In-depth 2026 fee breakdowns for Etsy, Amazon FBA, eBay, Shopify, Alibaba & AliExpress — US & UK fees covered. Know your margins before you list.
Etsy charges at least 4 separate fees on every single sale — and most sellers don't know all of them. This complete 2026 guide breaks down every fee (US & UK), shows you real dollar examples on a $30 product, and tells you exactly how to price for actual profit after Etsy takes its cut.
Read Full Guide →On a $25 sale, Etsy keeps around $4–$5 before you even count shipping or tax. We break down the exact percentage Etsy takes in the US and UK — transaction fee, listing fee, payment processing, and offsite ads.
Etsy gives you built-in traffic. Shopify gives you zero transaction fees. But which platform actually puts more money in your pocket on a $40 product? We ran the real numbers for US and UK sellers.
Etsy's Offsite Ads automatically charge 12–15% on sales from external traffic. Some sellers can opt out — most can't. We explain who pays, when it applies, and whether it's actually hurting your margins.
Most Etsy sellers underprice because they forget to include every cost. This guide gives you a simple pricing formula that factors in materials, Etsy fees, shipping, time, and your target profit margin.
Referral fees, fulfillment fees, monthly storage, inbound placement — Amazon has more fee types than most sellers realize. This guide covers every FBA fee for US and UK sellers with updated 2026 rates.
Most Amazon sellers only look at revenue — not real profit. Here's the step-by-step formula to calculate your true net margin per unit after all fees, COGS, PPC and returns. Includes a worked example for a $25 product.
FBA is convenient but FBM can be cheaper — depending on product size, weight, and sales volume. We compare both models side-by-side with real 2026 fee data so you can choose the right fulfillment method.
Amazon's referral fee ranges from 6% to 45% depending on what you sell. Electronics, clothing, jewelry — each category has a different rate. We list every major category with its 2026 referral fee percentage.
Storing slow-moving inventory at Amazon gets expensive fast. Monthly storage fees, aged inventory surcharges, and Q4 peak rates can quietly kill your profit. Here's exactly what you'll pay in 2026.
eBay's final value fee, insertion fee, managed payments, and promoted listings all add up fast. This complete 2026 breakdown covers every fee for US and UK sellers — with category-specific rates.
eBay's final value fee goes up to 13.25% in most categories — plus payment processing on top. We show exactly how much eBay takes on a $50 sale in the US and UK, broken down fee by fee.
Both platforms charge different fee structures. For handmade items, vintage goods, or mass-market resale — which one actually costs less per sale? We compare real fee totals on identical products.
eBay's Promoted Listings Standard charges an ad fee only when your item sells — but rates are rising. We explain how the ad fee works, what average rates look like in 2026, and when promoting is actually worth it.
eBay Store plans (Basic, Premium, Anchor) offer lower final value fees and more free listings — but only if your sales volume justifies the monthly cost. We do the break-even math so you don't have to.
Shopify charges 0.5%–2% extra if you don't use Shopify Payments — plus payment processing, plan fees, and app costs. This guide covers all fees for the Basic, Shopify, and Advanced plans in US and UK.
Shopify revenue minus plan fee, payment processing, shipping, COGS, and apps — what's left is your actual profit. We walk through a complete worked example for a $45 product sold on a Basic plan.
Shopify Payments avoids the extra transaction fee — but PayPal has advantages for international buyers. We compare real processing costs on a $60 sale so you can pick the right payment gateway for your store.
Upgrading your Shopify plan lowers your transaction and card fees — but is the saving worth the higher monthly cost? We run the numbers and tell you exactly which plan makes sense at different revenue levels.
Each platform has a different fee structure, audience, and profit potential. Should you sell on your own Shopify store, leverage Etsy's marketplace traffic, or go straight to Amazon's 300M+ buyers? We compare all three.
AliExpress charges a commission between 5%–8% depending on category, plus payment processing. This 2026 guide covers every fee you'll face selling or dropshipping on AliExpress — with real examples.
Alibaba is for bulk wholesale. AliExpress is for small-order or dropshipping. But costs, MOQs, shipping times and profit margins are very different. We break down which is better for your business model.
AliExpress dropshipping margins are tighter than many new sellers expect after factoring in platform fees, shipping costs, returns, and ad spend. Here's a realistic breakdown of what you can actually earn per order in 2026.
Scams, poor quality, and missed MOQs are the top Alibaba complaints from new importers. This guide walks you through verified badges, trade assurance, sample orders, and the right questions to ask before committing.
Slow shipping is the #1 complaint about AliExpress dropshipping. This guide compares every shipping method — ePacket, AliExpress Standard, DHL, and warehouse options — with real delivery times and costs for 2026.
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