How eBay US fees are worked out
eBay charges a percentage of the total sale, including the shipping you charge, plus a small fixed fee per order. These are eBay US's published rates for most categories at the time of writing (September 2026), from eBay's fees page:
- The final value fee is 13.6% of the sale up to $7,500 and 2.35% on the part above $7,500. It varies by category, and some categories are charged at a different rate.
- The per-order fee is $0.40 on an order, or $0.30 on orders of $10 or less.
- Sales tax is collected and paid by eBay, so you never receive it, but eBay works its fees out on a total that includes it. The figures here allow a typical 7% for that, the same as Sellhelm does.
eBay changes its fees, so treat eBay's page as the source of truth. This calculator uses the final value fee you enter up to $7,500 and 2.35% above it, so if your category is charged another way, the result is an approximation.
eBay US final value fee rates by category
Most categories pay the standard rate, but a handful are set differently. Here is each one, read from eBay's own fees page on 16 October 2026, so you can check yours without scripts. The calculator above uses the rate you type in, so for a category on this list, enter its rate. Where a category steps down at a different amount from $7,500, the calculator's result is an approximation. eBay changes these rates, so its page is the source of truth.
Most categories
Media
Collectibles
Fashion & jewelry
Music & business
No category matches that. Most categories use the standard 13.6% rate.
Three mistakes this calculator catches
- Forgetting that shipping is part of the fee base. Free shipping that you build into the price still attracts fees.
- Forgetting the fixed fee on small sales. On a $10 sale the per-order fee alone is 3%.
- Pricing from a markup. A 30% markup on cost is not a 30% return once fees come off. Work backwards from the return you want, as the price above does.
Doing this for every listing
One item is easy. A whole shop, where suppliers change prices without warning, is not. Sellhelm solves for your target return on every product, and re-does the sums when a supplier's price moves. It is eBay dropshipping software for US sellers, from $99 once.
Questions people ask
What is eBay’s final value fee?
It is the main fee eBay charges you when an item sells: a percentage of the total sale, including the shipping you charge. For most categories it is 13.6% up to $7,500 of a sale and 2.35% on the part above that. It sits on top of the smaller per-order fee, but it is by far the largest of the two, which is why “final value fee” and “eBay fee” are usually the same conversation.
What fees does eBay charge sellers in the US?
For most categories: a final value fee of 13.6% of the total sale (the item price plus the shipping you charge) up to $7,500 and 2.35% on the part above that, plus a per-order fee of $0.40, or $0.30 on orders of $10 or less. Those are eBay US’s published rates for most categories at the time of writing (September 2026). They vary by category and eBay changes them, so check eBay’s fees page for yours.
Does eBay charge fees on shipping?
Yes. The final value fee is worked out on the total amount of the sale, which includes the shipping you charge, not just the item price. Free shipping that you build into the price is charged the same way.
What final value fee should I enter?
13.6% is eBay US’s published rate for most categories. Some categories have a different rate. Look up your own category on eBay’s fees page and enter that rate. The calculator applies your rate up to $7,500 of a sale and 2.35% on any part above that.
Does the calculator include sales tax?
Only in one way. eBay collects and pays the buyer’s sales tax itself, so it is never part of what you keep, but eBay works its fees out on a total that includes it. The calculator allows a typical 7% for that, which is why the fee shown is a little more than 13.6% of the price. Your own income tax on your profit is not included either.
What is return on spend?
It is your profit as a percentage of what the item cost you in total, including any shipping you pay. A 25% return means that for every $100 you spend on an item, you keep $25 after eBay’s fees. It is more useful than markup, which ignores the fees.
Does the calculator include returns, refunds or my time?
No. It covers eBay’s fees and the item’s cost. Allow separately for returns and refunds, which will cost you some sales, for optional extras such as Promoted Listings ads, and for your own time.