Quick picks
Who sets Etsy's fees, and what does this page assume?
So every fee on this page is a platform rule, which means Etsy sets it in its own policies. A platform rule is not a law. The rules are in Etsy's Fees & Payments Policy (last updated Oct 5, 2026) and its Etsy Payments Policy (last updated Jul 31, 2026). Both pages were checked October 16, 2026. Etsy can change them, so those two pages win over anything here.
Here is what I assumed for the worked examples. Change any of these and the totals change.
- Country and money: A US seller with a US bank account, a US buyer, US dollars, and the buyer paying by card.
- Shop size: A shop that made under $10,000 in the past 365 days. That sales total decides which Offsite Ads rate applies.
- The sale: One item per order, at $44.00 plus $6.00 of shipping that the buyer pays to you. That makes a $50.00 order.
- Sales tax: $3.50 on that order, which is about 7 percent. The real rate depends on the buyer's state, so $3.50 is my example and not an Etsy number.
- Listing fee: The listing renews for $0.20 when the item sells, which is how Etsy's policy handles a listing with several in stock.
The cost of your product and the postage you pay are left out. Neither one is an Etsy fee.
What fees does Etsy charge a US seller?
Basically, Etsy takes a few separate cuts. A listing fee is what you pay to put one item up for sale. A transaction fee is what Etsy keeps from each sale. A payment processing fee is the cost of handling the card payment. A payment processor is the company that moves the money from the buyer's card to you. For Etsy sellers in the US, Etsy is the processor. Etsy calls that service Etsy Payments. And your Payment account is the money page inside Etsy's Shop Manager, where each sale lands and each fee comes out.
Here is each regular fee for a US seller, all checked October 16, 2026.
| Etsy fee | Amount for a US seller | What Etsy charges it on | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listing fee | $0.20 per listing. You pay whether or not the item sells. Editing a listing costs nothing. | Each listing you create or renew | October 16, 2026 |
| Transaction fee | 6.5 percent | The item price you display, plus the shipping you charge, plus gift wrap and personalization. Not charged on sales tax for US sellers. | October 16, 2026 |
| Payment processing fee | 3 percent + $0.25 per order | The whole order total, including shipping and sales tax | October 16, 2026 |
| Offsite Ads fee (only when it applies) | 15 percent if your shop made under $10,000 in the prior 365 days. 12 percent once the shop has made $10,000 or more. Never more than $100 on one order. | The order, but only when a buyer clicks an Etsy-run ad and orders from your shop within 30 days. Not charged on sales tax for US sellers. | October 16, 2026 |
| Currency conversion (only when it applies) | 2.5 percent | The sale, when you list in a currency different from your Payment account currency. A US seller listing in dollars with a dollar bank account pays none. | October 16, 2026 |
Etsy's payments policy says the 3 percent + $0.25 applies to card payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal paid through Etsy, Etsy gift cards, credits and coupons. Etsy's payments policy says there is "no additional PayPal fee" when PayPal is paid through Etsy.
Now a listing lasts four months on Etsy. At the end of four months, the listing renews for another $0.20. To stop that, switch the listing from "Automatic" to "Manual" under Renewal Options in the Listings Manager. Etsy's Fee Basics help page adds that if one order buys several different variations of an item, Etsy adds $0.20 for each extra item bought.
Does Etsy charge a fee to open a shop?
So Etsy's fee policy says you may have to pay a one-time set-up fee when you open a shop. Etsy shows the fee during shop set-up, and says the amount due is shown before you finish the last set-up steps. The fee is charged to your card, not taken out of sales. Once paid, the fee can't be refunded. Etsy says the fee may change or be waived during promotions.
Here is the part to keep in mind. Etsy's fee policy and its Sell on Etsy page don't print an amount. One video, from Starla Moore and uploaded September 22, 2026, showed Etsy's welcome screen asking for a one-time $29 set-up fee. So $29 is what one video showed. The amount is not confirmed. Etsy's own set-up screen shows the real amount for you, and I left the set-up fee out of every monthly figure below.
Etsy's welcome screen in a video uploaded September 22, 2026, showing a $29 one-time set-up fee, from Starla Moore's video. Etsy's own pages don't print that amount, so check the amount on your own screen.
What does Etsy take from one $50 sale, line by line?
