eBay used to have a confusing mix of listing fees, final value fees and PayPal fees. These days it's simpler, because eBay handles payments itself and rolls most of the cost into one main fee. But there are still a few details that make a real difference to your profit, especially on cheaper items.
This guide covers the fees for sellers on eBay.com without an eBay Store, using the rates on eBay's own selling fees page as of late 2026.
The short version
- Most categories pay a 13.6% final value fee on the total sale, up to $7,500.
- Every order also pays a $0.40 per-order fee, or $0.30 if the order is $10 or less.
- The "total sale" includes the item price, the shipping the buyer pays and the sales tax.
- You get 250 free listings a month. After that, each new listing costs $0.35.
- Promoted Listings and the 1.65% international fee are extra.
The final value fee
This is the big one. When your item sells, eBay takes a percentage of the total amount of the sale. For most categories that's 13.6% on everything up to $7,500, and 2.35% on any part of the sale above $7,500.
The key word is total. eBay doesn't just look at your item price. It adds the shipping the buyer pays, any handling charge and the sales tax, then takes its percentage of all of that. So if you sell something for $45, charge $8 shipping, and the buyer pays 7% sales tax, eBay works out its fee on $56.71, not $45.
The per-order fee
On top of the percentage, eBay charges a small fixed fee on each order:
- $0.40 if the order total is more than $10
- $0.30 if the order total is $10 or less
Forty cents doesn't sound like much, but on cheap items it adds up. On a $5 sale, $0.30 is 6% of the price before the final value fee even starts.
Why you pay fees on sales tax
This is the part sellers complain about most. In most US states, eBay collects sales tax from the buyer and pays it to the state for you. You never see that money. But because eBay works out the final value fee on the total the buyer paid, the tax is part of the number the fee is based on.
In practice, with sales tax around 7%, this adds close to 1% of your sale price to your fees. It's not huge, but it's real, and it's why many simple calculators come out a bit lower than your actual eBay payout. Our eBay fee calculator has a sales tax box so you can include it.
A full example
You sell a pair of used headphones for $45. You charge $8 for shipping, the buyer pays 7% sales tax, you paid $15 for the headphones, and the shipping label costs you $7.20.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Item + shipping you receive | $53.00 |
| Total the fee is based on (with 7% tax) | $56.71 |
| Final value fee (13.6%) | −$7.71 |
| Per-order fee | −$0.40 |
| What you paid for the item | −$15.00 |
| Shipping label | −$7.20 |
| Profit | $22.69 |
Fees come to $8.11, which is about 15% of the $53 you received. Profit margin is 42.8%. Your profit is a little more than the $22.20 you spent on the item and label, so you roughly doubled your money.
Small items: where fees hurt most
Look at what happens to a cheap sale. You sell a phone case for $6 with free shipping, and ignore tax for a moment.
- Final value fee: 13.6% × $6 = $0.82
- Per-order fee: $0.30
- Total fees: $1.12, or 18.6% of the sale
Now compare a $12 order (an $8 item plus $4 shipping). Fees are 13.6% × $12 = $1.63, plus $0.40, so $2.03 in total, about 16.9%. And on the $53 headphones above, fees were about 15%. The fixed fee makes low-priced sales noticeably more expensive. If you sell lots of cheap items, try bundling them into lots or multi-packs.
Categories with different rates
Not every category pays 13.6%. Here are the main exceptions from eBay's fee page:
| Category | Final value fee |
|---|---|
| Books, Movies & TV, Music | 15.3% up to $7,500 |
| Trading cards, comics, memorabilia, coins and paper money | 13.25% up to $7,500 |
| Guitars and basses | 6.7% up to $7,500 |
| Jewelry | 15% up to $5,000, then 9% |
| Watches | 15% up to $1,000, 6.5% up to $7,500, then 3% |
| Women's bags and handbags | 15% up to $2,000, then 9% |
| Athletic shoes, $150 or more | 8%, with no per-order fee |
If you sell guitars or high-value sneakers, eBay is a lot cheaper than its headline rate suggests. If you sell books or DVDs, it's a bit more expensive.
Listing fees (insertion fees)
Sellers without a Store get 250 free listings each month. After that, each new listing costs $0.35, whether or not it sells. Most casual sellers never get close to 250. If you do, it may be time to look at an eBay Store, which comes with more free listings and lower final value fees in many categories, in exchange for a monthly subscription.
Other fees to know about
- Promoted Listings. If you promote a listing and it sells through the ad, you pay the ad rate you chose on top of everything else. See our guide on whether Promoted Listings are worth it.
- International fee. 1.65% of the total if the buyer or item is outside the US, unless you use eBay International Shipping.
- Currency conversion. If you sell in a different currency, eBay charges a conversion fee of 3.25% for US sellers.
- Dispute fee. $20 if a payment dispute is decided against you.
How to keep more of each sale
- Charge realistic shipping. Fees apply to shipping either way. Offering free shipping just moves the cost into your price.
- Bundle cheap items. One $20 lot pays one per-order fee instead of four.
- Know your category. A few categories pay much less, so list carefully.
- Use eBay International Shipping for overseas buyers to avoid the 1.65% fee.
- Price with tax in mind. Add about 1% to your fee estimate to cover the fee on sales tax.
Bottom line
For most sellers, eBay costs about 14% to 15% of each order once you include the per-order fee and the fee on sales tax. Cheap items cost more as a share of the sale, and a few categories cost less. Before you list, put the numbers into the eBay fee calculator so you know exactly what you'll keep.
Frequently asked questions
Why does eBay charge fees on sales tax?
eBay works out its final value fee on the total amount the buyer pays, and that total includes the sales tax eBay collects for the state. You never keep the tax, but the fee is still calculated on it. On a typical order with around 7% tax, this adds roughly 1% of your sale price to your fees.
How much is the eBay per-order fee?
In 2026 the per-order fee is $0.40 for orders over $10 and $0.30 for orders of $10 or less. It's charged once per order, on top of the final value fee. A few categories, such as sneakers selling for $150 or more, don't pay it.