Most online marketplaces take 5% to 20% of each sale from sellers, and some also charge buyers a fee. On the big general marketplaces, a $100 sale costs a US seller about $15 on Amazon or Walmart in most categories, $14.00 on eBay, $9.95 on Etsy and $3.00 on an Alibaba.com Trade Assurance order. Niche marketplaces range from Reverb's 5% to Chairish's 22% to 40%, and service platforms such as Fiverr take 20% from sellers. The tables below show who pays what, with each platform's own fee page, checked November 2026.
High-end vintage furniture? Who doesn't want it!
Chairish specializes in high-end vintage. The platform has gained a reputation for its unique items (think random things that your grandparents collect).
These are items that appeal to a specific audience looking for one-of-a-kind pieces (like one of my relatives, who had a six-foot-high eagle in his entrance, ah what?).
But Chairish ensures that they also make money. Chairish charges a commission fee of 22% to 40% on vintage or used products, depending on the seller plan.
But Chairish ensures that they also make money. Chairish charges a commission fee of 22% to 40% on vintage or used products, depending on the seller plan.
Some might think that's high. Still, Chairish's commission allows them to:
- Corner a market willing to pay top dollar.
- Invest in marketing and advertising to attract buyers to the platform
- Provide a high level of customer service
Chairish also offers a range of services to help sellers showcase their products, including:
- Professional photography
- Styling
- Curation
So back to the question, how much commission to charge? Today, we'll tackle commission rates on:
- Product marketplaces
- Service marketplaces
- Travel and delivery marketplaces
Why do we want to know these commission rates?
- For Competitive Reasons: We want to win (I mean, you really want to succeed in the marketplace)! Knowing the commission rates of other marketplaces helps you be competitive.
- For Customer Satisfaction Reasons: With the right commission rates, you'll be in a better place to serve your customers and have them return to you.
- For Return on Investment Reasons: Knowing an expected commission rate for your online marketplace can help you plan your business. You know, calculating your return on investment and all that!
Depop, like Chairish, is a popular marketplace for buying and selling secondhand. In this case, clothing and accessories. Specifically, items that take the fashion industry by storm!
Its mobile platform is a hit among Gen Z and Millennial shoppers. The generation who wants trendy clothing yet wants it at an affordable price.
Its mobile platform is a hit among Gen Z and Millennial shoppers. The generation who wants trendy clothing yet wants it at an affordable price.
While not 22% like Chairish (gulp), Depop used to charge a commission fee of 10% on each sale. Sellers earned a decent profit.
In addition to the commission fee, Depop also charged a transaction fee of 3.3% + $0.45 on each sale. Much of which covers the cost of processing payments.
That model helped Depop build a large, loyal user base. It has since dropped the seller fee: since July 2024 sellers pay no commission and buyers pay a fee instead (see the fee chart in this post).
Depop's commission model helped it build a large, loyal user base before it dropped seller fees in 2024.
In short
- On a $100 sale in most US categories, sellers pay about $15 on Amazon and Walmart, $14.00 on eBay, $9.95 on Etsy and $3.00 on Alibaba.com Trade Assurance orders (checked November 2026).
- Product marketplaces usually take 5% to 25%, service marketplaces 5% to 20%, and travel and delivery platforms 15% to 25%.
- The headline rate is not the whole take: Etsy kept 24.2% of its sales in 2025 once payments, ads and other services are counted.
- Depop moved its fee to buyers successfully, while Poshmark reversed its buyer fee after three weeks, so show buyer fees early and test changes on one category first.
