Calculators / Where to sell / Whatnot vs eBay
Whatnot vs eBay fees: what you keep on each sale
On a $25 sale you keep $21.97 on Whatnot and $21.20 on eBay, $0.77 more on Whatnot. You keep more on Whatnot at every price from $1.00 to $9,869.48; eBay leaves you more at every price from $9,869.69 to $25,000.00, because eBay's rate drops to 2.35% on the part of the total above $7,500. Between $9,869.49 and $9,869.68, the two are within 1 cent of each other. Fees from Whatnot's and eBay's own fee pages, checked ; item price only, before shipping, tax and your costs.
Rates verified on
What you keep at $5 to $100
Item price only: no shipping charged, no sales tax, no item or postage costs. eBay: most categories. Whatnot: standard tier, most categories (8%).
| Sale price | Whatnot fees | You keep on Whatnot | eBay fees | You keep on eBay | You keep more on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5.00 | $0.85 (17%) | $4.15 | $0.98 (19.6%) | $4.02 | Whatnot +$0.13 |
| $10.00 | $1.39 (13.9%) | $8.61 | $1.66 (16.6%) | $8.34 | Whatnot +$0.27 |
| $15.00 | $1.94 (12.9%) | $13.06 | $2.44 (16.3%) | $12.56 | Whatnot +$0.50 |
| $25.00 | $3.03 (12.1%) | $21.97 | $3.80 (15.2%) | $21.20 | Whatnot +$0.77 |
| $50.00 | $5.75 (11.5%) | $44.25 | $7.20 (14.4%) | $42.80 | Whatnot +$1.45 |
| $100.00 | $11.20 (11.2%) | $88.80 | $14.00 (14%) | $86.00 | Whatnot +$2.80 |
With $5 buyer-paid shipping and 8% sales tax
Here the fee bases split apart. The buyer pays $5 for shipping and you spend the same $5 on the label, so what's left is the item price minus fees. 8% is an example tax rate, not an average; rates vary by place.
| Item price | Whatnot fees | You keep on Whatnot | eBay fees | You keep on eBay | You keep more on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5.00 | $1.01 | $3.99 | $1.87 | $3.13 | Whatnot +$0.86 |
| $10.00 | $1.57 | $8.43 | $2.60 | $7.40 | Whatnot +$1.03 |
| $15.00 | $2.13 | $12.87 | $3.34 | $11.66 | Whatnot +$1.21 |
| $25.00 | $3.24 | $21.76 | $4.81 | $20.19 | Whatnot +$1.57 |
| $50.00 | $6.02 | $43.98 | $8.48 | $41.52 | Whatnot +$2.46 |
| $100.00 | $11.59 | $88.41 | $15.82 | $84.18 | Whatnot +$4.23 |
Where the winner flips
We ran both fee schedules at every price from $1 to $25,000, one cent at a time.
- Item price only: You keep more on Whatnot at every price from $1.00 to $9,869.48, and on eBay from $9,869.69 to $25,000.00, because eBay's rate drops to 2.35% on the part of the total above $7,500. Between $9,869.49 and $9,869.68, the two are within 1 cent of each other.
- With $5 shipping and 8% tax: You keep more on Whatnot at every price from $1.00 to $9,818.59, and on eBay from $9,818.82 to $25,000.00, because eBay's rate drops to 2.35% on the part of the total above $7,500. Between $9,818.60 and $9,818.81, the two tie to the cent.
Trading cards and comics: eBay 13.25%, Whatnot 0% commission above $1,500
eBay's rate for Coins & paper money (not bullion), comics, trading cards, CCGs is 13.25% (eBay's fee page). Whatnot charges no commission on the part of an order above $1,500 in eligible categories, which include trading card games, sports singles and comics (Whatnot: high-value orders). Whatnot calls this a limited-time promotion, and payment processing still applies to the full amount.