Now here is one sale worked out with the assumptions above. The buyer pays $53.50: $44.00 for the item, $6.00 for shipping and $3.50 of sales tax. Fees are the ones from Etsy's policies, checked October 16, 2026.
| Step | The math | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The buyer pays | 44.00 + 6.00 + 3.50 | $53.50 |
| Sales tax Etsy collects and sends to the state | Given in the assumptions | -$3.50 |
| Listing fee (renewal when the item sells) | Flat fee | -$0.20 |
| Transaction fee | 6.5% of the $50.00 for item plus shipping: 0.065 x 50.00 | -$3.25 |
| Payment processing fee | 3% of the full $53.50, plus $0.25: (0.03 x 53.50 = 1.605) + 0.25 = 1.855 | -$1.86 |
| Total Etsy fees | 0.20 + 3.25 + 1.86 | -$5.31, or 10.6% of the $50 order |
| Left in your Payment account | 53.50 - 3.50 - 5.31 | $44.69 |
The $1.855 rounds to $1.86 here. Etsy's policy doesn't spell out how it rounds, so your statement could differ by a cent. And the $44.69 is before your product cost and any postage label.
Something to note is why the processing fee is a little higher than on an order with no tax. Etsy charges the 3 percent on the whole total, tax included. Etsy's transaction fee and Offsite Ads fee skip the tax. So $3.50 of tax adds about 10 cents to the processing fee.
The same sale if an Etsy ad led to it
So Offsite Ads is when Etsy pays for ads on other websites that show your listing. If a buyer clicks one of those ads and orders from your shop within 30 days, Etsy charges the Offsite Ads fee on that order. I explain how Offsite Ads works, and whether you can turn it off, in my Etsy Offsite Ads guide.
| Step | The math | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Regular Etsy fees | From the table above | -$5.31 |
| Offsite Ads fee (shop under $10,000 in the prior 365 days) | 15% of $50.00, with tax left out: 0.15 x 50.00 | -$7.50 |
| Total Etsy fees with Offsite Ads | 5.31 + 7.50 | -$12.81, or 25.6% of the $50 order |
| Left in your Payment account | 53.50 - 3.50 - 12.81 | $37.19 |
| If the shop had made $10,000 or more, at 12% | 0.12 x 50.00 = 6.00, so 5.31 + 6.00 | -$11.31 in total, leaving $38.69 |
Does Etsy charge fees on sales tax, and who sends the tax in?
Basically, sales tax is a tax a state charges on a purchase, which the buyer pays on top of the price. Etsy's sales tax help page says Etsy automatically calculates, collects and sends in US sales tax for sellers on US orders that meet certain conditions. The page also covers digital orders bought by a US buyer. Sellers can't opt out, and Etsy says it charges no extra administration fee for doing this. Checked October 16, 2026.
So the tax passes through your Payment account. Here is how each fee treats it, for a US seller.
- The transaction fee: Etsy doesn't charge the 6.5 percent on sales tax.
- The Offsite Ads fee: Etsy doesn't charge it on sales tax either.
- The payment processing fee: Etsy does charge the 3 percent + $0.25 on the total including tax.
The Sales box on one seller's Payment account in July 2026, where the tax the buyer paid shows as "Remitted", meaning Etsy sent it on. From Krafty Digital Designs' video.
There are two state details worth knowing, both from Etsy's help pages and both checked October 16, 2026.
- Colorado: On physical orders shipped to Colorado, Etsy charges the buyer a 31 cent Colorado Retail Delivery Fee. Etsy collects that fee, sends it to Colorado, and takes it out of your sale the same way it handles sales tax. Digital goods don't have it.
- Texas: Since October 1, 2025, Etsy collects Texas sales tax on the transaction fees it charges sellers located in Texas, according to Etsy's Texas seller fee tax page. The tax is 6.25 percent on 80 percent of each transaction fee. On the $3.25 transaction fee above, that is 0.80 x 3.25 = $2.60, and 6.25 percent of $2.60 is about $0.16. Etsy says more seller fees may be taxed in the future.
Whether you owe sales tax yourself in states where Etsy doesn't collect it is a separate question. Etsy's fee policy says that is the seller's own duty. This page doesn't cover your own sales tax duty. If you're also weighing an LLC or an EIN, I cover those in my guide to LLCs and EINs. This is general information, and your state's tax agency or an accountant can confirm what applies in your state.