Part of the guide Making money from your marketplace
Seller Fees on the Big Marketplaces: What a $100 Sale Costs
If you sell on a general marketplace, the referral or final value fee is the number that matters most. Here is what a US seller pays on a $100 item at each platform, from the platforms' own fee pages (checked November 2026). Payment processing is included where the platform charges it separately.
| Marketplace | Main seller fee | Fee on a $100 sale | Other costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon (US) | Referral fee by category: 15% in most categories, 8% for computers and consumer electronics, 45% for Amazon device accessories; $0.30 minimum in most categories | $15.00 ($8.00 in electronics) | $0.99 per item sold on the Individual plan, or $39.99 a month on the Professional plan (Amazon) |
| Walmart Marketplace (US) | Referral fee by category: 15% for home, toys, tools and "everything else", 8% for consumer electronics, 6% for personal computers. It is charged on the total sale price, including shipping | $15.00 ($8.00 in consumer electronics) | No setup or monthly fees (Walmart Marketplace) |
| eBay (US) | Final value fee of 13.6% in most categories on up to $7,500 per item (2.35% above that), plus $0.40 per order over $10 ($0.30 at $10 or less) | $14.00 | 250 free listings a month, then $0.35 each (eBay) |
| Etsy (US) | 6.5% transaction fee, $0.20 listing fee, 3% + $0.25 payment processing | $9.95 | A 12-15% Offsite Ads fee when an Etsy ad brings in the sale (Craftybase, 2026 guide) |
| Alibaba.com (wholesale) | 3% of the order amount (excluding tax) on Trade Assurance orders; buyers pay no fee | $3.00 | A yearly supplier membership of about $4,700 (Gold) to $12,500 (Verified), varying by region (Alibaba.com Trade Assurance, Alibaba.com Seller Blog) |
| Shopee (Philippines) | 2.24% transaction fee, plus a commission set by category once a shop is past its first 90 days, plus ₱5 per order (the first 50 orders a month are exempt) | 2.24% plus the category commission | A Seller Growth Support Fee since May 11, 2026, and optional program fees such as 3.36% on Shopee Live sales (Prosperna, July 2026) |
| Mercado Libre (Latin America) | A selling fee set by country, category and listing type (Classic or Premium) | Depends on country and category | Check the official fee page for each country you sell in |
Main seller fee on a $100 item, checked November 2026. Sources are in the table above.
Show the numbers
| Marketplace | Fee on a $100 sale | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $15.00 | 15% referral fee, most categories; plan fee extra |
| Walmart | $15.00 | 15% referral fee, most categories; no monthly fee |
| eBay | $14.00 | 13.6% + $0.40 per order |
| Etsy | $9.95 | 6.5% + $0.20 listing + 3% + $0.25 processing |
| Alibaba.com | $3.00 | 3% on Trade Assurance; membership extra |
Two things stand out. Amazon and Walmart charge nearly the same referral fees in the same categories (15% for home goods, 8% for consumer electronics), so the real difference for a seller is the monthly plan, fulfillment and advertising. And Alibaba.com's low 3% only makes sense next to its membership fee, which pays off at wholesale volumes.
How to read marketplace fees
- Look past the headline rate. Per-order fees, monthly plans, payment processing and promotion programs can add several points, especially on cheap items.
- Check your category. Amazon charges 45% on device accessories, and Walmart 20% on jewelry up to $250, so the category can matter more than the platform.
- Watch for incentives. Amazon advertises more than $50,000 in automatic referral-fee waivers in the first year for new-to-Amazon brands (Amazon), which changes the math for a new brand.
- Platforms close. Rakuten shut its US marketplace in 2020 after a two-month wind-down (ChannelX), so many sellers also keep a channel they control.
Commission is only one way marketplaces charge
The big platforms mix several revenue models. Amazon adds a monthly plan, eBay charges insertion fees after its free listings, Alibaba.com relies on memberships and Etsy charges per listing. Smaller marketplaces and classifieds sites often skip commission and charge for listings, leads or featured placement instead, because a commission only works when the payment happens on the site. The five marketplace business models explains the trade-offs.
