Last Updated: February 2026
Choosing where to sell your items isn't just about where buyers are — it's about where you actually keep the most money. And the fee structures across reselling platforms are wildly different. A $50 sale on Poshmark puts a very different number in your pocket than the same sale on eBay or Mercari.
I've been reselling across all these platforms for years, and I still see people leaving serious money on the table because they don't understand the real cost of selling on each one.
Let's fix that.
TL;DR — Key Takeaways
- eBay takes roughly 13-15% total (selling fees + payment processing), but offers the largest buyer pool
- Poshmark takes a flat 20% on sales over $15 (or $2.95 on sales $15 and under) — simple but expensive
- Mercari charges ~10% seller fee + 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing — middle of the road
- Whatnot takes ~8% — the cheapest major platform, but it's live-selling only
- Facebook Marketplace has zero selling fees for local pickup — hard to beat for furniture and bulky items
- The "best" platform depends entirely on what you're selling and at what price point
- Use our free fee calculator to compare your exact take-home across all platforms instantly
How Reselling Platform Fees Actually Work
Before we compare, let's understand what you're actually paying. Most platforms charge some combination of:
Some platforms bundle these together. Others break them out. The only number that matters is: what hits your bank account after everything is deducted?
eBay Fees Breakdown (2026)
eBay's fee structure is the most complex, but also the most flexible.
Listing Fees
- First 250 listings per month: Free (for most sellers without a store)
- Store subscribers get more free listings (up to unlimited with an Anchor store)
- After your free allotment: $0.35 per listing
Final Value Fees
eBay's final value fee varies by category, but for most resellers it lands between 12.35% and 15% of the total sale amount (item price + shipping).
Common categories:
- Clothing, shoes, accessories: 12.35%
- Electronics: 12.35% (over $2,500: lower tiers kick in)
- Sporting goods: 12.35%
- Collectibles & trading cards: 12.35%-14.95% depending on subcategory
- Everything else: Generally 12.35%-13.25%
There's also a $0.30 per-order fee on every transaction.
Payment Processing
eBay manages payments directly. The payment processing is included in the final value fee — no separate charge.
What You Actually Keep on eBay
Example: You sell a $50 shirt with free shipping (you pay $5 to ship)
- Sale price: $50.00
- Final value fee (12.35%): -$6.18
- Per-order fee: -$0.30
- Shipping cost: -$5.00
- You keep: $38.52
- Effective fee rate: ~12.96% (not counting shipping)
Example: You sell a $200 pair of sneakers
- Sale price: $200.00
- Final value fee (12.35%): -$24.70
- Per-order fee: -$0.30
- Shipping cost: -$12.00
- You keep: $163.00
- Effective fee rate: ~12.50% (not counting shipping)
eBay Store Subscriptions
If you're doing volume, a store subscription can save you money:
| Store Tier | Monthly Cost | Free Listings | FVF Discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $4.95 | 250 | Slight reduction |
| Basic | $21.95 | 1,000 | Moderate reduction |
| Premium | $59.95 | 10,000 | Better reduction |
| Anchor | $299.95 | 25,000 | Best rates |
| Enterprise | $2,999.95 | 100,000 | Lowest possible |
For most part-time resellers doing 50-200 sales/month, the Basic store is the sweet spot.
Poshmark Fees Breakdown (2026)
Poshmark keeps it dead simple — which is both a blessing and a curse.
Fee Structure
- Sales $15 and over: Poshmark takes a flat 20%
- Sales under $15: Poshmark takes a flat $2.95
That's it. No listing fees. No payment processing fees. No hidden charges.