What do Etsy's fees add up to at $1,000, $3,000 and $5,000 a month?
Now here are monthly totals. The assumptions are a $50 average order with shipping already inside the $50, no sales tax, and one $0.20 listing fee per order. Orders are 20, 60 and 100. Payments are by card, and there is no Etsy Plus. For the Offsite Ads row, I assumed 20 percent of sales come from an Etsy-run ad at 15 percent. That 20 percent is my assumption, not an Etsy number. The 15 percent only applies while the shop is under $10,000 in sales over the prior 365 days. A shop selling $3,000 or $5,000 a month passes $10,000 within a few months, so the 12 percent row fits those shops from then on. Fees were checked October 16, 2026.
| Etsy fee line | $1,000 (20 orders) | $3,000 (60 orders) | $5,000 (100 orders) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listing fee, $0.20 per order | 0.20 x 20 = $4.00 | 0.20 x 60 = $12.00 | 0.20 x 100 = $20.00 |
| Transaction fee, 6.5% of sales | 0.065 x 1,000 = $65.00 | 0.065 x 3,000 = $195.00 | 0.065 x 5,000 = $325.00 |
| Payment processing, 3% of sales + $0.25 per order | 30.00 + 5.00 = $35.00 | 90.00 + 15.00 = $105.00 | 150.00 + 25.00 = $175.00 |
| Total, no Offsite Ads | $104.00 (10.4%) | $312.00 (10.4%) | $520.00 (10.4%) |
| Offsite Ads, 15% of the 20% of sales from ads | 0.15 x 200 = $30.00 | 0.15 x 600 = $90.00 | 0.15 x 1,000 = $150.00 |
| Total, with Offsite Ads | $134.00 (13.4%) | $402.00 (13.4%) | $670.00 (13.4%) |
| Total with Offsite Ads at 12% instead, once the shop has made $10,000 or more | 0.12 x 200 = 24.00, so $128.00 (12.8%) | 0.12 x 600 = 72.00, so $384.00 (12.8%) | 0.12 x 1,000 = 120.00, so $640.00 (12.8%) |
| If every order also had $3.50 of sales tax, add 3% x 3.50 per order | +$2.10 | +$6.30 | +$10.50 |
| If you also pay for Etsy Plus, $10 a month | +$10 | +$10 | +$10 |
So Etsy's fees rise in step with your sales. Etsy Plus is covered further down, under optional charges, and its credits can offset part of the $10. And I compare these totals with Shopify's in Etsy fees vs Shopify fees.
Do digital downloads cost the same in Etsy fees?
Yes, the fee rates are the same. Etsy's fee and payment policies don't list a separate digital fee. The listing fee is $0.20, the transaction fee is 6.5 percent, and the processing fee is 3 percent + $0.25. Etsy's help page on payment reserves also says sales of digital items aren't held in reserve. Checked October 16, 2026.
But keep in mind that the flat $0.20 listing fee and the flat 25 cents in the processing fee weigh more on small prices. Here are the numbers for one US buyer with no sales tax.
| Download price | The math | Etsy's regular fees | With Offsite Ads at 15% |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5.00 | 0.20 + (0.065 x 5 = 0.325) + (0.03 x 5 = 0.15, + 0.25 = 0.40) = 0.925 | About $0.93, or 18.5% | About $1.68, or 33.5% (adds 0.15 x 5 = 0.75) |
| $20.00 | 0.20 + (0.065 x 20 = 1.30) + (0.03 x 20 = 0.60, + 0.25 = 0.85) = 2.35 | $2.35, or 11.75% | $5.35, or 26.75% (adds 0.15 x 20 = 3.00) |
One real month from one digital shop shows the same thing. In a July 2026 screen recording, a digital shop showed 85 sales totaling $1,255.46. Its Fees line was $185.81, about 14.8 percent of those sales. That is one shop in one month, with a lot of new listings, so don't treat 14.8 percent as an average.
Where do you see each fee in your Payment account?
Basically, each Etsy fee shows up on its own line in your Payment account, the money page inside Etsy's Shop Manager. Here is how to find those lines.
- Sign in to Etsy and open Shop Manager.
- In the left menu, open Finances, then Payment account.