| Sale price | Whatnot fees | You keep on Whatnot | eBay fees | You keep on eBay | You keep more on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25.00 | $3.03 | $21.97 | $3.71 | $21.29 | Whatnot +$0.68 |
| $100.00 | $11.20 | $88.80 | $13.65 | $86.35 | Whatnot +$2.45 |
| $500.00 | $54.80 | $445.20 | $66.65 | $433.35 | Whatnot +$11.85 |
| $1,500.00 | $163.80 | $1,336.20 | $199.15 | $1,300.85 | Whatnot +$35.35 |
| $2,000.00 | $178.30 | $1,821.70 | $265.40 | $1,734.60 | Whatnot +$87.10 |
| $5,000.00 | $265.30 | $4,734.70 | $662.90 | $4,337.10 | Whatnot +$397.60 |
What each platform charges on shipping and tax
| Fee rule | Whatnot | eBay |
|---|---|---|
| Headline fee | 8% commission on the item (standard tier) + 2.9% + $0.30 processing | 13.6% of the total (15.3% for books, movies and music) + $0.30 or $0.40 per order |
| What the fee is figured on | Commission is on the item's sale price only (not shipping or tax). Payment processing is on everything the buyer pays: item, shipping and tax. | Final value fee is a percentage of the total amount of the sale: item price, handling, shipping charged to the buyer, and sales tax. |
| Fee on shipping? | Yes: $0.14 more in fees on $5 of shipping ($25 sale), from payment processing; the commission isn't charged on shipping | Yes: $0.68 more in fees on $5 of shipping ($25 sale), from the final value fee |
| Fee on sales tax? | Yes: $0.05 more in fees on 8% tax ($25 sale), from payment processing; the commission isn't charged on tax | Yes: $0.27 more in fees on 8% tax ($25 sale), from the final value fee |
| Shipping label | Buyers usually pay shipping through Whatnot's label. | You set the shipping charge (or offer free shipping) and buy the label, through eBay Labels or elsewhere. |
| Other fees and rules |
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2026 fee and shipping changes on Whatnot and eBay
From our change tracker, newest first. Each entry has the source and the dates; 9 of these 13 also show the effect on a $10, $25 and $50 sale.
Whatnot
- Whatnot will bill sellers for USPS weight adjustments from Nov 4 Postage · effective
- Whatnot Premier Shops lose their 10% commission discount on Nov 1 Fees · effective
- Whatnot reprices USPS international shipping for US sellers Postage · effective
- Whatnot moves to volume tiers: commission falls as four-week sales grow Fees · effective
- Whatnot's plain-envelope (FCML) labels go up $0.04 to $0.78 Postage · effective
- Whatnot makes Ground Advantage the default: $7.75 for 1-5 lb Postage · effective
- Whatnot: 0% commission on the part of an order above $1,500 Fees · effective
eBay
- eBay raises its seller currency conversion charge to 3.25% Fees · effective
- eBay Labels skip most of the USPS holiday increase Postage · effective
- eBay Labels: Ground Advantage 0-2 lb up $0.10, Flat Rate up $0.30 Postage · effective
- eBay Labels: Ground Advantage 3-5 lb up $1 to Zone 5, $2 to Zones 6-8 Postage · effective
- eBay Labels: Ground Advantage 3-5 lb up $0.10 Postage · effective
- eBay raises its penalty fees for sellers who stay Below Standard or keep a high 'not as described' rate Fees · effective
Common questions
Is Whatnot or eBay cheaper to sell on?
On a $25 sale you keep $21.97 on Whatnot and $21.20 on eBay, $0.77 more on Whatnot. Item price only, fees checked Oct 14, 2026. You keep more on Whatnot at every price from $1.00 to $9,869.48, and on eBay from $9,869.69 to $25,000.00, because eBay's rate drops to 2.35% on the part of the total above $7,500. Between $9,869.49 and $9,869.68, the two are within 1 cent of each other.
Do Whatnot and eBay take a fee on shipping?
On a $25 sale with $5 of buyer-paid shipping: Whatnot: yes, $0.14 more on $5 of shipping, from payment processing; the commission isn't charged on shipping. eBay: yes, $0.68 more on $5 of shipping, from the final value fee.
Do Whatnot and eBay figure their fees on sales tax?
On a $25 sale with an example 8% sales tax: Whatnot: yes, $0.05 more on 8% tax, from payment processing; the commission isn't charged on tax. eBay: yes, $0.27 more on 8% tax, from the final value fee. The tax itself isn't yours to keep on either platform. General information, not tax advice.
How we compared
- Fees come from each platform's own US fee page as checked on Oct 14, 2026, run through the same code as our calculators. Each fee line is rounded to the cent, the way the platforms show it.
- Selling at the same price on both platforms is a simplification. Buyers, prices, how fast items sell, and shipping differ from one platform to the other.
- No optional ads, boosts or promotions unless a section says so. eBay sellers rated Below Standard pay more (see the table above). Whatnot's rate falls as your four-week sales grow; this page uses the standard tier ($0-14,999 in four-week sales).
- Sales tax appears only to show whether a fee is figured on it. General information, not tax advice: check with a tax pro about your own situation.
Sources
Rates verified on from each official page below.
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