Shipping
- Poshmark provides a prepaid shipping label for every sale
- As of 2026, the buyer pays a flat shipping rate (currently around $7.67 for up to 5 lbs)
- Sellers don't pay shipping directly — but your buyers see that cost, which affects what they're willing to pay
What You Actually Keep on Poshmark
Example: You sell a $50 shirt
- Sale price: $50.00
- Poshmark fee (20%): -$10.00
- Shipping: $0 (buyer pays)
- You keep: $40.00
- Effective fee rate: 20%
Example: You sell a $12 jewelry piece
- Sale price: $12.00
- Poshmark fee: -$2.95
- You keep: $9.05
- Effective fee rate: 24.6% — ouch
Example: You sell a $200 pair of sneakers
- Sale price: $200.00
- Poshmark fee (20%): -$40.00
- You keep: $160.00
The Poshmark Reality Check
20% is steep. There's no way around it. But Poshmark buyers expect to pay more, and the social/sharing features drive organic traffic. For women's fashion, it's still hard to beat the audience.
That said, if you're selling anything over $75, that 20% cut starts to really hurt compared to eBay.
Mercari Fees Breakdown (2026)
Mercari sits in the middle — cheaper than Poshmark, slightly more than eBay on lower-priced items.
Fee Structure
- Selling fee: 10% of the sale price
- Payment processing: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
Shipping
Mercari offers prepaid labels through various carriers. Sellers can choose:
- Prepaid shipping labels (costs deducted from earnings)
- Ship on your own (you handle it)
- Local meetup (no shipping needed)
Shipping costs range from about $4.99 to $16+ depending on weight and size.
What You Actually Keep on Mercari
Example: You sell a $50 shirt (buyer pays shipping)
- Sale price: $50.00
- Selling fee (10%): -$5.00
- Payment processing (2.9% + $0.30): -$1.75
- You keep: $43.25
- Effective fee rate: 13.5%
Example: You sell a $200 pair of sneakers (buyer pays shipping)
- Sale price: $200.00
- Selling fee (10%): -$20.00
- Payment processing (2.9% + $0.30): -$6.10
- You keep: $173.90
- Effective fee rate: 13.05%
Mercari's fees are very competitive. The downside? Smaller buyer pool compared to eBay, and the platform's growth has plateaued a bit. But for quick sales on everyday items, it's solid.
Whatnot Fees Breakdown (2026)
Whatnot has the lowest fees of any major platform — but it's a completely different selling model.
Fee Structure
- Seller fee: ~8% of the sale price
- Payment processing: Included in the 8%
Shipping
- Sellers handle their own shipping
- Whatnot provides discounted USPS labels
- Typical cost: $4-$8 for most items
What You Actually Keep on Whatnot
Example: You sell a $50 item during a live show
- Sale price: $50.00
- Whatnot fee (8%): -$4.00
- Shipping (your cost): -$5.00
- You keep: $41.00
- Effective fee rate: 8% (not counting shipping)
The catch? You need to be comfortable doing live shows, and your category needs to work for the live format. But at 8%, Whatnot sellers keep more per sale than anywhere else. for getting started.
Facebook Marketplace Fees (2026)
Local Pickup Sales
- Selling fee: $0. Zero. Nothing.
- You meet the buyer, they pay cash or Zelle, done.
Shipped Sales
- Selling fee: 5% of the sale price (minimum $0.40)
- Competitive, but the buyer pool for shipped items is smaller
Facebook Marketplace is unbeatable for furniture, large items, and local deals. The zero-fee structure for local sales means every dollar goes to you. The trade-off is dealing with flaky buyers and no seller protection.
Walmart Marketplace Fees (2026)
Walmart's marketplace is growing and worth knowing about:
- Referral fee: 6-15% depending on category (most items: 8-15%)
- No monthly subscription fee
- No listing fees
- Payment processing is included in the referral fee
Walmart is more geared toward retail sellers and brands than individual resellers, but if you have volume in the right categories, the fees are competitive.
