True Cost of Selling Online
What a seller keeps from one sale shipped to the buyer on eight marketplaces, with every listing, selling, processing and shipping fee on its own line.
Data: October 2026
Key Findings
$9.14
Gap in what the seller keeps from a $50.00 sale between the best and worst of eight marketplaces
Depop pays out $47.64 and StockX $38.50
23%
Share of a $50.00 sale StockX keeps in fees and seller-paid shipping
Against 4.7% on Depop, which charges US sellers only payment processing
5
Marketplaces that charge their percentage on the shipping the buyer pays
eBay, Etsy, Mercari, Depop and Facebook Marketplace
20%
Poshmark's fee on every sale of $15 or more, the highest rate of the eight
It costs $50.00 on a $250.00 sale
A $50.00 sale on eight marketplaces
Shipped to the buyer, who pays $7.99 for shipping where the seller sets it, before sales tax. Best payout first.
#1 of 8
Depop
Shipping paid by buyer$7.99
Sale price$50.00
Selling fee (none for US sellers)$0.00
Payment processing 3.3% + $0.45-$2.36
Total fees-$2.36
Seller payout$47.64
#2 of 8
Facebook Marketplace
Shipping paid by buyer$7.99
Sale price$50.00
Selling fee 10%-$5.80
Total fees-$5.80
Seller payout$44.20
#2 of 8
Mercari
Shipping paid by buyer$7.99
Sale price$50.00
Selling fee 10%-$5.80
Total fees-$5.80
Seller payout$44.20
#4 of 8
Etsy
Shipping paid by buyer$7.99
Sale price$50.00
Listing fee-$0.20
Transaction fee 6.5%-$3.77
Payment processing 3% + $0.25-$1.99
Total fees-$5.96
Seller payout$44.04
#5 of 8
eBay
Shipping paid by buyer$7.99
Sale price$50.00
Listing fee (first 250 a month free)$0.00
Final value fee, most categories-$7.89
Per-order fee-$0.40
Total fees-$8.29
Seller payout$41.71
#6 of 8
Poshmark
Shipping paid by buyer$6.49
Sale price$50.00
Selling fee 20%-$10.00
Total fees-$10.00
Seller payout$40.00
#7 of 8
GOAT
Shipping paid by buyer$0.00
Sale price$50.00
Commission 9.5%-$4.75
Seller-paid shipping-$5.00
Cash-out fee-$1.17
Total fees-$10.92
Seller payout$39.08
#8 of 8
StockX
Shipping paid by buyer$0.00
Sale price$50.00
Transaction fee 9% ($5 minimum)-$5.00
Payment processing 3%-$1.50
Seller-paid shipping-$5.00
Total fees-$11.50
Seller payout$38.50
Seller payout by platform
| Platform | Payout on $20.00 | Payout on $50.00 | Payout on $100.00 | Payout on $250.00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depop | $18.63 6.9% in fees | $47.64 4.7% in fees | $95.99 4% in fees | $241.04 3.6% in fees |
| Facebook Marketplace | $17.20 14% in fees | $44.20 11.6% in fees | $89.20 10.8% in fees | $224.20 10.3% in fees |
| Mercari | $17.20 14% in fees | $44.20 11.6% in fees | $89.20 10.8% in fees | $224.20 10.3% in fees |
| Etsy | $16.89 15.6% in fees | $44.04 11.9% in fees | $89.29 10.7% in fees | $225.04 10% in fees |
| eBay | $15.79 21.1% in fees | $41.71 16.6% in fees | $84.91 15.1% in fees | $214.51 14.2% in fees |
| Poshmark | $16.00 20% in fees | $40.00 20% in fees | $80.00 20% in fees | $200.00 20% in fees |
| GOAT | $12.72 36.4% in fees | $39.08 21.8% in fees | $83.02 17% in fees | $214.83 14.1% in fees |
| StockX | $9.40 53% in fees | $38.50 23% in fees | $83.00 17% in fees | $215.00 14% in fees |
Selling fees by marketplace
What each marketplace charges a new US seller to list and sell, from its own fee pages, with what it does with shipping. eBay's rate depends on the category, and the receipts use most categories unless another is chosen above. The numbers in brackets point to the source list below.
