Short answer: on a standard US sale with no store subscription and a domestic buyer, eBay takes about 13.6% + $0.40 per order — roughly 14% of your gross. Below is what that actually looks like in dollars at different price points, and what changes when you add international shipping, promoted listings, or a store tier.
The formula in one line
For a domestic US sale on a standard category with no store, the fee per order is:
eBay's cut at different price points
Here is what eBay takes from common sale prices. Each row assumes shipping is bundled into the item price, US standard category, no store, no promoted listings, domestic buyer:
| Sale price | FVF (13.6%) | Fixed fee | Total eBay fee | % of sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | $1.36 | $0.40 | $1.76 | 17.6% |
| $25 | $3.40 | $0.40 | $3.80 | 15.2% |
| $50 | $6.80 | $0.40 | $7.20 | 14.4% |
| $100 | $13.60 | $0.40 | $14.00 | 14.0% |
| $250 | $34.00 | $0.40 | $34.40 | 13.8% |
| $500 | $68.00 | $0.40 | $68.40 | 13.7% |
| $1000 | $136.00 | $0.40 | $136.40 | 13.6% |
Notice the effective rate drops as the sale price rises. That's the fixed $0.40 fee diluting — on a $10 sale it's 4% of your gross all by itself, on a $1,000 sale it's a rounding error.
What pushes eBay's cut higher
- International buyer: +1.65% surcharge on the total sale
- Promoted listings: your chosen ad rate (typically 2–15%) on top of the FVF
- Below Standard / Poor Performance: +6% or +8% added to the FVF base rate
- Books & Media category: 15.3% FVF instead of 13.6%
- Jewelry, Watches, Handbags: 15.0% FVF on the first tier of the sale
What lowers eBay's cut
- Store subscription: 2–7.000000000000001% off your FVF depending on tier
- Sneakers: 8.0% FVF for athletic shoes
- Guitars: 6.7% FVF
- Heavy Equipment / NFTs: 3.0–5.0% FVF
- High-value watches above $7,500: drops to 6.5% then 3.0%
Your real take-home isn't just sale minus fees
What eBay takes from the sale is only one side of the math. Your actual profit also depends on:
- What you paid for the item (cost of goods)
- Your real shipping cost (not what you charged the buyer)
- Packaging materials
- Returns reserve (typically 3–5% of sales)
- Income tax on the profit
The eBay profit calculator rolls all of this into one screen — enter your numbers and see net profit, ROI and margin in real time.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage does eBay take from a sale?
On a standard US sale, around 13.6% plus a fixed $0.40 per order — roughly 14% of your gross. International buyers add another 1.65% and promoted listings add your chosen ad rate on top.
Does eBay take fees on shipping?
Yes. The 13.6% final value fee is calculated on the total transaction including the shipping you charged the buyer — not just the item price.
What is the lowest eBay fee category?
Heavy Equipment (3%) and NFTs (5%) are the lowest. For high-value watches above $7,500, the rate drops to 3% on the portion above that threshold.