Get Your Fees Right to Ensure Your Product Marketplace's Success
Product marketplaces typically charge around 5% to 25% commission. The commission percentage depends on a variety of factors, such as the following:
- Product category
- Level of competition
- Value of the product itself
- Sellers' gross margins
Here are some examples of product commission rates:
| Marketplace | Commission Rates | Notes |
| Etsy | 6.5% | Called transaction fee |
| eBay | 0.5% - 15% | Called Final Value Fee; charged as Final value fee % + $0.30 per order; Final percentage can still differ depending on the category and total amount spent |
| Shopee Singapore | 2.16% | Commission fees are charged for non-mall sellers who have been registered for more than 90 days on the platform; Users registered for less than 90 days are not charged a commission |
| Poshmark | $2.95 flat fee or 20% | A commission fee of $2.95 is charged for sales under $15. For $15 or more, sellers are charged a 20% commission |
| Swappa | 3% | Both sellers and buyers pay a commission fee |
| Newegg | 8% - 12% | The commission rate depends on the category |
| Aliexpress | 5% and 8% | Commission fee depends on the product category |
| Faire | 15% - 25% | The standard is 15%; 25% only applies to the first order of a new customer |
What changed in marketplace fees since 2023 (October 2026 update)
Several of the rates in the table above have changed since this article was written. Here is where they stood in October 2026, with each platform's own documentation or a dated source:
| Marketplace | Fee in 2026 | What changed |
| Depop (US) | 0% selling fee; buyers pay a marketplace fee of up to 5% + up to $1 | Seller fee dropped on July 15, 2024, and the buyer fee started on July 18, 2024 (Depop). Payment processing still applies. eBay completed its purchase of Depop on July 30, 2026 (MarketScreener). |
| eBay (US) | 13.6% up to $7,500, then 2.35%, plus $0.30/$0.40 per order | Applies to most categories (eBay). In the UK, private sellers pay no final value fee outside motors (eBay UK). |
| Etsy (US) | 6.5% transaction + $0.20 listing + 3% + $0.25 processing | A 12-15% Offsite Ads fee applies when an ad brings in the sale (Craftybase, 2026 guide). |
| Poshmark (US) | $2.95 under $15, 20% above | Unchanged, after a reversed experiment (see below). |
| Reverb | 5% (min $0.50, max $500) + 3.19% + $0.49 processing | Same rate (3dsellers). Etsy sold Reverb to Creator Partners and Servco in June 2025 (Jones Day). |
| Tradesy | Closed | Now part of Vestiaire Collective; tradesy.com redirects there. |
The commission a seller pays on each sale, before payment processing. Sources are in the table above.
Show the numbers
| Marketplace | Seller fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Poshmark | 20% | On sales of $15 or more; $2.95 below |
| eBay | 13.6% | Most categories, up to $7,500, plus $0.30 or $0.40 per order |
| Etsy | 6.5% | Plus $0.20 per listing and 3% + $0.25 payment processing |
| Reverb | 5% | Minimum $0.50, maximum $500, plus 3.19% + $0.49 processing |
| Depop | 0% | No seller fee since July 2024; buyers pay up to 5% + $1 |
Service marketplaces have changed too. Upwork replaced its 20%/10%/5% tiers with a flat 10% in May 2023. It now charges a variable 0-15% per contract, locked in for that contract, and clients pay their own marketplace fee of 3% to 10% on top (Getmany, updated July 2026).
The headline commission isn't the whole take rate
Etsy's headline fee is 6.5%, but its consolidated take rate was 24.2% in 2025, up from 22.3% in 2024. Take rate is revenue as a share of gross merchandise sales (Etsy results, February 19, 2026). The gap comes from payments, ads, listing fees and other seller services. When you plan your own marketplace, model every fee you will charge as one total, and compare that total with your sellers' margins.
Take rate is Etsy's revenue as a share of gross merchandise sales, from its 2025 results linked above. The gap is payments, ads, listing fees and other seller services.
Show the numbers
| Measure | Share of sales | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Take rate 2025 | 24.2% | All of Etsy's revenue as a share of sales |
| Take rate 2024 | 22.3% | All of Etsy's revenue as a share of sales |
| Seller fee | 6.5% | The transaction fee on each sale |
Moving fees to buyers: one success and one failure
Depop made its buyer fee work. Poshmark did not. On October 3, 2024, Poshmark cut its seller fee to 5.99% plus $1-$3 and added a Buyer Protection Fee. It reversed the change on October 24, 2024, after its CEO said shoppers "spent less on purchases as they shifted their spending from orders to fees" (PYMNTS; Modern Retail). The lessons for a new marketplace:
- Show buyer fees before checkout, never as a surprise on the last step.
