Whatnot vs eBay fees
Enter one sale and see both platforms' fee breakdowns next to each other. Whatnot pays you more at every price point tested.
Whatnot pays you $1.18 more on this sale.
Default category and options for each platform. For category-specific rates, open the individual Whatnot or eBay calculator.
Fees at six price points
Free shipping, default category, United States seller. The highlighted cell is the higher payout.
| Sale price | Whatnot fees | Whatnot payout | eBay fees | eBay payout | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $1.39 (13.9%) | $8.61 | $1.66 (16.6%) | $8.34 | $0.27 |
| $20.00 | $2.48 (12.4%) | $17.52 | $3.12 (15.6%) | $16.88 | $0.64 |
| $35.00 | $4.12 (11.77%) | $30.88 | $5.16 (14.74%) | $29.84 | $1.04 |
| $50.00 | $5.75 (11.5%) | $44.25 | $7.20 (14.4%) | $42.80 | $1.45 |
| $100.00 | $11.20 (11.2%) | $88.80 | $14.00 (14%) | $86.00 | $2.80 |
| $250.00 | $27.55 (11.02%) | $222.45 | $34.40 (13.76%) | $215.60 | $6.85 |
Where the fee structures differ
Whatnot
Whatnot charges a commission on the item only, plus a payment processing fee on the whole order. The standard commission is 8%, dropping to 5% for Electronics and 4% for Coins & Money. Processing is 2.9% + $0.30 on item, shipping and tax combined.
eBay
eBay rolled almost everything into one "final value fee" when it took over payments from PayPal. For most categories it is 13.6% of the total amount the buyer paid, including shipping and sales tax, plus a fixed $0.30 or $0.40 per order. There is no separate payment processing line.
What that means for you
- Fixed fees punish cheap items. Whatnot and eBay has a fixed per-sale component, which weighs most on items under $15.
- Fees on shipping. Platforms that charge their percentage on shipping as well as the item (Etsy, eBay, Mercari, TikTok Shop, Depop processing) make "charge for shipping" and "free shipping, higher price" cost the same. Platforms that charge on the item only (Poshmark, Whatnot commission, StockX, Vinted) reward charging real shipping.
- Buyer-side fees. If either platform charges the buyer a fee at checkout, your listing looks more expensive to shoppers than your price suggests. Price a little lower to land at the same buyer total.
Frequently asked questions
Is Whatnot or eBay cheaper to sell on?
Whatnot pays you more at every price point tested. At $50 with free shipping, Whatnot takes $5.75 (11.5%) and eBay takes $7.20 (14.4%).
What fees does Whatnot charge?
8% commission on the item (5% electronics, 4% coins) plus 2.9% + $0.30 processing on the whole order.
What fees does eBay charge?
Final value fee by category plus a per-order fixed fee, charged on the full order including tax.