Say you list a $5 DVD: the fee looks tiny in dollars, but as a share of the sale it is the biggest cut eBay takes. Our run of eBay's US fee schedule shows that eBay fees on cheap items take 19.6% of a $5 sale in most categories, versus 14.0% at $100 and 10.8% at $10,000.
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.
The effective fee percentage at every price
Method: we ran the US calculator at each price point for the "Most categories" rate, a domestic sale, no Store subscription, good seller standing and no promoted listings. Shipping and tax are left out here so you see the pure curve. They come back in later.
| Sale price | eBay's cut | Share of sale |
|---|---|---|
| $5.00 | $0.98 | 19.6% |
| $9.99 | $1.66 | 16.6% |
| $10.00 | $1.66 | 16.6% |
| $10.01 | $1.76 | 17.6% |
| $25.00 | $3.80 | 15.2% |
| $50.00 | $7.20 | 14.4% |
| $100.00 | $14.00 | 14% |
| $500.00 | $68.40 | 13.7% |
| $1,000.00 | $136.40 | 13.6% |
| $7,500.00 | $1,020.40 | 13.6% |
| $10,000.00 | $1,079.15 | 10.8% |
eBay.com, all sellers, most categories, domestic sale, no store.
The curve is steep at the bottom and flat in the middle. Between $50 and $1,000, the share barely moves. Below $25 it climbs fast. Above $7,500 it drifts down.
Why the curve has this shape
Two parts make up the fee. The variable fee is 13.6% of the total sale in most categories. The per-order fee is a flat $0.30 on orders up to $10 and $0.40 above.
A flat fee is a floor. On a $5 sale, $0.30 alone is 6.0% of the price. On a $500 sale, $0.40 is under a tenth of a percent. That is why eBay fees on small items look so harsh.
At the top, the opposite happens. Past the $7,500 price point, each extra dollar is charged only 2.4%. So a $10,000 sale has a blended rate well below the headline 13.6%.
The $10 step: $9.99, $10 or $10.01?
The per-order fee rises once the order passes $10. Here is what you keep in most categories with free shipping:
$9.99 sale: you keep $8.33
$10.00 sale: you keep $8.34
$10.01 sale: you keep $8.25
Price needed to beat a $10.00 sale: about $10.12
$9.99 and $10 are effectively the same. Pricing a few cents above $10 costs you money. The catch: the threshold applies to the order total, including buyer-paid shipping and sales tax. Charge any shipping on a $10 item and you are over the line anyway. Do not reprice your whole store around it.
eBay fees on cheap items once shipping and tax are counted
eBay charges its percentage on the total amount the buyer pays, which includes shipping and sales tax. For cheap items, shipping is often bigger than the price. The table below assumes an 8% sales tax on item plus shipping and typical buyer-paid shipping charges.
| Item | Category | Price | Shipping | Fee base | Total fee | Fee as % of price | If item only |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DVD (Media Mail) | Books, movies & music | $5.00 | $4.50 | $10.26 | $1.97 | 39.4% | 21.3% |
| Paperback (Media Mail) | Books, movies & music | $8.00 | $4.50 | $13.50 | $2.47 | 30.8% | 19.1% |
| Phone case | Most categories | $10.00 | $5.00 | $16.20 | $2.60 | 26.0% | 16.6% |
| Kitchen gadget | Most categories | $25.00 | $6.00 | $33.48 | $4.95 | 19.8% | 15.2% |
| Jacket | Clothing | $50.00 | $8.00 | $62.64 | $8.92 | 17.8% | 14.4% |
The $5 DVD is the worst case. Books, movies and music carry a 15.3% rate, and the fee lands on shipping and tax too. eBay keeps $1.97, or 39.4% of the item price. For a fuller breakdown of every fee line, see how much eBay takes from a sale.
A break-even minimum listing price
Fees are only part of the cost. Assume a $4.50 label charged to the buyer at cost, $0.50 of packaging, 10 minutes of work valued at $20 an hour, and $1.00 paid for the item. Sold in most categories:
Minimum price = (fixed costs + per-order fee + fee rate × shipping) ÷ (1 − fee rate)
Break-even price: $6.77
Price to clear $5 profit: $12.56
Rule of thumb: if an item will not sell for at least $13, do not list it alone. Bundle it, or skip it. Plug your own label cost and hourly rate into the eBay profit calculator to get your exact floor. Our guide on pricing items on eBay for maximum profit covers the demand side.
Workarounds for low-value items
- Lots and bundles. Five $5 items sold separately cost $4.90 in fees. One $25 lot costs $3.80. You also buy one label instead of five.
- Multi-quantity listings. One listing for identical items saves listing time and free-listing allowance.
- Volume pricing. Offer a discount for buying 2, 3 or 4 so one order carries more value.
- Best Offer floors. Set an auto-decline at your break-even price. Our Best Offer floor guide shows how.
- Combined shipping. Turn it on so repeat buyers add items to one parcel.
- Heavy cheap items. Anything over 1 lb ships at higher rates, and the fee hits that shipping too. Use calculated shipping, offer local pickup, or sell it in a lot. If shipping costs more than the item, list it locally instead of on eBay.
How category rates and Stores move the curve
Category shifts the whole curve. At $10, books and media pay 18.3% versus 16.6% in most categories. Lower-rate categories pull it down by the same logic.
A Basic Store or higher switches you to a lower category table. A $25 sale in most categories drops from 15.2% to 14.3%. The per-order fee stays, so the floor on cheap items barely moves. The monthly subscription only pays off at volume; see Store subscription breakeven.
| 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 |
Frequently asked questions
Is it worth selling cheap items on eBay?
Only if your total costs leave a profit. Under our assumptions, break-even is $6.77 in most categories. Below that, bundle items or sell them elsewhere.
Does eBay charge its percentage fee on shipping and sales tax too?
Yes. The final value fee applies to the total the buyer pays, including shipping and sales tax. There is no separate payment processing fee on top.
What is a good minimum price to list an item on eBay?
With a $4.50 label and 10 minutes of work, aim for at least $13 to clear $5. Run your numbers in the calculator with your real shipping and category.