Etsy fees explained: what Etsy takes from each sale
Etsy does not charge a monthly fee for a standard shop. Instead it takes several small fees from every sale. Each one looks harmless on its own. Added together, on a cheap item, they can take more than a tenth of what the buyer paid.
The rates below are for US sellers using Etsy Payments, from Etsy’s selling page, checked October 9, 2026.
The fees on a normal sale
| Fee | Rate | Charged on |
|---|---|---|
| Listing fee | $0.20 | Each listing, renewed every 4 months or when an item sells |
| Transaction fee | 6.5% | Item price plus the shipping and gift wrap the buyer pays |
| Payment processing | 3% + $0.25 | The full order total, including sales tax |
Listing fee
You pay $0.20 to publish a listing, and it stays up for four months. When an item sells, the listing renews automatically for the next one in stock and you pay another $0.20. So for a sale, count one listing fee per item sold. A buyer ordering three of the same mug triggers the fee three times.
Transaction fee
This is the big one: 6.5% of the item price and of the shipping the buyer paid. Moving money from the item price into the shipping price does not get round it. Gift wrapping is included too.
Payment processing
Etsy Payments charges 3% plus 25 cents on the whole order, sales tax included. Etsy collects and pays sales tax for you in most US states, but the processing fee is still worked out on the total with tax in it. The tax itself goes to the state, so it is not part of your income.
A full example
A $30 print with $5 shipping charged, no sales tax:
| Step | Working | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Listing fee | flat | $0.20 |
| Transaction fee | 35 × 0.065 | $2.28 |
| Processing | 35 × 0.03 + 0.25 | $1.30 |
| Total | $3.78 |
Etsy keeps $3.78 of the $35, which is 10.8%. You receive $31.22, and your own costs (the print, the tube, the label) come out of that.
Why cheap items pay more
The 20 cents and 25 cents do not change with the price. On a cheap item they become a big slice. A $12 sticker set with $1.50 shipping:
| Step | Working | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Listing fee | flat | $0.20 |
| Transaction fee | 13.50 × 0.065 | $0.88 |
| Processing | 13.50 × 0.03 + 0.25 | $0.66 |
| Total | $1.74 |
That is 12.9% of the sale, against 10.8% on the print. If most of your range is under $15, bundles (“set of three”) lower the fee share because the fixed parts are paid once.
Offsite Ads
Etsy advertises listings on Google, social media and other sites. If a buyer clicks one of those ads and buys from you within Etsy’s attribution window, Etsy charges an advertising fee on that order:
- 15% if your shop made under $10,000 in the last 12 months. You can opt out.
- 12% once your shop has made $10,000 or more in that period. You cannot opt out.
- The fee is capped at $100 per order.
It is charged on the item price and shipping, on top of the other fees. On the $35 print, an Offsite Ads sale costs another $5.25, and total fees jump from 10.8% to 25.8%.
You only pay it on sales the ads brought in, and you would not have had those sales otherwise, at least in theory. Check your shop’s Offsite Ads report to see how many orders it is claiming and whether your margin can carry it.
Fees that are not on every sale
- Etsy Ads: the promoted listings inside Etsy search. You set a daily budget and pay per click, billed separately from the sale. To include them in your margin, divide a month’s Etsy Ads spend by that month’s orders.
- Currency conversion: if you list in a different currency from your bank account, Etsy charges a conversion fee. US sellers listing in US dollars avoid it.
- Shipping labels bought through Etsy are charged to your account like any other cost.
- Refunds: refunding an order does not always return every fee. Check Etsy’s fee policy for how each one is handled before you rely on getting them back.
Keeping more of each sale
- Price for the fees. Work out your price with the fees included, not by adding them on later. The Etsy fee calculator shows the full breakdown for any price.
- Raise the average order. Bundles and “buy two” offers spread the fixed 45 cents over more value.
- Watch Offsite Ads once you pass $10,000. At 12% you cannot turn it off, so it belongs in your pricing, not in “extra costs”.
- Know when your own store makes sense. Etsy’s fees pay for its traffic. Once repeat customers are finding you by name, a store of your own can cost less per sale. The Shopify vs Etsy comparison shows where that point is for your numbers.