Key takeaways
- For most categories eBay charges 13.6% of the total sale up to $7,500, 2.35% on any part above that, plus $0.40 per order ($0.30 if the order is $10 or less).
- The total sale includes the shipping the buyer pays and the sales tax eBay collects, so the fee is bigger than 13.6% of your item price.
- You get 250 free listings a month; after that each listing costs $0.35, whether or not it sells.
- Promoted Listings General charges your chosen ad rate, from 2%, on the total sale when a buyer clicks your ad and buys within 30 days.
- On an $85 item with $12 shipping, a seller without a Store pays $14.52 in fees, about 15% of what the buyer paid before tax.
The two fees on almost every sale
When an item sells on eBay.com, you pay a final value fee and a per-order fee. Both come out of your payout automatically, so you never send eBay a bill for a normal sale.
The final value fee is a percentage of the total amount of the sale. For most categories it is 13.6% on the first $7,500 of each item and 2.35% on anything above $7,500. The per-order fee is $0.40, or $0.30 when the order total is $10 or less.
The total amount of the sale is wider than the price. It includes the item price, any handling charge, the shipping the buyer pays and the sales tax eBay collects for the state. You pay 13.6% on the tax even though the tax never reaches you.
Total amount of sale = Item price + Shipping + Sales tax Final value fee = 13.6% × Total up to $7,500 + 2.35% × Total above $7,500 Per-order fee = $0.40 ($0.30 if the order total is $10 or less)
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eBay final value fee by category
A handful of categories have their own rate. These are eBay’s rates for sellers without a Store, as listed on its US selling fees page in November 2026. The per-order fee applies on top in every row except athletic shoes of $150 or more.
In handbags, jewelry and athletic shoes the lower rate applies to the whole sale once it passes the threshold. In the other rows the lower rate applies only to the part above $7,500.
- Bullion pays 13.6% on sales of $7,500 or less and 7% above.
- A big sale shows how the 2.35% works: a $9,000 item in most categories pays $1,020 on the first $7,500, $35.25 on the other $1,500, and $0.40 per order, $1,055.65 in total.
| Category | Final value fee | Above the threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Most categories | 13.6% up to $7,500 | 2.35% on the part above |
| Books, movies & TV, music (not vinyl records) | 15.3% up to $7,500 | 2.35% on the part above |
| Trading cards, comics, coins & paper money | 13.25% up to $7,500 | 2.35% on the part above |
| Guitars & basses | 6.7% up to $7,500 | 2.35% on the part above |
| Athletic shoes | 13.6% under $150 | 8% on sales of $150 or more, no per-order fee |
| Women’s bags & handbags | 15% at $2,000 or less | 9% on sales over $2,000 |
| Jewelry (not watches) | 15% at $5,000 or less | 9% on sales over $5,000 |
| Watches, parts & accessories | 15% up to $1,000 | 6.5% from $1,000 to $7,500, 3% above |
Insertion fees and free listings
eBay gives most sellers 250 zero insertion fee listings a month. Each listing after that costs $0.35 per listing, per category, and again each time you relist. The fee is not refunded if the item does not sell.
For most part-time sellers 250 is plenty. If you list 300 items in a month, the extra 50 cost $17.50 whether or not they sell, so count that in your costs. Guitars and basses list free, and athletic shoes list free with a starting price of $150 or more.
eBay Store subscriptions in brief
A Store gives you more free listings and, from the Basic level up, a lower final value fee in most categories: 12.7% up to $2,500 per item and 2.35% above. The per-order fee stays the same.
On most categories a Basic Store saves 0.9 percentage points on each sale up to $2,500. At $27.95 a month on monthly renewal, that pays for itself at about $3,100 a month in total sales, or about $2,440 on the $21.95 yearly plan, before counting the extra free listings. Below that, stay without a Store unless you need the listings.
| Store | Monthly renewal | Yearly renewal, per month | Free fixed-price listings a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $7.95 | $4.95 | 250 |
| Basic | $27.95 | $21.95 | 1,000 |
| Premium | $74.95 | $59.95 | 10,000 |
| Anchor | $349.95 | $299.95 | 25,000 |
Promoted Listings, Top Rated Plus and selling abroad
Promoted Listings General is eBay’s pay-per-sale advertising. You set an ad rate between 2% and 100%, and pay it only when the item sells within 30 days of a click on your ad. Like the final value fee, the ad fee is charged on the total sale, including shipping and tax, so a 4% rate costs more than 4% of your price. Priority campaigns charge per click instead.
Top Rated Plus listings get 10% off the final value fee, though not off the per-order fee. To qualify you need Top Rated Seller status, same or one business day handling and free returns for 30 days or more in most categories.
If the buyer’s delivery or registered address is outside the US, eBay adds an international fee of 1.65% of the total, unless you ship through eBay International Shipping. Sellers rated Below Standard pay an extra 6% on final value fees, rising to 7% after four months in a row.
Ad fee = Total amount of sale × Ad rate Top Rated Plus saving = Final value fee (percentage part) × 10% International fee = Total amount of sale × 1.65%
Worked example: what a seller keeps
A seller without a Store sells a used camera lens for $85 and charges $12 shipping. The buyer pays 7% sales tax on both, $6.79, so the total amount of sale is $103.79. The lens cost $30 at a thrift store and the postage label is $10.50.
- The standard fees are $14.12 final value fee plus $0.40 per order. That is 15% of the $97 the buyer paid for the lens and shipping, not 13.6%, because the fee also falls on the tax.
- Payout is the $97 of price and shipping minus fees; the tax passes to the state. Profit takes off the $30 cost and the $10.50 label. Margin is profit as a share of $97.
- The 4% ad costs $4.15, more than the Top Rated Plus discount saves. Use ads where they actually bring sales.
| Scenario | eBay fees | Payout | Profit | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard: 13.6% + $0.40 | $14.52 | $82.48 | $41.98 | 43.3% |
| Sold through a 4% Promoted Listing | $18.67 | $78.33 | $37.83 | 39.0% |
| Top Rated Plus (10% off the final value fee) | $13.10 | $83.90 | $43.40 | 44.7% |
| Buyer abroad, no eBay International Shipping | $16.23 | $80.77 | $40.27 | 41.5% |
| Basic Store: 12.7% + $0.40 | $13.58 | $83.42 | $42.92 | 44.2% |
How eBay compares and what to check next
On cheap items the per-order fee weighs more. An $8 order pays $1.09 final value fee and $0.30 per order, $1.39 in all, or about 17% of the sale. Bundling small items into one listing cuts that share.
Fees are only part of whether an item is worth listing. Put your real postage, packaging and item cost next to the fee before you set a price, and compare the same sale on other marketplaces if you sell on more than one.
Free toolMarketplace fee comparison
