whatROI
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whatnot profit calculator

Profit per item after fees, labels and cost. For a case, pallet or collection: how many pieces pay off the lot, and what the rest is worth.

What are you costing?

One card, pair or figure. Cost is what you paid for it.

The sale
$
$
×

Separate checkouts, each with its own fixed fee.

%

Share of orders refunded. Assumes the item is gone.

Fees

Where you sell

Coins and pallets pay 4%. Cards, comics, toys, bags and jewelry have a cap.

Shipping and tax

Who pays shipping

$

Processing is charged on it.

$

Used for giveaways when the buyer pays shipping.

%

On the item. Processing applies to it.

Profit

$37.88

On a $60.00 sale that cost you $15.00. whatnot takes 11.9% of the price.

Margin on price
63.1%
ROI on cost
252.5%
You keep
$52.88
Taken in fees
$7.12
Sale price
$60.00
Buyer also paid $4.99 shipping and $4.80 tax
$69.79 paid
Commission, 8% of the item on the first $1,500.00
-$4.80
Processing, 2.9% of $69.79 + $0.30
-$2.32
Payout
$52.88
Item cost
-$15.00
Profit
$37.88

One refund costs you $7.31 even if the item comes back: whatnot bills back the buyer's shipping and processing. $22.31 if the item is gone.

Margin is what the sale made. ROI is what your money made.

A $120 case of 36 packs sells at $6 average, buyer paying shipping. Each pack sold returns 47% on its cost. Give two away, leave five unsold, and the case returns 5%. That second number decides whether you buy the next case.

This calculator shows both, after every fee.

5.3%

ROI on that $120 case at 85% sell-through with two giveaways.

How it is computed

Fees follow whatnot's published schedule for your region and category. Buyer-paid shipping and tax aren't your income, but processing applies to them.

One item

payout  = price - commission - processing - label you paid
profit  = payout - cost
margin  = profit / price
ROI     = profit / cost

with a refund rate r, assuming the item is not returned:
expected profit = (1 - r) × profit - r × (buyer shipping + processing + label + cost)

Commission is 8% of the item price (4% for coins and pallets, 6.67% in the UK and EU), capped at $1,500 for cards, comics, toys, bags and jewelry. Processing is 2.9% of everything the buyer paid, plus 30 cents per checkout.

A lot

landed cost   = lot cost + inbound shipping, tax and fees
unit cost     = landed cost / items
sales         = (items - giveaways) × sell-through
payout each   = average price - commission - processing - label you paid
profit        = sales × payout each - landed cost - giveaways × label
break-even    = ceil((landed cost + giveaway labels) / payout each)
ROI           = profit / landed cost
cash back     = sales × payout each / (landed cost + giveaway labels)

Unsold units are paid for inside the landed cost, so they count as zero. Their at-cost value shows separately. Break-even is the first sale where total payouts cover the landed cost and giveaway labels.

Questions sellers ask

What is the difference between margin and ROI?
Margin is profit divided by the sale price. ROI is profit divided by what you paid. A $6 pack that cost $3.33 and nets $1.56 has a 26% margin and a 47% ROI. Margin tells you if the price is right; ROI tells you if the purchase was.
What counts as the cost of a lot?
Everything it took to get the lot to your table: price, inbound shipping, sales tax, buyer premiums and auction fees. That's the landed cost. Add mileage or other costs to extras if you track them here.
How do I put a cost on one card out of a case?
You don't have to. Spread the case cost evenly, weight it by what each piece sold for, or name the hits and pool the rest. This calculator splits evenly. whatROI applies your rule to every sale in the weekly report, with no card typed by hand.
Why is a giveaway a cost?
The item came out of a lot you paid for, and you pay the label. A giveaway is marketing spend: unit cost plus label. It pays off if the winner buys something. This calculator books the cost; whatROI tracks the conversion.
What about the pieces that never sell?
Their cost is inside the landed cost, so lot profit counts them as zero. Whatever they sell for later is profit. Their at-cost value shows separately, so you see the cash sitting on the shelf.
What does a refund cost me?
whatnot bills back the payout, the buyer's shipping and processing. You lose shipping and processing even if the item comes back, plus the label if you paid it, plus the item if it's gone. Commission is billed back only if whatnot rules against you in an escalation.
Why is my payout not my profit?
Payout is what whatnot sends after commission, processing and any label. Profit also subtracts the item's cost. A $20 sale pays out about $17. If the card cost $12, it made $5.
Should I count my time?
Yes, as a second number. Enter the hours to sell the lot and the calculator adds profit per hour. whatROI reports profit per streamed hour on every show for the same reason.
Is lot profit what I report on taxes?
No. The 1099-K reports gross sales. Taxable profit is gross minus fees, shipping, cost of goods sold and other expenses, and cost of goods counts when the item sells. Keep your lot receipts. This calculator is for planning.
How do breaks and rip-and-ship fit?
Treat the box as the lot and each spot as a sale at the spot price. Spots don't get the $1,500 cap, so leave Singles off for sports cards. Rip-and-ship works the same way, with packs as units.

Cost every sale from its lot.

whatROI puts your lot cost on each sale in the Weekly Orders Report. See profit per item, show and streamed hour, with giveaways and refunds included.

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

The math, explained

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