Short answer: $2.35 — that is 11.8% of the sale. You keep $17.65 before your product cost and shipping.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Listing fee | $0.20 |
| Transaction fee (6.5%) | $1.30 |
| Payment processing (3% + $0.25) | $0.85 |
| Total Etsy fees | $2.35 |
| You receive | $17.65 |
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.
$17.65 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 $20 sale:
| Your unit cost | Net profit | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| $4.00 | $13.65 | 68.2% |
| $6.00 | $11.65 | 58.2% |
| $8.00 | $9.65 | 48.2% |
| $10.00 | $7.65 | 38.2% |
Margin is net profit divided by the $20 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 $8.00, you need to charge at least $9.34 on Etsy just to break even, and $11.99 to clear a 20% margin. Anything under $9.34 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 $2.35 the whole cost of selling at $20?
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 $17.65 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 $20 item with $6 shipping is charged fees on $26, not $20.
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.