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Whatnot fees for sellers: How much does Whatnot take? | 2026

Whatnot fees for sellers: How much does Whatnot take? | 2026

Whatnot fees are a 4–8% commission, depending on the item, plus a 2.9% + $0.30 transaction fee. Learn about the categories, payout times, and other costs.
Jason Angle
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January 20, 2026
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Whatnot’s fees include 4–8% commission (depending on your category), plus 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing per transaction. But collectibles and coins drop to 0% commission after $1,500. Learn about all the fees, some examples, and when Whatnot pays you out.

These Whatnot fees reflect the rates available at the time of writing. Whatnot can adjust its pricing or category rules during the year, so always check the latest details on the platform before you list or estimate your payout. 

Specific categories, thresholds, or add-on charges can shift without advance notice, and your final fees may differ based on your seller stats, region, or listing style.

How much are Whatnot’s fees? The 30-second answer

For U.S., Australian, and Canadian sellers, Whatnot’s fees depend on the item. Here’s a quick breakdown: 

  • 8% seller fee on collectibles such as comics, anime, toys, and hobbies. After $1,500, you pay 0% (for a limited time).
  • 4% seller fee on coins and money. After $1,500, you pay 0% (for a limited time).
  • 5% seller fee on all electronics (U.S. only)
  • 8% seller fee on all other categories 
  • 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing fee on all transactions

Whatnot also collects taxes, which vary by region. 

Whatnot fees for US, Canadian, and Australian sellers: At a glance

Category Fee type/rate Notes
Seller fee 4–8% commission based on category All items, dependent on category
Payment processing fees 2.9% + $0.30 per order All items and categories
Payout timeline 4 hours after delivery Fast payout
Shipping and taxes Buyer-paid Sellers can offer promos

Whatnot fees for EU and UK sellers: At a glance

Category Fee type/rate Notes
Category fees 4–6.67% + VAT commission Collectibles, coins, general items
Payment processing fees 2.42% + €/£0.25 per order All sellers, all categories
Payout timeline 96 hours after order delivery Managing cash flow timing

Whatnot fee types

Whatnot splits costs into commission fees and payment processing fees on every order. 

Commission fee rates change based on what you're selling and your price tier. However, for items like collectibles (trading cards, comics, toys, etc.) and coins and money, commission fees drop to 0% (for a limited time) once you sell over $1,500. Electronics and all other categories maintain flat rates of 5% and 8%, respectively, regardless of the final sale price. 

Payment processing fees are the second type. Whatnot applies this fee to the final price of all orders, which includes the final sales price, taxes, and shipping. It’s a 2.9% flat fee + $0.30 per transaction. 

Whatnot item categories and fee calculation examples

At checkout, Whatnot calculates your fees using the item’s final sale price plus any buyer‑paid shipping and tax. The platform charges commission only on the final sale price, while the 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing fee applies to the total order value. 

Buyers typically pay shipping unless you choose to offer free shipping, which we’ll cover in the next section.

Note: All example sales detailed here are hypothetical.

Category 1: Comics, toys, cards, and sports

Comics and anime, toys and hobbies, trading card games, and sports singles all sit at 8% commission on sales up to $1,500. Anything above $1,500 drops to 0% commission. 

For instance, a $2,000 Pokémon card costs you 8% in fees on the first $1,500 ($120) and 0% on the remaining $500. The 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing still applies to the full order value. So, if shipping is $10 and taxes are $15, you’ll pay a total of $179.03 ($59.025 in payment processing fees and $120 in commission). You’ll receive $1,820.97. 

Category 2: Coins and currency collectibles

Coins and money items receive a 4% commission up to $1,500, then 0% on every dollar above that. 

To illustrate, say you sell a $3,000 Spanish doubloon. You pay $60 in commission (4% of $1,500) in total. Assume shipping is $10, and taxes are $15, bringing the total to $88.03. On this transaction, you’ll pay a total of $148.03 in costs and receive $2,851.97. 

Here’s the calculation breakdown:

Item price:
$3,000

Commission
on first $1,500 @ 4% = $60.00

Commission
on remaining $1,500 @ 0% = $0.00

Shipping:
$10 (assumed)

Taxes:
$15 (assumed)

Total order value:
$3,025

Payment processing:
($3,025 × 2.9%) + $0.30 = $88.03

Total fees:
$60 + $88.03 = $148.03

Seller receives:
$3,000 - $148.03 = $2,851.97

Category 3: Electronics and tech gear

Electronics carry a flat 5% commission rate with no tier breaks or promotional windows. 

A $500 gaming console incurs a $25 commission plus payment processing (2.9% + $0.30) on the total order value. Unlike collectibles that drop to 0% above $1,500, tech items keep the same 5% rate at all price points. If that $500 gaming console has a $10 shipping cost and $15 tax, you’ll pay $15.53, bringing your fees to $40.53. You’ll keep $459.47 in this example. 

Category 4: All other items

Everything outside comics, coins, and electronics defaults to 8% commission on the listing price. Handbags, clothing, vintage items, home goods, beauty products, jewelry, and all other items permitted on Whatnot all follow this standard rate. 

To illustrate, a $2,500 designer bag costs $200 in commission (8% of $2,500). If shipping is $10 and taxes are $15, the payment processing fees add up to $73.53, bringing the total payment to $273.53. For this example, you’ll make $2,226.47. 

