Etsy fees on a $5 item
On a $5 item with free shipping, a US seller pays $0.93 in Etsy fees, or 18.6% of the sale, and receives $4.07 before materials, packaging, postage and time. Here is the line-by-line math, what changes with shipping or Offsite Ads, and a calculator for your own numbers.
Fee breakdown: $5 item, free shipping
| Fee | How it's calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Listing fee | $0.20 per listing | $0.20 |
| Transaction fee | 6.5% × $5.00 | $0.33 |
| Payment processing | 3% × $5.00 + $0.25 | $0.40 |
| Total Etsy fees | 18.6% of the sale | $0.93 |
| You receive | $5.00 − $0.93 | $4.07 |
Each fee is rounded to the cent. The two flat parts ($0.20 listing + $0.25 processing) are 9.0% of a $5 price, which is why fees bite much harder on cheap items.
Same item, different situations
| Scenario | Buyer pays you | Etsy fees | You receive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free shipping (above) | $5.00 | $0.93 | $4.07 |
| Buyer pays $5 shipping | $10.00 | $1.40 | $8.60 |
| Sale from Offsite Ads, 15% rate | $5.00 | $1.68 | $3.32 |
| Sale from Offsite Ads, 12% rate | $5.00 | $1.53 | $3.47 |
| Two of this item in one order | $10.00 | $1.60 ($0.80 per item) | $8.40 |
- Shipping: the 6.5% transaction fee and processing fee also apply to what the buyer pays for shipping, so the $5 adds $0.47 in fees. The postage you buy is a separate cost.
- Offsite Ads: the 15% rate applies to shops that have always made less than $10,000 in any 365 days; shops above that pay 12% and can't opt out. The fee never exceeds $100 per order.
- Two in one order: you pay $0.20 for each additional quantity sold, but the $0.25 processing flat fee only once per order.
- Sales tax: Etsy says processing fees are taken from the total sale price including applicable sales tax, so a taxed order costs a little more (3% of the tax amount). Enter the tax in the calculator to include it.
Calculator: your price, shipping and costs
- Listing
- –
- Transaction (6.5%)
- –
- Processing (3% + $0.25)
- –
- Offsite Ads
- –
- You receive
- –
- Profit after your costs
- –
- Profit margin
- –
What to charge to keep more
With free shipping and no Offsite Ads, Etsy fees work out to 9.5% of the price plus $0.45. So the price you need for a target payout is (payout + $0.45) ÷ 0.905:
| Payout you want (before your costs) | Price to list at |
|---|---|
| $4.07 | $4.99 |
| $4.57 | $5.55 |
| $5.32 | $6.38 |
Then add your materials, packaging and postage on top of the payout figure, not on top of the price.
Nearby price points
| Item price | Etsy fees | Fee share | You receive |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5 | $0.93 | 18.6% | $4.07 |
| $10 | $1.40 | 14.0% | $8.60 |
| $15 | $1.88 | 12.5% | $13.12 |
| $20 | $2.35 | 11.8% | $17.65 |
See every price point on the Etsy fees by price hub.
Quick answers
How much does Etsy take from a $5 sale?
For a US seller using Etsy Payments with free shipping and no Offsite Ads, fees are $0.93: $0.20 listing, $0.33 transaction (6.5%) and $0.40 processing (3% + $0.25). You receive $4.07 before your own costs.
What if a $5 sale comes from Offsite Ads?
Add $0.75 at the 15% rate (shops under $10,000 in yearly sales) or $0.60 at 12%, bringing total fees to $1.68 or $1.53.
Track every sale's real profit
The figures above stop at Etsy's cut. To see profit after materials, packaging and your time across your whole shop, use a spreadsheet with editable fee rates:
Prefer it in the browser? We also make a fee calculator extension.