Etsy stacks more fee layers than any other channel, and the fixed ones punish low prices hardest. Enter your numbers below — the calculator is pre-set to Etsy — to see what actually lands in your bank account.
The complete Etsy fee stack in 2026
Every Etsy sale can carry up to five layers: a $0.20 listing fee (charged again each time a listing renews after a sale or every four months), a 6.5% transaction fee on the order total including shipping, payment processing of 3% + $0.25 per transaction for US sellers, a 15% Offsite Ads fee on sales Etsy drives through its own advertising (mandatory once you pass $10,000 in annual revenue), and the optional Etsy Plus subscription at $10/month.
Why low-priced Etsy items lose money
The fixed fees are the trap. On a $10 sticker: $0.20 listing + $0.65 transaction + $0.55 processing = $1.40 in fees, or 14% of revenue, before a cent of COGS. On a $40 print the same stack is 8.25%. Same shop, dramatically different effective rates — because the fixed components dominate at low prices. If an Offsite Ad drives that $10 sale, Etsy takes another $1.50, pushing total fees to 29%.
The fix: price and bundle for the fee floor
Set a $20 average-order-value floor before listing. That is roughly the price at which Etsy's fixed fees fall to about 2% of revenue and the percentage fees behave like their stated rates. Selling three $8 stickers individually triggers $1.40 in fees three times; selling them as a $24 bundle triggers it once. Use the calculator to find the price where your target margin actually holds.
FAQ
Etsy Fee — common questions
How much does Etsy take per sale?
In 2026 Etsy charges a $0.20 listing fee, a 6.5% transaction fee on the order total including shipping, and payment processing of 3% + $0.25. That is around 11% of revenue on a typical sale before any Offsite Ads fee — and a much higher effective rate on low-priced items because of the fixed components.
What is the Etsy Offsite Ads fee?
Etsy charges 15% on any sale it drives through its own external advertising (12% for shops over $10,000 in trailing-twelve-month revenue). Participation is mandatory once you cross $10,000 in annual revenue and optional below it. On a low-margin product, opting out below the threshold is often the right financial call.
Why do my Etsy fees feel higher than 6.5%?
Because 6.5% is only the transaction fee. Once you add the $0.20 listing fee, 3% + $0.25 processing, and any Offsite Ads fee, the real total is often 11–29% of revenue. The fixed fees hit hardest on low-priced items. The calculator shows every layer so the total is never a surprise.
How can I make low-priced Etsy items profitable?
Raise the average order value. Bundle products so a single transaction carries the fixed fees once instead of several times, set a roughly $20 price floor, and consider whether very low-AOV products belong on Etsy at all. Run the bundle math in the calculator first.