Side-by-Side Fee Comparison: The $50 Shirt Test
Let's see what happens when you sell the same $50 shirt across every platform:
| Platform | Fees Deducted | You Keep | Effective Fee % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facebook (local) | $0.00 | $50.00 | 0% |
| Whatnot | $4.00 | $46.00 | 8% |
| Mercari | $6.75 | $43.25 | 13.5% |
| eBay | $6.48 | $43.52 | 12.96% |
| Poshmark | $10.00 | $40.00 | 20% |
Shipping costs excluded for apples-to-apples comparison on fees alone.
Side-by-Side: The $200 Sneaker Test
| Platform | Fees Deducted | You Keep | Effective Fee % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facebook (local) | $0.00 | $200.00 | 0% |
| Whatnot | $16.00 | $184.00 | 8% |
| eBay | $25.00 | $175.00 | 12.5% |
| Mercari | $26.10 | $173.90 | 13.05% |
| Poshmark | $40.00 | $160.00 | 20% |
At higher price points, Poshmark's 20% flat rate really stings. The difference between Whatnot and Poshmark on a $200 item is $24 — that adds up fast over hundreds of sales.
🧮 Try Our Free Fee Calculator
Enter any sale price and instantly compare your take-home across Whatnot, eBay, Poshmark, Mercari & Facebook Marketplace.
Open Fee Calculator →Which Platform Is Best for Each Category?
Here's my honest take based on years of selling across all of them:
Women's Fashion & Clothing
Best: Poshmark (biggest audience for women's fashion) → eBay (broader reach)
Despite the 20% fee, Poshmark buyers pay higher prices for fashion. The net can actually be similar to eBay once you factor in the higher ASPs.
Men's Clothing & Streetwear
Best: eBay → Mercari → Whatnot
Men don't shop on Poshmark the same way. eBay's search-driven buying matches how guys shop.
Sneakers
Best: eBay → Whatnot (for hype releases) → Mercari
eBay's authenticity guarantee for sneakers over $100 gives buyers confidence. Whatnot works great for live sneaker drops.
Electronics
Best: eBay → Facebook Marketplace (local) → Mercari
eBay dominates electronics. Period. The buyer pool and trust factor are unmatched.
Sports Cards & Collectibles
Best: Whatnot → eBay → Mercari
Whatnot was built for this. The live auction format drives prices up through competition.
Furniture & Large Items
Best: Facebook Marketplace → eBay (local pickup)
Don't even try shipping furniture. Local is the only way.
Vintage & Antiques
Best: eBay → Poshmark (vintage clothing) → Mercari
eBay's global reach means your niche vintage items find the right buyer.
The Real Cost You're Not Thinking About: Your Time
Fees aren't the only cost. Consider:
- Poshmark requires constant sharing and social engagement
- eBay has the most complex listing process
- Mercari is quick to list but has less traffic
- Whatnot requires live-show time commitment
- Facebook requires messaging back and forth with flaky buyers
The platform where you make the most money per hour isn't always the one with the lowest fees. Factor in your time when choosing where to focus.
My Recommendation: Don't Pick Just One
The smartest resellers I know — the ones doing $10K-$20K+ per month — sell on at least 2-3 platforms. They put each item where it'll sell fastest and for the most money.
- High-value sneakers? eBay with authenticity guarantee.
- Trendy women's fashion? Poshmark.
- Quick everyday flips? Mercari.
- Sports cards and collectibles? Whatnot live shows.
- Furniture and bulky stuff? Facebook local.
The key is knowing the fee structure so you can price correctly on each platform and not lose money because you didn't account for that 20% Poshmark cut.
Stop Doing This Math Manually
If you're selling across multiple platforms (and you should be), calculating the right price for each one gets tedious fast. You need to account for different fee structures, shipping costs, and your target profit margin — for every single item.
SnapList shows you the best platform for every item and calculates your net profit automatically — try it free at snaplist.com.
Just snap a photo of your item, and SnapList tells you what it's worth, what you'll net on each platform after fees, and generates optimized listings for all of them. No more spreadsheets. No more guessing.
Have questions about fees on a specific platform? Drop a comment below or check out our pricing guide for help setting the right prices across all your selling channels.