| Marketplace | Listing fee | Selling fees and shipping |
|---|---|---|
| eBay | Free for the first 250 listings a month in most categories, then an insertion fee per listing |
The seller sets shipping. The final value fee applies to the shipping and sales tax the buyer pays. [1] [2] [3] |
| Etsy | $0.20 per listing, renewed every four months |
The seller sets shipping. The transaction fee applies to shipping, and the processing fee to shipping and sales tax. [4] [5] [6] [7] |
| Mercari | Free |
The seller chooses who pays. The selling fee applies to shipping the buyer pays. [8] [9] [10] |
| Poshmark | Free |
The buyer pays a flat $6.49 for a prepaid label up to 5 lb, and the selling fee does not apply to it. [11] [12] [13] |
| Depop | Free |
The seller sets shipping or uses Depop's label. Processing applies to shipping and sales tax. [14] [15] |
| Facebook Marketplace | Free |
The selling fee applies to the whole transaction, shipping and sales tax included. [16] [17] |
| StockX | Free |
The seller pays $5 to ship to StockX for verification; the buyer pays StockX separately. [18] [19] [20] |
| GOAT | Free |
The seller pays a $5 seller fee for GOAT's prepaid label, or nothing at a GOAT drop-off location. [21] [22] |
Payment processing fees
Fees for taking the buyer's payment and for moving the money to the seller's bank. Four marketplaces charge processing on the sales tax the buyer pays as well, and eBay's and Facebook's selling fees include it.
| Marketplace | Payment processing | Getting paid |
|---|---|---|
| eBay | None separately; payment processing is part of the final value fee | Scheduled payouts to a bank account carry no fee; an express payout costs $2. [1] [2] [3] |
| Etsy | 3% + $0.25 of the total, including shipping and sales tax | Deposits to a US bank account carry no fee. [4] [5] [6] [7] |
| Mercari | None | Direct deposit is free; Instant Pay costs $3. [8] [9] [10] |
| Poshmark | None separately | Poshmark states no fee for direct deposit; Instant Transfer costs $2. [11] [12] [13] |
| Depop | 3.3% + $0.45 of the item, shipping and sales tax | Depop states no fee for withdrawing to a bank. [14] [15] |
| Facebook Marketplace | None separately; the selling fee covers it | Payouts go to the linked account after fees; Facebook's US payout terms could not be read. [16] [17] |
| StockX | 3% of the sale price | Earnings go to StockX Balance at no charge; PayPal and Venmo withdrawals are free and a bank transfer costs about $2. [18] [19] [20] |
| GOAT | None at sale; 2.9% to cash out | Cashing out to a bank or PayPal costs 2.9% of earnings, so the receipt includes it. [21] [22] |
Marketplace highlights
How each platform's fees land on a sale, at the default settings
Depop
Best payoutDepop charges US sellers no selling fee, only payment processing of 3.3% plus $0.45 on the item, shipping and tax. On a $50.00 sale with $7.99 shipping, that is $2.36, and the seller keeps $47.64.
StockX
A minimum fee and shippingStockX takes a 9% transaction fee with a $5.00 minimum, 3% for processing and $5.00 for shipping to its verification center. On a $50.00 sale the seller keeps $38.50, the least of the eight.
GOAT
A fee to get paidGOAT charges a 9.5% commission and a $5.00 seller fee for its prepaid label, then 2.9% to cash out to a bank or PayPal. On $50.00 the cash-out fee alone is $1.17.
Poshmark
Flat 20%Poshmark keeps 20% of any sale of $15 or more and $2.95 below that, and the buyer pays $6.49 for the label. The rate does not fall as the price rises, so Poshmark has the lowest payout at $250.00.
eBay
A fee on shipping and taxeBay's final value fee of 13.6% in most categories applies to the item, the shipping and the sales tax the buyer pays, plus $0.40 an order. On a $50.00 sale with $7.99 shipping the fees come to $8.29.
Mercari and Facebook
The same 10%Mercari and Facebook Marketplace both take 10% of the item and shipping, so a $50.00 sale pays out $44.20 on each before tax. Facebook also charges its 10% on the sales tax, with an $0.80 minimum.
Frequently asked questions
Which marketplace has the lowest selling fees?
Depop, which charges US sellers only payment processing. A $50.00 sale pays out $47.64 there, then Facebook Marketplace $44.20, Mercari $44.20 and Etsy $44.04.
Which marketplace keeps the most of a sale?
At $50.00, StockX keeps the most at $11.50, because its $5.00 minimum transaction fee and $5.00 seller shipping weigh heavily on a small sale. At $250.00, Poshmark keeps the most.
