Is Selling on eBay Worth It? Here’s What Fees Actually Cost You in 2026

Good margins on paper.

Then eBay stored nudging charges up, little by little, till sooner or later she did the maths and realized she was working onerous for nearly nothing.

I discovered from watching her.

Began hitting Goodwill and thrift shops myself, shopping for denims for a couple of {dollars} and jackets for $15 to $20, then flipping them on eBay for $10 to $60.

It labored, however solely as a result of I went in figuring out precisely what eBay was going to take earlier than I ever listed a single merchandise.

That’s the distinction between sellers who earn money on eBay in 2026 and sellers who stop pissed off.

No, it’s not luck, neither is it what they’re promoting. It’s the math!

On this information I’ll break down precisely what eBay takes, which vendor varieties it’s truly price it for, and methods to know earlier than you checklist whether or not you’ll revenue or simply break even.

What eBay Really Takes from Every Sale in 2026

That is the place most sellers get stunned.

eBay’s primary cost is named the ultimate worth charge.

For many classes, that’s 13.6% of the full transaction plus $0.40 per order, according to eBay’s official fee schedule.

And right here’s the half individuals miss:

eBay calculates that share on the TOTAL sale quantity. Meaning your merchandise value plus no matter you cost for delivery plus gross sales tax.

So should you promote a jacket for $40 and cost $8 for delivery, eBay isn’t taking 13.6% of $40. It’s taking 13.6% of $48.

What That Seems Like in Actual Numbers

Let’s use some precise sale quantities so you’ll be able to see precisely what you’d pocket:

Not each class is 13.6% although.

Books get hit hardest at 15.3%. Guitars and musical devices pay simply 6.7%.

Most on a regular basis objects fall in that 13-14% vary.

The eBay Charges Most Sellers Neglect

The ultimate worth charge isn’t the one factor popping out of your pocket.

Your first 250 listings monthly are free. After that, every itemizing prices $0.35, whether or not it sells or not.

In case you use Promoted Listings to assist your visibility, add one other 1-20% on prime of all the things else. A 5% promotion charge plus the usual 13.6% means eBay is taking almost 19% of your sale.

And if eBay charges your account as Under Commonplace, they tack on an additional 6%.

That turns a 13.6% charge into 19.6% in a single day.

Obtained a dispute or chargeback?

That’s a flat $20 charge per case, whatever the sale quantity.

Do eBay Retailer Subscriptions Save You Cash?

A Primary Retailer subscription runs $21.95 monthly and drops your ultimate worth charge to round 9.35% in most classes.

The mathematics solely works should you’re transferring sufficient quantity. You’d have to promote roughly $450 or extra monthly simply to interrupt even on the subscription price.

For informal sellers, skip it.

For anybody treating this as an actual side hustle, run your personal numbers first.

Is Promoting on eBay Value It for You?

The sincere reply is: it depends upon what you’re promoting and what margins you’re working with.

Right here’s a straight breakdown by vendor sort.

Informal Declutterers

In case you’re clearing out your storage or spare room, eBay’s 250 free month-to-month listings are onerous to beat.

However for something cumbersome or heavy, skip eBay fully.

Fb Market is free for native pickups, zero charges, zero delivery complications.

A sofa, a treadmill, a TV?

Record it regionally and pocket each greenback.

For smaller shippable objects although, eBay’s huge purchaser pool means quicker gross sales and higher costs than most native options.

Clothes Resellers

This one hits near house for me.

My ex ran a wholesale shoe and clothes operation on eBay for a few years.

I watched charges slowly kill her margins till she walked away in 2011.

I attempted it myself, flipping thrift retailer denims and jackets, and it labored, however solely on objects with sufficient margin to soak up 13-17% coming off the highest.

Generic clothes with out a model angle is brutal on eBay in 2026. An excessive amount of competitors, too little margin.

The place clothes reselling nonetheless works on eBay:

• classic items,
• recognizable model names,
• uncommon sizes,
• and area of interest objects like band tees or designer labels.

These consumers exist on eBay they usually’ll pay for the best merchandise.

For on a regular basis used clothes, Poshmark, Depop, or Mercari will likely net you more per sale with much less trouble.

Electronics Flippers

That is the place eBay nonetheless dominates in 2026.

With 134 million active buyers, no different platform comes shut for used telephones, laptops, gaming consoles, and equipment.

Electronics is eBay’s single largest class, making up over 16% of all listings and 20% of whole gross sales.

Simply value the charge in earlier than you supply.

On a $200 cellphone, assume roughly $28 goes to eBay earlier than you consider delivery. Know that quantity before you purchase the cellphone, not after.

Collectors and Area of interest Sellers

That is eBay’s candy spot in 2026.

Buying and selling playing cards, classic watches, cameras, uncommon video video games, cash, sports activities memorabilia.

eBay’s purchaser base skews closely towards the 35 to 64 age group, which is strictly who pays collector costs.

No different platform has eBay’s depth of collector consumers.

In case you’re promoting one thing with a passionate area of interest viewers, eBay is sort of all the time your only option.

Excessive-Quantity Aspect Hustlers

In case you’re doing severe quantity, eBay’s common vendor earns around $673 per month compared to just $114 on Mercari.

At this degree, run the Retailer subscription math.

A Primary plan at $21.95 monthly drops your charges meaningfully, and the financial savings add up quick when you’re doing constant quantity.

eBay vs. Fb Market vs. Mercari: Which Pays Extra?

Earlier than you checklist something, it helps to know which platform truly places more cash in your pocket.

Mercari retains issues easy with a flat 10% vendor charge no matter class, plus a 2.9% + $0.30 fee processing charge. So on a $100 sale you’d maintain round $86.60 in spite of everything deductions.

