Key takeaways
- On a $50 US sale with $8 buyer-paid shipping, standard seller fees run from $2.36 on Depop to $10.00 on Poshmark.
- eBay, Mercari, Depop, Etsy and TikTok Shop charge their fees on shipping as well as the item price. Poshmark charges on the item price only, and the buyer pays for the label.
- Fixed fees hurt cheap items most: Poshmark’s $2.95 minimum is almost 25% of a $12 sale.
- Promoted listings, boosts, Offsite Ads and creator commissions can double or triple the fee on a sale, so check them before comparing.
How each marketplace charges US sellers
These are the standard US seller fees as of November 2026, for an ordinary sale with no ads, boosts or promotions. All six change their fees from time to time, so check the rate in your own account before you rely on a figure.
- eBay charges its percentage on the sales tax it collects, even though that tax goes to the state. The examples below assume no sales tax so every platform is compared on the same base.
- Mercari buyers also pay a 3.6% Buyer Protection fee, and Depop buyers pay a marketplace fee of up to 5% plus up to $1. These come out of the buyer’s pocket, not your payout, but they raise the price the buyer sees.
- Some reports in 2026 say TikTok Shop’s standard US referral fee rose to 8%. TikTok’s published table still showed 6% when checked, so confirm the rate in your Seller Center.
| Marketplace | Seller fee | Charged on |
|---|---|---|
| eBay (most categories) | 13.6% (2.35% above $7,500) + $0.40 per order ($0.30 if $10 or less) | Item + shipping + sales tax |
| Poshmark | $2.95 under $15; 20% at $15 or more | Item price only |
| Mercari | 10% selling fee | Item + buyer-paid shipping |
| Depop | 3.3% + $0.45 payment processing; no selling fee | Item + shipping + sales tax |
| Etsy | $0.20 listing + 6.5% transaction + 3% + $0.25 processing | Item + shipping (processing can include tax) |
| TikTok Shop | 6% referral fee in most categories | Item + shipping, not sales tax |
The same $50 sale on all six
Here is one sale run through each platform: a $50 item, $8 shipping paid by the buyer, no sales tax, no ads. The seller pays $7.50 for the postage label, except on Poshmark, where the buyer pays Poshmark for a prepaid label and the $8 never reaches the seller.
Payout is what the platform pays you before postage. The last column is what is left once the label is paid, before the cost of the item itself.
| Marketplace | How the fee is worked out | Fees | Payout | After $7.50 label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depop | $58 × 3.3% + $0.45 | $2.36 | $55.64 | $48.14 |
| TikTok Shop | $58 × 6% | $3.48 | $54.52 | $47.02 |
| Mercari | $58 × 10% | $5.80 | $52.20 | $44.70 |
| Etsy | $0.20 + $58 × 6.5% + ($58 × 3% + $0.25) | $5.96 | $52.04 | $44.54 |
| eBay | $58 × 13.6% + $0.40 | $8.29 | $49.71 | $42.21 |
| Poshmark | $50 × 20% | $10.00 | $40.00 | $40.00 (no label to pay) |
What the comparison shows
Depop and TikTok Shop take the least on a standard sale, and Poshmark the most. Mercari and Etsy sit in the middle at around 10% of what the buyer paid, and eBay takes about 14.3%.
Poshmark’s position depends on how you count shipping. Its 20% is the highest rate, but you never handle the shipping money or buy a label. Once each other seller pays a $7.50 label out of the $8 the buyer sent, the gap shrinks: Poshmark leaves $40.00 against eBay’s $42.21. If your real postage costs more than the shipping you charge, Poshmark’s flat buyer-paid label can come out ahead.
Fees are only one part of the decision. The platform with more buyers looking for your kind of item may sell it faster or for a higher price, which can matter more than a few dollars of fees. Many resellers list on several platforms and compare actual sale prices.
Cheap items: where fixed fees bite
Fixed fees take a much bigger share of low-priced sales. Here is a $12 item with $6 buyer-paid shipping, so $18 in total, on standard fees.
- Poshmark’s flat $2.95 applies to any sale under $15. A $14.99 sale earns $12.04, while a $15.00 sale earns $12.00, so price just under $15 or comfortably above it.
- eBay’s per-order fee is $0.30 instead of $0.40 when the order total is $10 or less, which helps only very small orders.
- Bundling cheap items into one order spreads the fixed fees across more value.
| Marketplace | Fees | Share of what the fee is charged on |
|---|---|---|
| Depop | $1.04 | 5.8% of $18 |
| TikTok Shop | $1.08 | 6.0% of $18 |
| Mercari | $1.80 | 10.0% of $18 |
| Etsy | $2.16 | 12.0% of $18 |
| eBay | $2.85 | 15.8% of $18 |
| Poshmark | $2.95 | 24.6% of $12 |
Ads, boosts and commissions change the picture
The standard fees above assume an ordinary sale. Promotion tools add a second fee on top, often larger than the first.
- eBay Promoted Listings General: you pay your chosen ad rate on the total sale, including shipping and tax, when a buyer clicks your ad and buys within 30 days. A 5% rate on the $58 sale adds $2.90.
- Depop boosting: 12% for new US boosts from March 23, 2026, charged on the item price, plus shipping if you did not use a Depop label. On the $50 item alone that is $6.00, more than doubling Depop’s fee.
- Etsy Offsite Ads: 15% of the order total for shops that have never made $10,000 in sales in a 365-day period, or 12% for shops that have, capped at $100 per order. On the $58 order that is $8.70 or $6.96.
- TikTok Shop affiliate creators: you pay the commission you set. A 15% commission on the $50 item is $7.50, more than double the referral fee.
- Mercari Instant Pay: $3 per cash-out if you want your money within minutes. Standard direct deposit is free.
How to compare for your own items
Start with your typical sale: the price you expect, the shipping you charge and the label you buy. Run that through each platform, then subtract what the item cost you. Compare profit, not fees.
Then add the extras you actually use: promoted listings, boosts, creator commissions or faster payouts. Finally, weigh how fast items sell on each platform. A sale that takes three months on the cheapest platform may be worth less than one that happens this week on a pricier one.
Free toolMarketplace fee comparison