Do marketplaces charge fees on shipping?
eBay, Etsy, Mercari, Depop and Facebook Marketplace charge their percentage on the shipping the buyer pays. Poshmark's buyer pays a flat $6.49 label with no fee on it, and StockX and GOAT charge the seller $5.00 for shipping instead.
Do marketplaces charge fees on sales tax?
eBay, Etsy, Depop and Facebook Marketplace charge a fee on the sales tax the buyer pays, through the selling fee or payment processing. Every one of the eight collects the tax from the buyer itself where a state requires it.
Does it cost anything to get paid?
Standard payouts to a bank are free on most of the eight. GOAT charges 2.9% to cash out, which the receipts include. Faster payouts cost extra on several, such as eBay's $2 express payout and Mercari's $3 Instant Pay.
Does eBay charge a listing fee?
Not for the first 250 listings a month in most categories. After that eBay charges an insertion fee for each listing, so a seller within the free allowance pays nothing to list. Etsy charges $0.20 for every listing.
Our Methodology
The sale
- The sale is one item at $50.00 by a new US seller with a standard account, no store subscription and no promoted or boosted listings. eBay's fee is for most categories unless another is chosen; StockX's is for Seller Level 1 and GOAT's for the starting seller rating of 90, the rates new sellers pay.
- The buyer pays $7.99 for shipping where the seller sets it, Mercari's published price for a 1 lb USPS Ground Advantage label and the only flat 1 lb label price among these platforms. The seller spends it on the label, so it adds nothing to the payout, but fees charged on it are counted. Poshmark's buyer pays its flat $6.49 label. StockX and GOAT make the seller pay $5.00 to ship, which is on the receipts.
- Download the payouts at the default settings as a CSV file.
How we calculate
- The receipts start before sales tax. Each marketplace collects sales tax from the buyer where the law requires it and pays it to the state, so the tax never reaches the seller, but eBay's and Facebook's selling fees and Etsy's and Depop's processing fees are charged on it. Set the buyer's rate in the controls to add those fees. Taxes on the seller's own income are outside this page.
- StockX's $5.00 minimum is applied to its transaction fee, since its fee page does not say whether it also covers processing. Etsy enrolls shops with under $10,000 in yearly sales in Offsite Ads, which takes 15% of an order it brings in; the page treats it as an ad the seller can turn off and leaves it out. GOAT's seller fee is the one for its prepaid label; a seller who drops the item at a GOAT location pays none.
- Each percentage is worked out on the amount the platform names and rounded to the cent. The payout is the sale price less every fee, seller-paid shipping and any fee to cash out.
What could not be read
Facebook's US help pages on shipping labels and payouts could not be read from outside its checkout, so the receipt uses only the selling fee in Facebook's checkout terms.
Update Schedule
This page is reviewed quarterly and when a marketplace changes its fees. The current fees were checked in October 2026.
Sources
Each source is the platform's own page and appears once. Etsy's fee policy could be read only as an archived copy, which the list marks.
- eBay, for listing fees, final value fees by category and the per-order fee
- eBay, for payouts
- eBay, for sales tax collected from buyers
- Etsy, for the fees and payments policy (page dated October 5, 2026), archived copy of October 10, 2026
- Etsy, for listing and transaction fees
- Etsy, for payment processing in the US
- Etsy, for deposits
- Mercari, for the selling fee and label prices
- Mercari, for direct deposit
- Mercari, for label prices from October 19, 2026 (page dated September 17, 2026)
- Poshmark, for the selling fee (page dated effective November 25, 2024)
- Poshmark, for the $6.49 shipping the buyer pays
- Poshmark, for direct deposit
- Depop, for selling and payment processing fees
- Depop, for the processing fee on sales tax
- Facebook Marketplace, for the selling fee and its minimum (page dated May 26, 2026)
- Facebook Marketplace, for the selling fee on shipping and tax
- StockX, for transaction and processing fees and the minimum
- StockX, for the $5 seller shipping fee
- StockX, for payouts
- GOAT, for the commission, the seller fee and the cash-out fee (page dated August 1, 2026)
- GOAT, for the prepaid label and cashing out (page dated August 1, 2026)
Cite this page
Researchers, journalists, and bloggers are welcome to reference this data with attribution
APA Citation
CheckoutReceipt. (2026). True cost of selling online. CheckoutReceipt.com. https://www.checkoutreceipt.com/tools/true-cost-selling-online
HTML Link
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Bill a buyer directly
Make an itemized invoice for a private sale and download it as a PDF.