- Scroll to Activity summary. You'll see a month picker, such as "This month: July 2026", and boxes for Sales, Fees, Marketing and Shipping.
- Click the arrow next to Fees. The box opens to list your listing fees, transaction fees and processing fees, each with its own total for the month.
The Fees box opened on one seller's Payment account in July 2026, from Krafty Digital Designs' video.
On that screen, the seller's Etsy Plus subscription shows as a $3.00 credit under the listing fees. A "Share & Save Refund" line shows $2.13 coming back to the seller, so that line is money coming in, not a fee. Basically, Share & Save takes 4 percent of the order total off your Etsy bill when a buyer orders within 30 days of clicking a link you shared. That comes from Etsy's Seller Handbook article on Share & Save, checked October 16, 2026. The shop's Marketing box, which holds Etsy Ads charges, is separate from the Fees box.
Also, Etsy takes fees out of your balance as they happen. The listing fee comes out when you publish or renew a listing, and the transaction fee comes out as each sale happens. Etsy makes a monthly statement available at the start of each month, under Finances then Monthly statements.
Which Etsy fees are optional, and which don't apply to US sellers?
So a few charges only show up if you choose them, and one doesn't apply to US sellers at all. All of these were checked October 16, 2026.
| Etsy charge | What it is | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Etsy Ads | Ads inside Etsy's own search results, where you pay each time a shopper clicks. | You set a daily maximum budget, and Etsy says it won't charge more than that on any day. Etsy's help page says all sellers start with a $25 maximum daily budget limit, and you wait 15 days after opening a shop before you can start Etsy Ads. |
| Etsy Plus | A monthly subscription you can cancel any time. | $10 a month. Etsy Plus includes 15 listing credits each month, shown as $3 of listing credit, and $5 of Etsy Ads credit. Unused credits expire each cycle. |
| Etsy shipping labels | Postage you buy through Etsy. | The price depends on the carrier, weight and size, and it comes out of your balance. This is postage, not an Etsy fee. |
| Instant transfer | A way to get money sooner, offered to select US sellers in a limited test. | 1% of the transfer, with a 25 cent minimum and a $1 maximum. You can make one instant transfer a day, from $25 up to $500. Funds typically arrive within 30 minutes, per Etsy's deposit help page. |
| Regulatory operating fee | A fee Etsy charges in some countries. | Not charged to US sellers. Etsy's list includes Canada at 0.50%, the United Kingdom at 0.48% and France at 1.14%, plus six other countries. |
So for me personally, Etsy Plus is only worth it if you'd use the credits. The $3 listing credit covers 15 listings at $0.20 each. So if you create or renew fewer than 15 listings a month, part of that credit goes unused.
What happens to Etsy's fees if you refund a buyer?
Now Etsy's payments policy says that when you refund a buyer, the processing fee and other fees are recalculated on the adjusted sale price. The difference between the original processing fee and the recalculated one is applied to the refund. For full refunds that Etsy itself covers through Etsy's Protection Program, the policy says the processing fee and other fees won't be credited back to the seller. Checked October 16, 2026 on the Etsy Payments Policy.
When does Etsy pay you?
Basically, a deposit is when Etsy sends the money in your Payment account to your bank. Sale money first lands as a balance in your Payment account, and Etsy pays out what's there after taking out any amounts you owe Etsy. Here is the timing from Etsy's help pages, checked October 16, 2026.
- New sellers: Etsy's deposit help page says funds are generally eligible for deposit 14 days after a sale. The page adds that it may take longer depending on the standing of your shop.
- Established shops: The same page says orders may become available for deposit the next business day.
- Your deposit schedule: A new seller's default is weekly, every Monday. You can change it in Shop Manager under Finances, then Payment settings, then Deposit schedule, with choices of daily, weekly, biweekly or monthly. Per the Etsy Payments Policy, a daily deposit only goes out on days your balance is at least $25.
- From Etsy to your bank: After Etsy sends a deposit, Etsy's help page says it can take 1 to 5 business days to appear in your bank account.
- If you change your bank details: Etsy puts a 5 day hold on deposits.
And something to note is that Etsy has been redesigning the Payment account page. Seller videos from July and August 2026 show three boxes at the top. Current is money available now or already used for fees, refunds or billing. Pending is money still processing or held in reserve. Total is Current plus Pending. That wording comes from the Handmade Bosses video from August 2026, and Etsy can change the layout again.
