Online Selling Fee Index 2026
A standardized comparison of what six platforms actually charge sellers, computed live from the same verified fee engines that power our individual calculators — not retyped from marketing pages. Five identical sale scenarios, one consistent set of assumptions, and every figure traceable to official fee documentation.
Short answer: under identical scenarios, mandatory effective fees for US sellers in 2026 range from 5.1% (Depop, $25 sale) to 29.5% (Poshmark, $10 sale). No platform is universally cheapest: Depop and Mercari win on rate simplicity, Etsy and eBay sit in the middle, Poshmark costs the most but includes a different shipping model, and Stripe is cheapest of all while providing no marketplace audience.
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Methodology
Every figure on this page is computed at render time by the platform fee engines in our open calculator stack (eBay, Etsy, Mercari, Depop, Poshmark, Stripe). The engines read their rates from dated, source-linked configuration files — when a platform changes its fees, one config update propagates to the calculators and to this index. No number on this page is typed by hand.
Standardized assumptions, identical for every platform: US sale; no sales tax (so percentage bases stay comparable); no optional advertising (Promoted Listings, Offsite Ads, Boost all off); no international surcharges; domestic online card for Stripe; eBay’s “most categories” schedule within the free listing allowance; Depop seller ships with their own label. Item cost and shipping cost are excluded because this index compares fees and payout, not profit — profit depends on sourcing, which is identical regardless of platform.
Scope limits: marketplaces are not interchangeable. They serve different categories, audiences and shipping models, and Stripe is a payment processor rather than a marketplace. The index compares mandatory fee math only; it does not measure sales velocity, audience size, or dispute protection. A platform with higher fees can still be the better business decision.
Effective fee index — all scenarios at a glance
Mandatory fees as a percentage of the sale (item price + shipping charged to the buyer), under the standardized assumptions above.
| Platform | $10 | $25 | $50 + $8 ship | $100 | $250 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eBay | 16.6% | 15.2% | 14.3% | 14.0% | 13.8% |
| Etsy | 14.0% | 11.3% | 10.3% | 9.9% | 9.7% |
| Mercari | 10.0% | 10.0% | 10.0% | 10.0% | 10.0% |
| Depop | 7.8% | 5.1% | 4.1% | 3.8% | 3.5% |
| Poshmark | 29.5% | 20.0% | 20.0% | 20.0% | 20.0% |
| Stripe | 5.9% | 4.1% | 3.4% | 3.2% | 3.0% |
Poshmark’s $50 + $8 shipping scenario fees the $50 item price only (the buyer pays the label directly), so its effective rate differs in structure, not just size. Stripe’s figures are payment-processing only and include no marketplace services.
Scenario 1: a $10 sale (low-price)
Fixed per-transaction cents weigh most here — this is where flat fees hurt small sales.
| Platform | Gross sale | Mandatory fees | Seller payout | Effective fee | Scenario note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eBay | $10.00 | $1.66 | $8.34 | 16.6% | “Most categories” schedule; within the free monthly listing allowance. |
| Etsy | $10.00 | $1.40 | $8.60 | 14.0% | Includes the $0.20 listing fee per sale. |
| Mercari | $10.00 | $1.00 | $9.00 | 10.0% | |
| Depop | $10.00 | $0.78 | $9.22 | 7.8% | |
| Poshmark | $10.00 | $2.95 | $7.05 | 29.5% | Flat $2.95 tier (sales of $15.00 or less). |
| Stripe | $10.00 | $0.59 | $9.41 | 5.9% | Payment processor for your own store, not a marketplace — no audience included. |
Scenario 2: a $25 sale
A typical casual-resale price point for clothing and small items.
| Platform | Gross sale | Mandatory fees | Seller payout | Effective fee | Scenario note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eBay | $25.00 | $3.80 | $21.20 | 15.2% | “Most categories” schedule; within the free monthly listing allowance. |
| Etsy | $25.00 | $2.83 | $22.17 | 11.3% | Includes the $0.20 listing fee per sale. |
| Mercari | $25.00 | $2.50 | $22.50 | 10.0% | |
| Depop | $25.00 | $1.28 | $23.72 | 5.1% | |
| Poshmark | $25.00 | $5.00 | $20.00 | 20.0% | |
| Stripe | $25.00 | $1.03 | $23.97 | 4.1% | Payment processor for your own store, not a marketplace — no audience included. |
Scenario 3: a $50 sale with $8 shipping charged to the buyer
Tests which platforms fee shipping. On Poshmark the buyer pays the label directly, so the seller never collects the $8 and the fee applies to the $50 item price only.
