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Whatnot fee calculator: commission, processing and payout (US, 2026)
· Nolyn research team
Enter your item price, your commission rate, the shipping the buyer pays and your costs to see what Whatnot deducts from a US sale: the commission on the item price and payment processing on the whole order. You get what you keep, your profit and the lowest price for the margin you want. Rates come from Whatnot's Help Center, read on October 27, 2026, and everything runs in your browser.
How much are Whatnot fees in 2026?
US sellers pay an 8% commission on the item price, lower once a 4-week sales total passes $15,000 (rates by category since September 21, 2026), plus 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing on the item, shipping and tax. A $25 item with Whatnot's $7.75 shipping pays $2.00 + $1.25 = $3.25, 13% of the item price, and you keep $21.75. Rates checked on Whatnot's Help Center on 2026-10-27.
Calculate Whatnot fees and profit for one sale
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The winning bid or sale price.
8% for most categories until your 4-week sales reach $15,000; Coins 4%. Your exact rate is in Seller Hub; the US rate card is below.
Whatnot's rate: $7.75 for 1–5 lb USPS Ground Advantage, $4.47–$6.75 under 1 lb. It pays for the prepaid label, but payment processing is charged on it.
Processing is charged on the total including tax. Leave 0 to see fees before tax.
Some categories pay 0% commission on the part of an order above $1,500 (a limited-time Whatnot promotion).
With Whatnot's prepaid label this equals the buyer's shipping; change it if you add signature confirmation ($4.36) or use your own label.
Your sourcing cost: packs, singles, thrift or wholesale.
Packaging, toploaders, giveaway items.
Profit as a share of the item price; only used for the suggested price.
- Commission (your rate)
- $2.00
- Payment processing (2.9% + $0.30)
- $1.25
- Whatnot fees (9.9% of what the buyer pays)
- $3.25
- What you keep after the label
- $21.75
- Profit per sale
- $13.75
- Margin on the item price
- 55%
- Lowest item price for your margin
- $14.42
Fees done? Check the retail ceiling
The calculator gives you the margin. Nolyn's product research shows what the same type of product sells for new on Amazon US and TikTok Shop US, with shown sales and ratings. It does not track Whatnot auctions. Sign-in required; new accounts get 100 credits.
Whatnot's US commission rates by sales tier (from September 21, 2026)
Since September 21, 2026 your commission depends on two things: your total sales in the last four-week period, which sets your tier for the next period, and the category of each sale (the show's category for live sales, the product's for marketplace sales). Commission is charged on the item price only; shipping and tax are left out. Payment processing is separate: 2.9% + $0.30 per US order on the item, shipping and tax, at every tier.
| Category | Under $15,000 | $15,000+ | $35,000+ | $50,000+ | $100,000+ | $250,000+ | $500,000+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sports | 8% | 7.75% | 7.5% | 7.25% | 7% | 6.75% | 6.5% |
| Trading card games | 8% | 7.75% | 7.5% | 7.25% | 7% | 6.75% | 6.5% |
| Fashion | 8% | 7% | 6.5% | 5.5% | 5% | 4.5% | 4.5% |
| Other collectibles | 8% | 7.25% | 6.5% | 6% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Coins | 4% | 3.9% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 3.6% | 3.55% | 3.5% |
| Other | 8% | 7% | 6.5% | 5.5% | 4% | 4% | 4% |
Tier = your total sales across all categories in one four-week period. US rate card from Whatnot's Help Center, checked on 2026-10-27. The headline 3% rate is a custom rate for the largest sellers.
Whatnot fees at common price points
Every example has $7.75 of buyer-paid shipping (Whatnot's 1–5 lb rate) that pays for the prepaid label, and no sales tax. "You keep" is the item price minus Whatnot's fees, before your sourcing cost. A seller at 5.5% (Fashion or Other from $50,000 a period) keeps between $0.12 and $6.25 more per sale than at the standard 8%.
| Item price | 8% commission: fees (you keep) | 5.5% commission: fees (you keep) |
|---|---|---|
| $5.00 | $1.07 ($3.93) | $0.95 ($4.05) |
| $10.00 | $1.61 ($8.39) | $1.36 ($8.64) |
| $25.00 | $3.25 ($21.75) | $2.63 ($22.37) |
| $50.00 | $5.97 ($44.03) | $4.72 ($45.28) |
| $100.00 | $11.42 ($88.58) | $8.92 ($91.08) |
| $250.00 | $27.77 ($222.23) | $21.52 ($228.48) |
Computed with Whatnot's published US rates, checked on 2026-10-27.
