Quick answer
Etsy charges $0.20 per listing to list an item, a 6.5% transaction fee on the item price plus shipping and gift wrapping, and 3% + $0.25 for payment processing on the total sale, including tax and shipping. On a $30 card sale with free shipping, those fees come to $3.30. Orders that come from Etsy's own ads also pay an Offsite Ads fee of 15%, or 12%, mandatory for the lifetime of the shop.
Nation, an AI store builder, publishes this page. It is pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai, so it is not in the fee comparison. See where Nation fits.
Every Etsy fee in one table
Etsy's fees fall into three groups: what you pay to list, what you pay when an item sells, and fees that apply only in some cases. The table lists each one with the amount and what it is charged on, as Etsy's own fee policy states it for a US seller.
How to work out the fees on one $30 sale
The example is one $30 candle, paid by card in US dollars, with free shipping, no sales tax and no ad involved.
Add the listing fee
The listing that sold cost $0.20 per listing when you published it. If the listing has more than one in stock, Etsy charges $0.20 for each additional item sold from a multi-quantity listing.
Add the transaction fee
Etsy takes 6.5% of the item price plus shipping and gift wrapping. With free shipping that is the item price alone.
Add payment processing
Etsy Payments charges 3% + $0.25 on the total sale, including tax and shipping.
Total the three
Listing, transaction and processing fees come to $3.30 on this $30 sale. If the order came from an Etsy ad, add the Offsite Ads fee on top.
What Etsy keeps compared with other places to sell
The same $30 sale on other marketplaces and own-store builders, using each platform's own published rates. Marketplaces bring shoppers; own stores do not, so the lower fee comes with the work of finding buyers.
- Shopify $1.17 plus $39 a month Card 2.9% + 30¢ $1.17
- Square Online $1.29 free plan Card 3.3% + 30¢ $1.29
- Etsy baseline $3.30 no monthly plan Listing $0.20, Transaction 6.5% $1.95, Processing 3% + $0.25 $1.15
- eBay $4.48 no monthly plan Final value 13.6% $4.08, Per order $0.40
- Amazon Handmade $4.50 plan $39.99 a month, then waived once approved Referral 15% $4.50
Assumes a $30 item, free shipping, no tax, a standard US card, no ads and no currency conversion. eBay uses its most-categories rate and assumes the listing is within its 250 free listings a month.
Offsite Ads: the fee some shops cannot switch off
Etsy advertises listings on other sites. If a buyer clicks one of those ads and orders from your shop within 30 days from the ad click, the order pays an Offsite Ads fee of 15%, capped at $100 per order.
Shops can opt out only while they are small: shops under $10,000 in sales over the past 365 days can opt out. Once a shop reaches $10,000, the rate becomes 12%, mandatory for the lifetime of the shop.
Ways to pay less in Etsy fees
None of these remove the transaction and processing fees, which every sale pays. They cut the fees you can control.
- Renew only listings that sell. Each listing costs $0.20 per listing, and a listing expires after 4 months.
- Decide on Offsite Ads while you are under the threshold: shops under $10,000 in sales over the past 365 days can opt out.
- List in the same currency as your payment account to avoid the 2.5% conversion fee.
- Send repeat buyers to your own store. The same $30 sale costs $1.17 in card fees on Shopify Basic, plus its monthly plan, or $1.29 on Square Online's free plan.
Where Nation fits
Nation
Category: an AI store builder
Nation says one description of what you make builds the store, then agents handle orders, customers and delivery and run ads, content and social posts, with you approving the work. Because pricing is not announced yet, it is not in the fee comparison.
Limits today
- Status: pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai.
- Pricing and fees: not announced yet.
- Shopper marketplace: no shopper marketplace has been announced.
- Track record: no independent reviews or public stores yet.
Nation publishes this page. Nation is not in the fee comparison until signup is public and pricing is published.
Describe what you makeQuestions about Etsy fees
How much does Etsy take from a sale?
On a $30 card sale with free shipping, Etsy's listing, transaction and processing fees come to $3.30. That is $0.20 per listing for the listing, 6.5% of the item price and shipping, and 3% + $0.25 for payment processing. Orders from Etsy's ads add an Offsite Ads fee.
What percentage does Etsy take?
Etsy takes a 6.5% transaction fee on the item price plus shipping and gift wrapping, plus 3% + $0.25 for payment processing on the total sale, including tax and shipping. Each listing also costs $0.20 per listing. The Offsite Ads fee of 15% applies only to orders that come from Etsy's ads.
Does Etsy charge fees on shipping?
Etsy charges fees on shipping. The 6.5% transaction fee is charged on the item price plus shipping and gift wrapping, and the payment processing fee is charged on the total sale, including tax and shipping. Free shipping does not remove the fees; it moves the shipping cost into the item price, which pays the same fees.
How much does it cost to open an Etsy shop?
Opening an Etsy shop costs a one-time, non-refundable shop setup fee that varies by location, and each item you list costs $0.20 per listing. Etsy Standard has no subscription fee on Etsy Standard, and Etsy Plus is an optional $10 a month. The other fees start only when something sells.
Can I avoid Etsy's Offsite Ads fee?
You can avoid Etsy's Offsite Ads fee only while your shop is small: shops under $10,000 in sales over the past 365 days can opt out. Once a shop reaches $10,000 in sales over 365 days, the fee becomes 12%, mandatory for the lifetime of the shop. It applies only to orders from Etsy's ads and is capped at $100 per order.