| Platform | Gross sale | Mandatory fees | Seller payout | Effective fee | Scenario note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eBay | $58.00 | $8.29 | $49.71 | 14.3% | “Most categories” schedule; within the free monthly listing allowance. |
| Etsy | $58.00 | $5.96 | $52.04 | 10.3% | Includes the $0.20 listing fee per sale. |
| Mercari | $58.00 | $5.80 | $52.20 | 10.0% | |
| Depop | $58.00 | $2.36 | $55.64 | 4.1% | |
| Poshmark | $50.00 | $10.00 | $40.00 | 20.0% | Buyer pays the flat PoshPost label directly; seller never collects the shipping charge, so the fee applies to the item price only. |
| Stripe | $58.00 | $1.98 | $56.02 | 3.4% | Payment processor for your own store, not a marketplace — no audience included. |
Scenario 4: a $100 sale
Mid-ticket sale: percentage fees dominate, fixed cents fade.
| Platform | Gross sale | Mandatory fees | Seller payout | Effective fee | Scenario note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eBay | $100.00 | $14.00 | $86.00 | 14.0% | “Most categories” schedule; within the free monthly listing allowance. |
| Etsy | $100.00 | $9.95 | $90.05 | 9.9% | Includes the $0.20 listing fee per sale. |
| Mercari | $100.00 | $10.00 | $90.00 | 10.0% | |
| Depop | $100.00 | $3.75 | $96.25 | 3.8% | |
| Poshmark | $100.00 | $20.00 | $80.00 | 20.0% | |
| Stripe | $100.00 | $3.20 | $96.80 | 3.2% | Payment processor for your own store, not a marketplace — no audience included. |
Scenario 5: a $250 sale (higher-ticket)
Higher-ticket sale: pure percentage structure is fully visible.
| Platform | Gross sale | Mandatory fees | Seller payout | Effective fee | Scenario note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eBay | $250.00 | $34.40 | $215.60 | 13.8% | “Most categories” schedule; within the free monthly listing allowance. |
| Etsy | $250.00 | $24.20 | $225.80 | 9.7% | Includes the $0.20 listing fee per sale. |
| Mercari | $250.00 | $25.00 | $225.00 | 10.0% | |
| Depop | $250.00 | $8.70 | $241.30 | 3.5% | |
| Poshmark | $250.00 | $50.00 | $200.00 | 20.0% | |
| Stripe | $250.00 | $7.55 | $242.45 | 3.0% | Payment processor for your own store, not a marketplace — no audience included. |
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Data point: Poshmark’s $15 pricing cliff
Poshmark charges a flat $2.95 on sales of $15.00 or less and 20% on sales over $15.00. Because the switch is not smoothed, seller earnings briefly go down as price rises: a $15.00 sale pays out $12.05, while a $15.01 sale pays out $12.01 — about four cents less for a higher price. Sellers near the boundary should price at $15.00 or comfortably above the cliff (earnings match the $15.00 payout again only near $15.07+).
Run your own scenario
| Platform | Mandatory fees | Seller payout | Effective fee | Full calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eBay | $5.84 | $34.16 | 14.6% | Open |
| Etsy | $4.25 | $35.75 | 10.6% | Open |
| Mercari | $4.00 | $36.00 | 10.0% | Open |
| Depop | $1.77 | $38.23 | 4.4% | Open |
| Poshmark | $8.00 | $32.00 | 20.0% | Open |
| Stripe | $1.46 | $38.54 | 3.6% | Open |
Same standardized assumptions as the index tables. For profit, break-even and optional fees (ads, international, insertion fees), use the linked per-platform calculators.
Verification dates and primary sources
| Platform | Fees verified | Current structure effective | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| eBay | 2026-08-23 | — | eBay — Selling fees (official help page, includes worked examples) · eBay — Promoted Listings (advertising fees) · eBay Seller Center — Fees |
| Etsy | 2026-08-23 | — | Etsy — Fees & Payments Policy (listing, transaction, Offsite Ads) · Etsy — Etsy Payments Policy (US processing rate: 3% + $0.25) · Etsy Help — Fees and payments basics |
| Stripe | 2026-08-23 | — | Stripe — Pricing (official) · Stripe — Local payment methods pricing |
| Mercari | 2026-08-23 | 2025-01-06 | Mercari — Fees (official help center) · Mercari — Buyer Protection fee (buyer-side) |
| Depop | 2026-08-23 | — | Depop — Seller fees and charges (official help center) · Depop — Sell page |
| Poshmark | 2026-08-23 | 2024-10-24 | Poshmark — Terms of Service & Fee Policy (official) · Poshmark Blog — Returning to simpler fees (October 2024) |
Citing this index
You may cite or republish these figures with attribution. Suggested citation:
“Online Selling Fee Index 2026,” EarnOnlineGuide, computed from official platform fee documentation verified August 2026, https://earnonlineguides.com/online-selling-fee-index-2026
Please include the verification date when citing — marketplaces change fee schedules, and dated figures stay honest.
Related tools and guides
- Selling fee calculators hub — the six calculators behind this index.
- Depop vs Poshmark — a two-platform decision guide with scenarios.
- Self-employment tax calculator — the tax side of your post-fee profit.
- Startup cost estimator — budget inventory, supplies and tools.