Fb Market is totally free for native pickups. For shipped objects it costs a flat 10% promoting charge with a minimal of $0.80. So should you’re promoting a sofa, a washer, or something you’d quite not ship, Fb Market is the apparent name.

eBay’s charges are larger, however its purchaser pool is roughly eight occasions bigger than Mercari’s. That attain interprets on to quicker gross sales, extra competitors amongst consumers, and higher ultimate costs on the best objects.

Undecided precisely what eBay will take out of your particular sale?

Use this eBay fee calculator to run the numbers earlier than you checklist.

My recommendation?

For many severe sellers, the reply isn’t selecting one platform. It’s itemizing on all three and letting the merchandise sort resolve the place it sells finest.

What Really Sells Nicely on eBay in 2026

Figuring out the charges is simply half the battle.

The opposite half is figuring out if what you’ve gotten is price itemizing within the first place.

Electronics

Electronics is the most important class on eBay.

Used telephones, laptops, gaming consoles, and equipment promote quick and command sturdy costs as a result of consumers know eBay is the place severe sellers checklist severe tech.

Simply be sincere about situation. Consumers on this class are skilled and unforgiving about surprises.

Auto Components

eBay’s primary class by whole gross sales quantity, and most informal sellers utterly overlook it.

You probably have spare elements, outdated instruments, or something car-related sitting round, eBay is sort of all the time your finest market.

Classic and Model-Identify Clothes

Generic used clothes is a troublesome promote on eBay in 2026.

An excessive amount of competitors, too little margin after charges.

However classic items, recognizable manufacturers, uncommon sizes, and area of interest objects like band tees or designer labels? These nonetheless promote nicely.

The important thing phrase is restricted!

The extra particular the merchandise, the much less competitors and the higher your value.

Collectibles

Buying and selling playing cards, classic watches, cameras, cash, uncommon video video games, sports activities memorabilia.

eBay’s collector viewers is unmatched on every other platform.

If the merchandise has a passionate area of interest following, checklist it on eBay first.

In case you’re into buying and selling playing cards particularly, try our information on where to sell sports cards for a full breakdown of your choices.

Residence and Backyard

A surprisingly sturdy class with constantly excessive sell-through charges, particularly in spring and summer season.

Energy instruments, backyard gear, and small home equipment from recognizable manufacturers promote nicely.

What Doesn’t Promote Nicely on eBay

Generic low-margin commodities!

Primary cables, unbranded clothes, widespread home items with out a model angle.

Excessive competitors, low costs, and after eBay takes its reduce you’re left with nearly nothing.

Sound acquainted?

That’s precisely what killed the margins on my ex’s wholesale shoe operation again in 2009.

5 Methods to Make Promoting on eBay Really Value It

These are the issues I want somebody had instructed me earlier than I listed my first merchandise.

1. Calculate Your Revenue Earlier than You Supply, Not After

That is the error that killed my ex’s wholesale enterprise and the one I see learners make continually.

Before you purchase something to resell, assume eBay is taking 15% of your whole sale together with delivery.

If the maths doesn’t work at 15%, don’t purchase the merchandise.

Easy as that!

2. Value Free Transport Into Your Merchandise Value

Right here’s one thing most individuals don’t understand:

eBay costs its charge in your merchandise value plus no matter delivery you cost the customer.

So charging $8 delivery individually versus constructing it into a better merchandise value leads to the very same eBay charge.

However free delivery listings convert higher.

Consumers choose it.

So construct it into your value and promote free delivery.

You pay the identical charges both approach, however you’ll promote quicker.

3. Use Accomplished Listings to Value Precisely

By no means value based mostly on what different sellers are asking.

Value based mostly on what consumers are literally paying.

Right here’s methods to discover it:

Go to eBay’s advance search page, enter the merchandise and filter by Offered listings (go away different area as is).

That exhibits you actual accomplished gross sales, actual costs, actual demand.

It takes 60 seconds and it’s the most effective pricing instrument eBay offers you without spending a dime.

4. Be Cautious With Promoted Listings

Promoted Listings can assist your visibility however they stack on prime of your ultimate worth charge.

A 5% promotion charge plus 13.6% normal charge means almost 19% of your sale goes to eBay earlier than delivery prices.

Solely use Promoted Listings on objects with sufficient margin to soak up it.

On thin-margin objects, you’re mainly paying eBay that can assist you break even.

5. Bundle Gradual Sellers As a substitute of Sitting on Them

I discovered this one early. If one thing doesn’t promote inside per week or so, don’t simply relist it and hope.

Bundle it with comparable objects and sell it as a lot.

You would possibly make barely lower than promoting every bit individually.

However you release money, clear stock quicker, and reinvest in higher objects sooner.

Money movement beats squeezing each final greenback out of a sluggish vendor each single time.

So, Is Promoting on eBay Value It in 2026?

For the best vendor, completely sure.

For somebody strolling in blind with out figuring out the charge math?

It’s a irritating expertise that often ends the identical approach my ex’s enterprise did again in 2011.

The platform hasn’t gotten cheaper. But it surely hasn’t gotten worse both.

eBay nonetheless has the most important purchaser base of any reselling platform on the planet, and for electronics, collectibles, and area of interest objects, nothing else comes shut.

• Know your class’s charge charge earlier than you supply.
• Value delivery into your merchandise.
• Use offered listings to cost precisely.
• And if one thing isn’t promoting, bundle it and transfer on.

Do these 4 issues and eBay is completely price it.

Have you ever offered on eBay not too long ago?

What’s your finest tip for incomes probably the most cash for something you promote on eBay?

Let me know within the feedback if promoting on eBay is price it for you.