Short answer: $1.88 — that is 12.5% of the sale. You keep $13.13 before your product cost and shipping.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Listing fee | $0.20 |
| Transaction fee (6.5%) | $0.98 |
| Payment processing (3% + $0.25) | $0.70 |
| Total Etsy fees | $1.88 |
| You receive | $13.13 |
Assumes Etsy Payments in the US and no Offsite Ads attribution. If the sale is attributed to Offsite Ads, add 12% (sellers over $10k/yr) or 15% (under) of the order total on top.
$13.13 is not profit — it is what lands in your account before you pay for the item itself. Here is the real number at four common cost levels on a $15 sale:
| Your unit cost | Net profit | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| $3.00 | $10.13 | 67.5% |
| $4.50 | $8.63 | 57.5% |
| $6.00 | $7.13 | 47.5% |
| $7.50 | $5.63 | 37.5% |
Margin is net profit divided by the $15 sale price. It excludes inbound shipping, storage, returns and ad spend — all of which come out of the profit column above.
If your unit cost is $6.00, you need to charge at least $7.13 on Etsy just to break even, and $9.15 to clear a 20% margin. Anything under $7.13 loses money on every single order — which is exactly the kind of SKU that hides in a big catalog.
Change the price and cost in the calculator →
Is $1.88 the whole cost of selling at $15?
No. It is the whole of Etsy's fees. Your own costs — the unit cost, inbound freight, packaging, returns, and any advertising — come out of the $13.13 you receive.
Does the buyer's shipping charge change the fees?
Yes on all three marketplaces. Etsy charges its percentage fee on the total the buyer pays, shipping included, so a $15 item with $6 shipping is charged fees on $21, not $15.
How do I check this against my own catalog?
Paste your SKUs, prices and costs into the free calculator, or send a CSV for the $9 bulk audit and get every SKU's fees, margin and break-even price back within 24 hours.