eBay fees explained: final value fee, per-order fee and real profit

On eBay.com, most categories pay a final value fee of 13.6% of the total sale, plus $0.40 per order — or $0.30 if the order total is $10 or less. The total sale includes the item price, shipping and the sales tax the buyer pays. The figures come from eBay’s selling fees page, checked on 25 October 2026.

The main fees

Category	Final value fee
Most categories	13.6% up to $7,500, then 2.35% on the part above
Books & Magazines, Movies & TV, Music	15.3% up to $7,500, then 2.35%
Coins & Paper Money (not bullion)	13.25% up to $7,500, then 2.35%
Guitars & Basses	6.7% up to $7,500, then 2.35%

Some categories, such as watches, jewelry and handbags, use different tiers; eBay’s page lists them all. Promoted listings and store subscriptions are extra.

Worked example: a $45 item

A seller sells a used item for $45 with free shipping. It cost $18, shipping costs $8 and packaging $1.

	No sales tax	8% sales tax
Buyer pays	$45.00	$48.60
eBay fees (13.6% + $0.40)	$6.52	$7.01
Profit per order	$11.48	$10.99
Break-even price	$31.72	$32.12

eBay collects and passes on the sales tax, so it isn’t your revenue — but because the fee is charged on the total sale, tax adds $0.49 to the fee here. Use the tax rate of a typical buyer’s state to see the effect.

Cheap items: the fixed fee bites

For a $9 item that costs $3, with $4.30 for shipping and packaging, the fees are 13.6% × $9 = $1.22 plus $0.30 = $1.52, which leaves $0.18. The fixed part alone is 3.3% of the price. Below a certain price, bundling items into one listing or raising the price slightly is the only way to make a cheap item worth shipping.

(The calculator’s eBay preset uses the $0.40 fee for orders over $10. For orders of $10 or less, change the fixed fee to $0.30.)

Run your own numbers

Open the eBay fee calculator — the eBay fees fill in automatically — then enter your price and costs. Fees change; check eBay’s page before relying on them.