What whatnot takes from a sale
whatnot takes 8% commission on the item and 2.9% + $0.30 processing on everything the buyer paid, shipping and tax included. A $50 card worked line by line to the payout.
Updated · 5 min read
Every whatnot sale pays commission, 8% of the item price at Standard in most categories, and processing, 2.9% of everything the buyer paid plus $0.30 a checkout.
$44.00
What you keep from a $50.00 card at Standard. Fees are $6.00, 12.0% of the price.
The $50.00 card, line by line
The buyer adds $4.47 Ground Advantage shipping (up to 4 oz) and $4.00 tax: $58.47.
- Item price
- $50.00
- Commission, 8% of the item price
- -$4.00
- Processing, 2.9% of $58.47Shipping and tax included
- -$1.70
- Fixed processing feeOnce per checkout
- -$0.30
- What you keep
- $44.00
Each fee has its own column in your Weekly Orders Report and shows in the order's earnings details in Seller Hub.
The tiered rates from September 21
Commission moves to tiers in the US, Canada, Australia, the UK and five EU countries. Your first tier comes from sales between August 24 and September 20. After that, each four-week period's total sales set the next period's locked rate. US trading card games and sports:
| Tier | Sales in four weeks | Rate | Commission on $50.00 | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $0 to $14,999 | 8.00% | $4.00 | $44.00 |
| Tier 1 | $15,000 to $34,999 | 7.75% | $3.88 | $44.12 |
| Tier 2 | $35,000 to $49,999 | 7.50% | $3.75 | $44.25 |
| Tier 3 | $50,000 to $99,999 | 7.25% | $3.63 | $44.37 |
| Tier 4 | $100,000 to $249,999 | 7.00% | $3.50 | $44.50 |
| Tier 5 | $250,000 to $499,999 | 6.75% | $3.38 | $44.62 |
| Tier 6 | $500,000 and up | 6.50% | $3.25 | $44.75 |
Fashion, Other Collectibles and Other fall further, to lowest public rates of 4.5%, 5% and 4%; Coins from 4% to 3.5%. Live shows use the show's category, the marketplace the product's. The headline 3% is a custom rate for top-volume sellers.
Tiers leave processing alone. The top public tier adds $0.75 on the $50.00 card. Premier Shops get 10% off the new rate through October 31, and no commission discount from November 1.
Cheap sales lose more
The fixed fee and processing on shipping don't shrink with price. At Standard, $4.47 shipping, 8% tax:
| Item price | Fees | Share of the price |
|---|---|---|
| $2.00 | $0.65 | 32.5% |
| $5.00 | $0.99 | 19.8% |
| $10.00 | $1.54 | 15.4% |
| $20.00 | $2.66 | 13.3% |
| $50.00 | $6.00 | 12.0% |
| $100.00 | $11.56 | 11.6% |
Three $10.00 wins in one Smart Bundling box still pay three fixed fees, $0.90. Bundle cheap cards into one listing, or start them high enough to carry the fee (the case pricing guide works out that floor).
The base matters more than the rate
Most marketplaces charge on the whole transaction, shipping and tax included, so a lower headline rate can cost more. On the $10.00 card (plus $4.47 shipping and $0.80 tax, $15.27 in all), whatnot's 8% takes $0.80. A 6% rate on the whole $15.27 takes $0.92, a quarter more.
On this order, a whole-transaction rate must be under 5.24% to beat 8% on the item. Cheaper items and heavier parcels widen the gap. The fee calculator takes shipping and tax separately because whatnot's processing is charged on the whole amount.
Other deductions
- Tax on fees in some states. Commission is taxed in DC, Hawaii, New Mexico and West Virginia; processing in Connecticut, Hawaii, New Mexico, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and West Virginia. It comes out of your order earnings.
- A coupon you fund comes off the item price before commission. A coupon whatnot funds costs you nothing.
- The label in free-shipping shows, over-cap orders and giveaways. See the shipping guide.
- Before September 21, trading card games, sports singles, comics, toys and hobbies and a few other categories paid 0% commission above $1,500. The new card doesn't mention it, so check your first big sale after the switch.
Check your charges
whatROI imports your Weekly Orders Report, checks each order's fees against whatnot's schedule, and takes fees, labels, refunds and stock cost off each show's profit.