How many sales a whatnot show needs before it pays
Giveaways, boosts and supplies are paid before the first sale. What an average order nets, and the order count where a show starts making money.
Updated · 5 min read
Divide the show's upfront costs by what an average order nets. A 3-hour card show netting $8.88 an order breaks even on order 6, and needs 15 to pay you $25.00 an hour.
6
Orders to cover $52.41 of giveaways, boosts and supplies at $8.88 net per $20.00 order.
Net per order
A $20.00 trading card order at the standard 8% commission. The buyer pays $4.47 shipping and 8% tax. The card cost you 40% of its price, and 2% of orders end in a refund with the card gone.
- Sale price
- $20.00
- Commission and processingProcessing includes the buyer's shipping and tax
- -$2.66
- What the card cost you, 40%
- -$8.00
- Refund allowance2% of orders lose the sale, card, shipping and processing
- -$0.46
- Net per order
- $8.88
The $4.47 shipping pays the label, so it only costs you the processing on it. See the refund guide for what a refund costs.
Fixed costs
- 3 giveawaysA $3.00 item and a $4.47 label each
- -$22.41
- BoostsCharged after the show ends
- -$20.00
- SuppliesMailers, sleeves, top loaders
- -$10.00
- Paid whether or not anything sells
- -$52.41
Giveaway labels show as negative orders in the Weekly Orders Report. Boosts are charged after the show, in your Ledger. Supplies you buy elsewhere. So a show can look fine in the report and still lose money.
Break-even and target
The show covers its $52.41 on order 6, at $120.00 of sales, with your time still unpaid. Earning $25.00 an hour for 3 hours ($75.00 more) takes 15 orders: 5 an hour and $300.00 of sales.
What changes it
- Free shipping. Break-even moves from 6 orders to 12, less when wins share a box.
- Giveaways. Each costs $7.47, close to the net on a whole order. The giveaway guide covers what they buy you.
- Your tier. These figures use the standard 8%. From September 21, 2026, sellers with $15,000 or more of sales in four weeks pay less.
Plan the next show
The break-even calculator has this show filled in. Its live mode takes orders and hours so far and gives the pace you need. In whatROI, a planned show's prep sheet shows its break-even count beside each item's lowest start. Afterwards, your Weekly Orders Report plus Ledger boost spend gives profit per streamed hour.