Fees Etsy sellers miss, and what they cost
By Felix S. Pavel · Published · Figures checked · 5 min read
Key takeaways
- Etsy's 6.5% transaction fee and 3% processing fee are charged on shipping too, and the processing fee is also charged on sales tax.
- An Offsite Ads sale costs 15% or 12% of the order on top, at most $100: on a $25 item with $5 shipping, fees go from $3.30 to $7.80.
- Pricing in a different currency from your payment account adds 2.5%, which is $0.75 on a $30 order.
- The fixed $0.45 per order weighs most on small sales: Etsy's fees are 14.0% of a $10 sale and 10.0% of a $100 sale.
Etsy's fees aren't hidden, but several are hard to spot: listings renew at $0.20, the 6.5% and 3% fees apply to shipping, processing applies to sales tax, Offsite Ads take 15% or 12% of an order, and a currency mismatch adds 2.5%. On a $25 item with $5 shipping, standard fees are $3.30. With all of them at once, they come to $8.61.
Rates change. These figures use Etsy's Fees & Payments Policy (last updated October 5, 2026) and Payments Policy (last updated July 31, 2026), checked on October 13, 2026, for a US shop.
Why the total is higher than 6.5%
The 6.5% transaction fee is only one of three fees on a typical US order, and all three are charged on more than the item price. Here is what each one is charged on.
| Fee | Rate | Charged on | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listing | $0.20 | Each listing | When published, each renewal, and each time a listing with more than one in stock sells |
| Transaction | 6.5% | Item price, shipping and gift wrap (not US sales tax) | Every sale |
| Payment processing | 3% + $0.25 | The whole order, including shipping and tax | Every sale |
| Offsite Ads | 15% or 12%, at most $100 | Item, shipping and gift wrap | Only sales from an Offsite Ad |
| Currency conversion | 2.5% | The sale | Only when the listing currency differs from your payment account's |
Renewals
Per the Fees & Payments Policy, a listing lasts four months. When it is set to renew automatically, Etsy charges another $0.20 each time it renews, whether or not it sold. A listing that sits unsold all year pays $0.20 when published and again every four months, so about three times a year. A listing with several in stock also renews for $0.20 each time one sells, so every order carries a listing fee, not only the first.
Fees charged on shipping
The transaction fee is 6.5% of the item price plus what the buyer pays for shipping. The processing fee's 3% is charged on the whole order too. On a $25 item with $5 shipping, the shipping adds $0.32 to the transaction fee and $0.15 to the processing fee.
That matters if your shipping charge barely covers the label. The buyer's $5 doesn't all reach the postage: some of it goes to fees first. Our shipping gap calculator checks what buyers pay against what labels cost.
Processing on sales tax
The Payments Policy says the 3% is assessed on the gross order amount, including shipping and tax. So when a buyer pays US sales tax, you pay processing on money that was never yours. It is small: on a $30 order with 7% sales tax, $0.06.
Offsite Ads
This is the largest of these fees. Etsy pays to show some listings in ads on other websites. If a buyer clicks one and buys from your shop within 30 days, per Etsy's Offsite Ads help page, you pay an Offsite Ads fee on that order. It is 15% of the item, shipping and gift wrap if your shop sold under $10,000 in the past 365 days, and 12% once it reaches $10,000. One order never pays more than $100.
- Order (item + shipping)
- $30.00
- Listing fee
- −$0.20
- Transaction fee (6.5%)
- −$1.95
- Processing fee (3% + $0.25)
- −$1.15
- Offsite Ads fee (15%)
- −$4.50
- Left after fees
- $22.20
Fees come to $7.80, 26.0% of the order, against $3.30 without the Offsite Ad. Worked out by the site's fee engine with Etsy's rules as checked on October 13, 2026.
Shops under $10,000 can opt out. Once a shop reaches $10,000, it pays 12% and can't opt out, per the Fees & Payments Policy. Whether staying in is worth it depends on how many of your sales come from these ads. Our Offsite Ads calculator works out what it costs you in a month.
Currency conversion
If you list your items in one currency and your payment account is in another, Etsy charges 2.5% to convert the sale. On a $30 order that is $0.75. A US shop listing in US dollars doesn't pay it. A shop whose listings are set in another currency pays it on every order.
The regulatory operating fee
Sellers based in some countries outside the US pay a regulatory operating fee on top of the others, according to Etsy's fees and taxes help page. A US-based shop doesn't pay it. The rates differ by country. We couldn't read Etsy's current rate for each country on its own pages, so we don't quote them here. If you sell from outside the US, check that page for yours.
Payment processing on small orders
The processing fee's $0.25 and the $0.20 listing fee are the same on every order. On a large order they barely show. On a small one they are a real share: Etsy's fees come to 14.0% of a $10 sale with no shipping charge, and 10.0% of a $100 sale. If most of your orders are small, a slightly higher price or a bundle can matter more than it looks, at your numbers, if orders hold.
All of them on one order
- Order (item + shipping, before tax)
- $30.00
- Listing fee
- −$0.20
- Transaction fee (6.5%)
- −$1.95
- Processing fee, including $0.06 on sales tax
- −$1.21
- Currency conversion (2.5%)
- −$0.75
- Offsite Ads fee (15%)
- −$4.50
- Left after fees
- $21.39
Fees come to $8.61, 28.7% of the order. Few orders carry every one of these, but each is possible. Worked out by the site's fee engine.
None of this is profit yet. Materials, packaging, the label and any Etsy Ads still come out of what's left. Our post on how much Etsy takes from a $10, $25 or $100 sale has more worked examples.
If you'd like your own numbers, the check-up adds up a month of your shop, fees, labels and ads included, and shows where the money goes.
Sources
- Fees & Payments Policy (Wayback capture of October 10, 2026) · Etsy · October 5, 2026
- Etsy Payments Policy (Wayback capture of October 11, 2026) · Etsy · July 31, 2026
- How Etsy's Offsite Ads Work (Wayback capture) · Etsy · October 8, 2026
- What are the Fees and Taxes for Selling on Etsy? (Wayback capture) · Etsy · August 27, 2026
Money figures are worked out by the same engine as our calculators, at the fees checked on October 14, 2026. Platforms change their fees; every rule we use, with its source and date, is on the fee rates page.