (yearly plan), that pays off from roughly 23 such sales a month — sooner in electronics, where the store rate is 9.35%. Our store break-even guide runs the numbers by category.
Putting it all together
A $100 item with $10 shipping, no store, Above Standard seller, domestic buyer, no ads:
- Final value fee (13.6% of $110): $14.96
- Per-order fee: $0.40
- International fee: $0.00
- Total eBay fees: $15.36 — 14.0% of the sale
Subtract what you paid for the item and your shipping cost to get net profit — or let the calculator do it, including categories, stores and surcharges.
Selling outside the US
Fees are set per eBay site, and they differ a lot. Several European sites now let private sellers sell for free, business sellers pay category rates plus a small regulatory fee, and some countries have no eBay site at all:
| Country | Private sellers | Business / standard | Per-order fee (paid) |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Same as business | 3%–15.3% | $0.30 (orders ≤ $10) / $0.40 |
| Canada | Same as business | 3%–15.3% | C$0.30 (orders ≤ C$10) / C$0.40 |
| United Kingdom | Free | 6.9%–14.9% | £0.30 (orders ≤ £10) / £0.40 |
| Germany | Free | 6.5%–16% | €0.35 (orders ≤ €10) / €0.45 |
| France | Free | 5%–12% | €0.35 |
| Italy | Free | 6.5%–12.5% | €0.35 |
| Spain | 11.5% | 5%–9% | €0.35 (orders ≤ €10) / €0.45 |
| Australia | Free | 13.4% | A$0.30 |
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay eBay fees on shipping?
Yes. The final value fee is calculated on the total amount including the shipping you charge the buyer.
Is there a regulatory operating fee in the US?
No. It applies on the UK and most EU sites (0.35% for business sellers, around 0.42% for paying private sellers).
Are eBay fees tax deductible?
For a reselling business, generally yes — they're a business expense. Check with a local accountant.
What's the cheapest way to sell on eBay?
Stay Above Standard, avoid promotions unless you measure their return, list in the correct category, and consider a Basic store once your volume justifies it.