- Test a fee change on one category or region before rolling it out everywhere.
- Watch total order value, not only your fee revenue. A lower seller fee is worthless if buyers stop buying.
Calculator
Which way of charging earns more for your marketplace?
The same sellers and listings, charged four different ways. Change the numbers to your market: the share who pay is the honest guess that decides it.
Revenue a month for each model on its own. Many marketplaces mix them: free listings with paid promotions is the most common start, because it keeps listings coming in. More free tools →
The product marketplace Reverb lives off commissions!
Reverb is an online marketplace that caters to musicians. Musicians flock to the Reverb platform to buy and sell new and used gear.
Reverb is an online marketplace that caters to musicians. Musicians flock to the Reverb platform to buy and sell new and used gear.
The commission fee charged by Reverb is reasonable. Competitive compared to other marketplaces in the industry. There are a few things that contribute to Reverb's success:
- The platform's commission rate is 5% (relatively low)
- Sellers benefit from an active online community of musicians
- Low commission rates encourage sellers to list high-value items (more variety)
How would you start creating a commission structure in your product marketplace?
- Establish a clear and transparent commission structure
- Offer additional value to sellers (create a community online, e.g.)
- Continuously adjust commission rates as needed
Get to Learn Service Marketplace Commission Rates ("Take Rates")
Like product-centered platforms, service or freelance marketplaces charge a 5% to 20% commission (usually on the higher end).
For service or freelance marketplaces, such as Upwork and Fiverr, it's often called a "take rate."
For service or freelance marketplaces, such as Upwork and Fiverr, it's often called a "take rate."
Service marketplace fees cover various platform expenses:
- Platform enhancements
- Job postings
- Payment processing fees
- Dispute resolutions (yes, disputes are taken into account)
Some examples of freelance or service marketplaces commission rates:
| Marketplace | Commission Rate | Notes |
| Upwork | 0% - 15% | Variable fee set per contract; replaced the earlier tiered model |
| Fiverr | 20% | Fiverr calls these Transaction Fees |
| Airtasker | 10% to 20% | They are called Service Fees on the platform. The higher the Tasker's tier, the lower the service fee. |
| TaskRabbit | 15% | Paid by clients after the task has been completed |
| Wonolo | 45% | The service fee charged after the job has been approved by the client |
Guru seems to have its service commission rates dialed in.
Guru is an online marketplace catering to businesses looking for top talent. With a network of independent professionals, companies can find skilled freelancers in fields such as:
- Web design
- Software development
- Writing
- And more (primarily IT related)
Guru charges an 8.95% seller commission rate and a 2.9% handling fee on every invoice. Fairly reasonable compared to other freelance marketplaces. Additionally, Guru offers lower fees for high-volume sellers.
Using Guru's example, dividing your commission take rates between buyers and sellers is possible. It can be helpful to consider this option when structuring commission rates.
Using Guru's example, dividing your commission take rates between buyers and sellers is possible. It can be helpful to consider this option when structuring commission rates.
Besides commissions, how can you streamline your service marketplace payment process?
- Streamlining the payment process for freelancers and clients
- Making it easy for parties to track invoices, payments, and project progress
- Offering a range of pricing plans, including volume-based discounts
- Providing a user-friendly platform allows for seamless communication
- Implementing a robust rating system to ensure high-quality standards
Discover the "Secret" Travel and Delivery Marketplace Commissions
Are they a secret? No, not really, but they can be hefty. Travel and delivery platforms' commission rates range from 15% to 25%.
Ah, what? 25%? Yes, they do!
Travel and delivery platforms, such as Airbnb and Uber Eats, provide convenient services to consumers but charge commission fees to their hosts and drivers, respectively.
Travel and delivery platforms, such as Airbnb and Uber Eats, provide convenient services to consumers but charge commission fees to their hosts and drivers, respectively.