The same $25 sale on six US marketplaces
A $25 item with $5 shipping paid by the buyer, before postage and sourcing cost, on each platform's official US fees. On Whatnot the buyer's shipping pays for Whatnot's prepaid label, but processing is still charged on it. Poshmark buyers pay a flat $6.49 for a prepaid label straight to Poshmark, so the seller receives no shipping money there and pays no postage.
| Platform | Fees | You receive | Main rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whatnot | $3.17 | $26.83 | 8% of item + 2.9% + $0.30 processing |
| Mercari | $3.00 | $27.00 | 10% of item + buyer-paid shipping |
| Depop | $1.44 | $28.56 | No selling fee; 3.3% + $0.45 processing |
| Etsy | $3.30 | $26.70 | $0.20 + 6.5% + 3% + $0.25 |
| Poshmark | $5.00 | $20.00 | 20% from $15, $2.95 below |
| TikTok Shop | $1.80 | $28.20 | 6% referral fee on item + shipping |
Whatnot and Mercari checked on 2026-10-27, Etsy, Depop and Poshmark on 2026-10-26, TikTok Shop on 2026-10-22. Standard rates; no ads, boosts or creator commission.
Three things that change your Whatnot payout
The fixed $0.30 hurts cheap items. A $5 card with $7.75 shipping pays $1.07 in fees, 21.4% of the item price, because processing is charged on the shipping too. Bundle low-value items into one order where you can.
Your tier is set by the last period, not this one. Crossing $15,000 in sales lowers your rate from the start of the next four-week period, and every period starts from zero. On the $25 example the standard 8% costs $3.25 in fees; a 5.5% tier rate costs $2.63.
The high-value rule caps commission, not processing. A $2,000 trading card sale pays 8% on the first $1,500 only, $120.00 instead of $160.00, but processing on the full $2,000 is still $58.30. Whatnot calls this a limited-time promotion.
How to calculate Whatnot fees
Find your commission rate
8% for most categories under $15,000 of sales in the last four-week period; lower tiers from Seller Hub or the rate card above.
Apply it to the item price
Commission is charged on the sale price only, not on shipping or tax. In high-value categories, only on the first $1,500.
Add payment processing
2.9% of the item plus shipping plus tax, and $0.30 per order.
Subtract your sourcing cost
The buyer's shipping pays for the label, so what is left after fees and your cost is your profit.
Questions
What percentage does Whatnot take?
8% of the item price for most categories (4% for Coins) until your sales in a four-week period reach $15,000, then less by tier and category: the lowest public rates are 4% (Other), 4.5% (Fashion), 5% (Other collectibles) and 6.5% (Sports and trading card games). Payment processing of 2.9% + $0.30 is added on every order.
Does Whatnot charge fees on shipping?
Commission no, processing yes. Commission is charged on the item price only, while the 2.9% + $0.30 processing fee is charged on the item, the shipping and the tax the buyer pays.
How do Whatnot's tiers work?
Your total sales across all categories in one four-week period set your tier for the next period, and your category sets the rate within the tier. Rates change at the start of a period, never during one, and each period starts from zero.
Who pays shipping on Whatnot?
The buyer, at Whatnot's rates: $7.75 for 1–5 lb USPS Ground Advantage and $4.47 to $6.75 under 1 lb, effective July 31, 2026. Whatnot generates a prepaid label; you pay $4.36 for signature confirmation, which is automatic from $500.
Is there a lower fee on expensive items?
In trading card games, entertainment cards, sports singles, comics and anime, toys and hobbies, coins, bags and accessories, and jewelry and watches, Whatnot charges 0% commission on the part of an order above $1,500. Payment processing still applies to the full amount.
Sources
- Whatnot Help Center: Whatnot seller fees (updated October 2, 2026; tiered commission from September 21, 2026; US rate card by 4-week sales tier and category; commission on the item price only; US payment processing 2.9% + $0.30 on item + shipping + tax) · checked October 27, 2026
- Whatnot Help Center: Reduced Commission on High-Value Orders (0% commission on the part of an order above $1,500 in listed categories, from January 14, 2026; limited-time promotion) · checked October 27, 2026
- Whatnot Help Center: Shipping for sellers in the US (updated October 24, 2026; buyers pay $7.75 flat for USPS Ground Advantage 1–5 lb, rates effective July 31, 2026) · checked October 27, 2026
- Mercari: FAQs about our new fee structure (10% selling fee on item price and buyer-paid shipping from January 6, 2025) · checked October 27, 2026
- Etsy: Fees & Payments Policy (last updated Oct 5, 2026) and Etsy Payments Policy (US 3% + 0.25 USD) · checked October 26, 2026
- Depop Help Centre: Seller fees and charges (no selling fee for US sellers; payment processing 3.3% + $0.45) · checked October 26, 2026
- Poshmark: Fee Policy (seller fees) · checked October 26, 2026
- TikTok Shop Academy: TikTok Shop Referral Fees by Category (page dated 10/08/2026) · checked October 22, 2026