Why is the floor on a 25 cent card almost a dollar?

The fixed 30 cents. whatnot charges it on every order, whatever the item sells for, on top of the commission and 2.9% of everything the buyer paid. On cheap items it's most of the floor.

Is this the auction start or the Buy It Now price?

Both. For an auction, it's the lowest start that can't lose money if one bid wins. For Buy It Now, it's the lowest price to list at. Turn rounding off for Buy It Now so you see the exact figure.

Seller Hub shows it. Most sellers are on Standard, 8%. The first tier starts at $15,000 of sales in four weeks, and it moves the floor on a $5 card by a few cents.

Does it cover my time, supplies or giveaways?

No. Break-even means the item pays for itself and nothing else. Pick 20% margin or $1 profit to print floors that pay you something.

My costs aren't on the card.

Add them under Item costs, up to twenty. Tap a cost to take it off. For a lot or a case, divide what you paid by the pieces you'll sell.

whatnot price floor card

Every cost you deal in, and the lowest price each one can sell for after whatnot's fees. On your lock screen, or taped under the light.

What you sell

Paid	Exactly	Don’t go under
25¢	$0.79	$1
50¢	$1.07	$2
$1	$1.63	$2
$2	$2.76	$3
$3	$3.88	$4
$5	$6.13	$7
$8	$9.51	$10
$10	$11.76	$12
$15	$17.38	$18
$20	$23.01	$24
$25	$28.64	$29
$50	$56.77	$57

Keep it by the camera.

Save it as your lock screen, or print the 4×6 and tape it under the light. The top of the lock screen stays clear for the clock.

Format

Look

On an iPhone: save it, open it in Photos, tap Share, then Use as Wallpaper. On Android: open it and choose Set as wallpaper.

1170 × 2532, sized for a phone screen

A $1 start on a $1 card loses money.

$1.63: the break-even price on a $1 card at 8%, with the buyer paying $4.99 shipping and 8% tax.
79¢: the floor on a 25 cent card. The 30 cent fixed fee is most of it.
$2.35: the floor on the same $1 card when you pay for a 78 cent envelope.

Nobody opens a calculator between two auctions. So the answer has to be somewhere you already look.

Set the start from a number, not a feeling.

A show moves fast. You price the next card in the two seconds after the last one sells, and the fees are the part nobody can do in their head.

One glance at the phone by the camera, and the start is one you can't lose on.

30¢

charged on every order, whatever it sells for. On cheap cards it's the biggest fee.

How the floor is worked out.

Commission comes off the item price. Processing comes off everything the buyer pays, shipping and tax included.

floor = (30¢ + 2.9% × buyer shipping + your label + item cost)
        ÷ (1 − commission − 2.9% × (1 + tax))

Then rounded up to the next whole dollar, unless you turn rounding off. For a margin target, the margin comes off the bottom line too.

Set it up once.

01
Pick how you sell
Category, tier and who pays shipping. The link keeps every setting, so bookmark it.
02
Keep the costs you use
Take off the ones you never see and add your own. Up to twenty stay readable.
03
Save it where you look
Lock screen for the phone on the tripod. The 4×6 for the table.

Questions about the card.

How do I make it my lock screen?: Save the image. On an iPhone, open it in Photos, tap Share, then Use as Wallpaper. On Android, open it and choose Set as wallpaper. The top of the card is left clear so the clock doesn't cover a price.
Why is the floor on a 25 cent card almost a dollar?: The fixed 30 cents. whatnot charges it on every order, whatever the item sells for, on top of the commission and 2.9% of everything the buyer paid. On cheap items it's most of the floor.
Is this the auction start or the Buy It Now price?: Both. For an auction, it's the lowest start that can't lose money if one bid wins. For Buy It Now, it's the lowest price to list at. Turn rounding off for Buy It Now so you see the exact figure.
Which tier am I on?: Seller Hub shows it. Most sellers are on Standard, 8%. The first tier starts at $15,000 of sales in four weeks, and it moves the floor on a $5 card by a few cents. The tier planner shows what the next one is worth.
Does it cover my time, supplies or giveaways?: No. Break-even means the item pays for itself and nothing else. Pick 20% margin or $1 profit to print floors that pay you something.
My costs aren't on the card.: Add them under Item costs, up to twenty. Tap a cost to take it off. For a lot or a case, divide what you paid by the pieces you'll sell. For one item worked out line by line, use the start price calculator.

Know which sales went under.

The card is one table for every item. whatROI knows what each item cost you, and after the show it lists every sale that went under its floor. Free for 4 shows a month.

Start free

Fee schedule checked September 2026. Not affiliated with whatnot. Results are estimates. Your Weekly Orders Report and statements are the record.

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