How much does eBay charge to sell guitars and basses?

eBay's rule, word for word

From the "Basic fees for most categories" table on eBay's Selling fees page (US), checked Oct 14, 2026:

The page also says the fee "is calculated as a percentage of the total amount of the sale, plus a per order fee", and: "For orders $10.00 or less the per order fee is $0.30, for orders over $10.00 the per order fee is $0.40."

Above $7,500: how the 2.35% tier works

Only the part of one item's total above $7,500 pays 2.35%. The overall rate falls slowly as the price rises.

It's per item, not per order. eBay's wording is "calculated per item", so two $5,000 items in one order each pay 6.7% on their own total: $670.40 in fees, against $561.65 for one $10,000 item ($108.75 more).

Worked example: $650 guitar, $45.00 shipping, 8% sales tax

1. Total amount of the sale: $650.00 item + $45.00 shipping + $55.60 sales tax (8% of $695.00, an example rate) = $750.60.
2. Final value fee: 6.7% of $750.60 = $50.29.
3. Per-order fee: $0.40 (the order total is over $10.00).
4. Total eBay fees: $50.69, 7.3% of the $695.00 you collect for item and shipping. $6.74 of it comes from charging fees on the shipping and tax.
5. You keep $644.31 before postage and the item's cost.

Edge cases

• Only Guitars & Basses is named. Other Musical Instruments & Gear categories pay the most-categories rate.
• Other gear pays the most-categories rate. A $400 item elsewhere in Musical Instruments & Gear costs $54.80 in fees against $27.20 for a $400 guitar; at $1,000, $136.40 against $67.40.

What to do

1. Pick the category before you set the price. The rate follows the category the listing is in, and listing in two categories charges the higher final value fee if the item sells.
2. Expect the lower rate only on the part above $7,500. The break is figured per item, not per order.
3. Set your minimum on the total. eBay takes its percentage from shipping and tax too, so a price that clears your costs at the item price alone can fall short once those are added. The eBay fee calculator takes all three.

Other eBay fees that can apply

• Insertion fee: "Free" for this row, in eBay's insertion fee column. Good 'Til Cancelled listings are charged again each time they renew.
• Two categories: a second insertion fee, and "The higher of the two final value fees is charged, if your item sells."
• Reserve price (auctions): "$5.00 or 7.5% of reserve price, whichever is greater (maximum fee $250)", charged whether or not the item sells. A $400 reserve costs $30.00; 7.5% reaches the $250 cap at a reserve of about $3,333.33, and a reserve up to about $66.67 pays the $5.00 minimum.
• Subtitle: $3.00 on an auction and $6.00 on a fixed price listing at a $400 price (the price break is $150). Bold: $2.00 auction, $4.00 fixed price.
• International fee: 1.65% of the total when the delivery address or the buyer's registered address is outside the US, unless you're US-registered and use eBay International Shipping: $6.60 on a $400 sale.
• Seller performance: Below Standard sellers pay an extra 6% of the total (7% after four or more consecutive months): $24.00 more on a $400 sale. A Very High rate of "item not as described" return requests adds 5% in the affected categories (6% after four or more consecutive months).
• Store subscribers, vehicles and eBay Live: "Fees are different for Store subscribers, vehicle sales, and eBay Live sales." This page uses the basic rates.