On the headline numbers eBay and Amazon look similar: eBay.com charges 13.6% of the total on most categories plus $0.30–$0.40 per order; Amazon charges a referral fee of mostly 8–15% depending on the category. The differences are in the extras — Amazon's selling plan, fulfilment fees, and the fact that eBay lets you sell used and one-off items with almost no setup.
Fees verified against eBay's official United States fee pages on 14 October 2026. Checked daily for changes (fee change tracker). Source: eBay eBay.com fee page.
eBay.com fees
- 13.6% of the total sale (item + shipping + tax) on most categories, up to $7,500 per item.
- $0.30 per order up to $10, $0.40 above.
- Category exceptions: books 15.3%, sneakers $150+ 8%, guitars 6.7%, trading cards 13.25% and more.
- 250 free listings a month, then $0.35. Optional stores ($4.95–$2,999.95 a month) with lower category rates from Basic up.
- No separate payment processing fee.
Amazon fees (US)
- Selling plan: Individual — $0.99 per item sold, no monthly fee; or Professional — $39.99 a month with no per-item fee. Amazon suggests Professional above about 40 sales a month.
- Referral fee: a percentage of the total price that varies by category — most fall between 8% and 15% (for example 15% for Home & Kitchen, Sports & Outdoors and Toys & Games) — with a minimum of $0.30 per item in many categories. Some categories, such as clothing, are tiered by price.
- Optional: Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) fees per unit plus storage, and Amazon Ads.
Side by side (you ship it yourself)
| Sale (incl. shipping) | eBay.com | Amazon, 15% category, Individual plan | Amazon, 15%, Professional plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| $20 | $3.12 | $3.99 | $3.00 + share of $39.99/mo |
| $50 | $7.20 | $8.49 | $7.50 + share of $39.99/mo |
| $100 | $14.00 | $15.99 | $15.00 + share of $39.99/mo |
| $300 | $41.20 | $45.99 | $45.00 + share of $39.99/mo |
In a 15% Amazon category, eBay is slightly cheaper per sale. In Amazon's 8% categories (some electronics), Amazon can be cheaper than eBay's 13.6% — though a Basic eBay store brings laptops and consoles down to 7.35% and phones and cameras to 9.35% (a $300 camera: $28.45 on eBay with a store).
The FBA factor
If you use FBA, Amazon picks, packs and ships for a per-unit fee that depends on size and weight, plus monthly storage. That replaces your own shipping cost, so compare it with what you'd spend on postage and packing — not with eBay's fees.
Which should you use?
- Used, vintage, collectible or one-off items: eBay — no catalogue matching, auctions, condition-based listings.
- New, branded, repeatable products: Amazon's catalogue and Prime traffic can sell volume eBay can't.
- Low volume: eBay avoids the $39.99 Professional plan and Amazon's $0.99 per-item charge.
Frequently asked questions
Are Amazon's fees higher than eBay's?
In most 15% categories, slightly — and more so on the Individual plan. In 8% categories Amazon can be cheaper unless you have an eBay store.
Do both charge on shipping?
Yes — eBay's final value fee and Amazon's referral fee are both calculated on the total price including shipping. Enter your own prices in the eBay profit calculator to see the eBay side exactly.
Where do these numbers come from?
eBay rates from our verified eBay data; Amazon plan and referral basics from sell.amazon.com/pricing, checked on 9 October 2026. Check Amazon's full referral table for your exact category.