These fees do affect the profitability of hosts and drivers. Sellers need to factor in these costs when setting their prices or rates.
Some examples of travel and delivery marketplace commission fees:
| Marketplace | Commission Rate | Notes |
| DoorDash | 6% - 30% | Three tiers for commission fees at 15%, 25%, or 30%; 6% commission on Pickup orders |
| Postmates | 15% - 30% | Charges restaurants a commission fee on all orders placed |
| Grab Singapore | 20.18% | Applicable to Grab Car |
| LYFT | ~ 20% - 25% | The platform takes a commission of the gross fare, and the rest goes to the driver |
| Klook | 15% – 25% | Commission fees charged to a Klook partner |
Uber Eats, one of the more well-known delivery services, charges a 6% to 30% commission rate on orders.
Uber Eats benefits from the brand recognition and customer base of its parent company, Uber, which helps to drive traffic and increase sales on the platform.
The brand recognition gives Uber a bit of a "moat" around its commission structure.
The brand recognition gives Uber a bit of a "moat" around its commission structure.
Interested in establishing delivery marketplace commission rates?
- Ensure clear communication about commission rates (providers, customers)
- Provide value-added services to customers (insurance, premium delivery etc.)
- Continuously monitor and optimize your commission rates
Closing Summary
Understanding the commission rates of different marketplaces is vital for online marketplace operators.
Product-centered platforms, service or freelance marketplaces, and travel and delivery platforms have different commission rates ranging from 5% to 25%.
To compare whole business models rather than single fees, read about the five online marketplace business models. If you are thinking of running one, see how to build an online marketplace from scratch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are online marketplace commissions (general)?
Online marketplace commissions refer to the fees or percentages an online marketplace platform charges to facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers.
These commissions are typically deducted from the total transaction amount and serve as a revenue stream for the platform. The specific commission structure can vary depending on the online marketplace and the type of transaction being conducted.
Here are a few common types of commission structures:
- Percentage-based Commission: Many online marketplaces charge a percentage-based commission on the total transaction value. For example, if the commission rate is 10% and a product sells for $100, the platform will deduct $10 as a commission fee.
- Flat Fee: Some online marketplaces may charge a fixed or flat fee for each transaction, regardless of the transaction value. For instance, if the flat fee is $5, then every transaction on the platform will incur a $5 commission fee.
- Tiered Commission: In certain cases, online marketplaces may implement a tiered commission structure based on different factors such as transaction volume or seller performance. As sellers achieve higher sales volumes or meet specific criteria, they may become eligible for reduced commission rates.
It's important for sellers to carefully review and understand the commission structure of an online marketplace before engaging in transactions. Sellers should consider how the commission fees will impact their profitability and pricing strategies.
Calculator
One sale: what the seller gets and what you keep
Enter an item price, your commission and your payment provider's rate (Stripe's standard US card rate is 2.9% + $0.30).
Taxes, refunds, chargebacks and currency conversion are not included. More free tools →
Online marketplace commissions typically cover various services provided by the platform, including:
- Transaction facilitation: The platform facilitates secure transactions, ensuring the safe exchange of goods or services between buyers and sellers.
- Payment processing: The platform may handle payment processing, including credit card transactions or other payment methods, ensuring seamless and secure financial transactions.
- Customer support: The platform may provide customer support services to assist both buyers and sellers in resolving any issues, disputes, or inquiries related to the transaction.
- Platform maintenance and development: The commission fees may contribute to maintaining and improving the online marketplace platform, including infrastructure, security measures, and ongoing platform development.
It's essential for both buyers and sellers to factor in the commission fees when pricing products or services on online marketplaces.
Sellers should consider the overall value provided by the platform, reviewing its user base, visibility, marketing reach, and the convenience of accessing a ready-made customer base, to determine if the commission fees are justified.
The specific commission rates and structures can vary significantly between online marketplaces.
Thinking of starting a buy-and-sell site of your own? See our marketplace website builder, software for a second-hand marketplace and how to start an online marketplace.