Whatnot shipping fees 

Whatnot buyers cover shipping costs unless you're running a promotion. Normally, buyers pay for USPS labels, which you’ll print and attach to the packaging. Here’s how Whatnot calculates U.S. domestic and international shipping fees:

US domestic shipping

For U.S. domestic orders, Whatnot calculates shipping based on package weight, destination, and service tier. This calculation offers a standard rate for many 1–5 lbs shipments. A lightweight pack of baseball cards may ship for just a few dollars. But a heavier collectible typically costs a flat rate of around $9.21 for packages weighing 1–5 lbs.

Sellers only pay shipping when they choose to offer free or discounted rates. Otherwise, buyers pay shipping at checkout. Whatnot generally expects sellers to ship within about 2 business days. In most cases, U.S. packages arrive in 5 to 14 days, depending on the service and distance.

Buyers pay shipping at checkout, but shipping and tax don’t count toward the final price that Whatnot uses to charge its seller fee. 

International shipping

For international sales, buyers are responsible for shipping fees (unless you choose to cover them). Buyers also pay any customs duties and import taxes, and endure longer delivery times: Cross-border orders typically arrive in 1 to 3 weeks. But timing varies by country and carrier.

As of August 2025, U.S. buyers ordering from Canada or the UK receive shipments via UPS or DPD. These carriers collect applicable tariffs and fees before delivery.

Due to recent U.S. tariff changes and the removal of the $800 de minimis exemption, some European and Australian carriers have temporarily paused or restricted certain U.S.-bound parcel services. Whatnot has adjusted or limited those routes accordingly, which can delay or block some Europe- and Australia-to-U.S. shipments.

Other Whatnot fees 

Beyond commission and payment processing, refunds and taxes can affect your Whatnot bottom line. Here’s a breakdown of these other fees:

  • Refunds typically reverse your payout and send the buyer’s payment back to their original method. In some cases, Whatnot may still charge you some or all of the original commission and payment processing fees. Avoid refunds by properly presenting your items and knowing when Whatnot entitles buyers to refunds.

  • Whatnot collects and remits sales tax on buyer purchases where required by law. Sellers outside the U.S. may also face separate VAT (Value Added Tax) or GST (Goods and Services Tax) obligations depending on their registration status. 

For some transactions, Whatnot may be required to charge tax on its own commissions and processing fees. It’s a good idea to understand tax policies that affect you before listing items on Whatnot.

When does Whatnot pay sellers?

Most U.S. sellers see their earnings appear in their Whatnot balance within about 4 hours of the carrier confirming delivery. After a day or two, this amount appears in your bank account. 

However, sellers outside North America wait for a 96‑hour settlement period plus delivery before funds start processing. 

Want to get your money even faster? Qualify for Early Payout and see earnings in your balance right after you generate shipping labels. Early Payout status is earned, and here’s how you get those stripes:

  • Have lifetime sales of $100,000 before fees, or have at least 1,000 orders
  • Host at least 10 live shows
  • Maintain an average seller rating of 4.8+

Early Payout is automatic and based on the above factors. You can check your eligibility on the app or website. 

Overall, selling on Whatnot offers an opportunity to make substantial returns. The total amount you earn all depends on the items you sell and the fees you pay to Whatnot and your government. Having a clear understanding of how much the platform charges will help maximize your returns. 

Sell more with Nifty

Now that you understand Whatnot's fee structure, it's time to expand beyond a single platform and keep more of what you earn. Nifty is an automation, analytics, and crosslisting tool that lets you manage resale platforms like Mercari, Poshmark, and others.

Here’s why over 10,000 sellers trust Nifty:

  • AI listing: Snap a pic and let Nifty's AI build a boss-level listing, with SEO-optimized titles and descriptions, trending hashtags, and every dropdown already filled out for you. Plus, it's cloud-based, mobile-friendly, and easy to use.
  • Crosslist to multiple marketplaces: With a couple of clicks, post your items across Poshmark, eBay, Mercari, Depop, and Etsy. No copy-paste, no multi-tab, it's all in the background. (More marketplaces coming soon!)
  • Automatic delisting? Handled: When you make a sale, Nifty's sales detection auto-delists that item from every marketplace. Say goodbye to double-selling disasters and “sorry, it's already gone” apology messages.
  • Bulk tools = no busywork: Share and relist daily without lifting a finger. Update or discount dozens of items at once. You can even schedule drafts to go live while you sleep.
  • Analytics and profits are real: Track sales, fees, top performers, and slow movers in one clean dashboard, so you can actually see what's working and what's just dead space.

Nifty pays for itself after just a few weeks. So … what are you waiting for? Start with a 7-day free trial and see how Nifty can improve your sales. 

FAQs

1. Are Whatnot’s fees lower than eBay’s?

Yes, Whatnot's fees are often lower than eBay's. Whatnot charges 4–8% commission plus 2.9% + $0.30 processing, while eBay takes 13–15% final value fees plus per-order charges and potential listing fees. High-volume sellers offering items with a 0% seller fee over Whatnot’s stated amount typically make more than they do by selling the same items on eBay.

2. How does Whatnot calculate commission and processing fees?

Whatnot calculates commission based on your item's final sale price only, excluding shipping and tax. Payment processing fees (2.9% + $0.30) apply to the total order value, which includes the sale price plus buyer-paid shipping and tax.

3. Does Whatnot charge fees for listings or live shows?

No, Whatnot doesn’t charge listing fees, storage fees, or show-hosting fees. You only pay commission and processing fees when items actually sell during live shows or through marketplace listings. Creating unlimited listings, hosting multiple shows per week, and storing unsold inventory costs nothing. Fees only kick in after a buyer completes a purchase.

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