The Current, Pending and Total boxes on one established seller's Payment account in July 2026, from Krafty Digital Designs' video.
What is an Etsy payment reserve?
So a reserve is a percentage of each new sale of a physical item that Etsy holds back for a while, in case of refunds or problems. Etsy's reserve help page lists what can trigger one. The list includes your first sale on Etsy, a sudden sharp rise in orders or refunds, and orders missing tracking or shipped late. The Etsy Payments Policy gives one example of a fixed reserve, 30 percent held for a 45 day rolling period. Checked October 16, 2026.
Etsy's help page also says Star Sellers don't get a reserve, and sales of digital items aren't held. Adding tracking that Etsy can confirm can release funds early. Released funds become available at 6pm Eastern time on the day Etsy releases them.
Etsy's built-in tour on the Payment account page in July 2026 pointing to where holds and reserves are explained, from Krafty Digital Designs' video.
What if your fees are bigger than your sales?
Now if your balance can't cover your fees, Etsy's fee policy says you pay within 15 days of the monthly statement. If you don't, Etsy can charge the card you keep on file. US sellers can use AutoBilling, which charges the card for you. Etsy may suspend selling privileges for an unpaid balance. To use Etsy Payments, the payments policy says you agree to keep a debit or credit card on file, which Etsy can charge for amounts you owe. Checked October 16, 2026.
When is Etsy the wrong choice, and when does it fit?
So here is where I'd say Etsy fits and where another option may be better.
- If you have no customers yet and little to spend on ads, then Etsy's fees may be worth paying, because Etsy brings shoppers to your listings. The Offsite Ads fee applies only when a sale comes from an Etsy-run ad.
- If most of your orders come from your own followers or your own website, then the transaction fee and the processing fee come out of sales Etsy didn't bring. In that case, I'd compare Etsy against Shopify with your own numbers in my Etsy fees vs Shopify fees page and my Shopify vs Etsy guide. Shopify's own prices are on its pricing page.
- If you sell cheap digital downloads, then the flat $0.20 listing fee and the flat 25 cents in the processing fee weigh the most. The $5 download example above came to 18.5 percent.
- If you're also weighing Amazon, then Etsy vs Amazon Handmade and Amazon's seller fees explained show the other side.
And if you're deciding whether to start at all, is Etsy worth it and how to start an Etsy shop are the next pages to read.
Videos worth watching about Etsy fees and payments
And if you'd rather watch someone walk through Etsy's fees and payments, here are four videos. You can play each one right here on the page, and YouTube's usual controls work, including skipping ahead, changing the speed and going full screen. Under each video is a short summary so you can decide if it's worth your time.
A seller screen recording of the redesigned Payment account in Etsy's Shop Manager, from a digital shop.
- The new top boxes: The seller shows Current, Pending and Total, and says funds are eligible for deposit the day after a sale for an established shop.
- The deposit setting: The seller explains that deposits become available once the balance is above zero, with a daily deposit setting.
- The tour: The seller clicks "Show me around" to walk through the new page. The fees below the boxes look unchanged.
A slide-based walk through why a deposit can be smaller than your sales, using a $54 order.
- The fees on one order: The presenter goes through sales tax, the transaction fee, processing, the listing fee, a shipping label, ads and refunds.
- The timing: The presenter says new sellers wait about 14 days, deposits go out daily or on Mondays, and the bank credit takes up to 5 business days.
- The monthly statement: The presenter shows where to download it in Shop Manager under Finances, then Monthly Statements.
- Worth knowing: The video uses slides, not live Etsy screens.
A seller talks to the camera with fee text on screen and Etsy's policy page highlighted.
- The fees on screen: The video shows the $0.20 listing fee, the 6.5 percent transaction fee, payment processing and Offsite Ads.
- The welcome screen: The video shows Etsy's shop-opening screen asking for a one-time $29 set-up fee, which is the screen pictured on this page.
A presenter at a whiteboard explains the new Payment account words, with no Etsy screens.
- The three boxes: Current is money available now or used for fees, refunds or billing. Pending is money still processing or in reserve. Total is both added together.
- Reserve money: Reserve money now sits inside Pending, and a "ready for deposit" area was added.
- A planned change: The presenter says sale-related fees will eventually stay pending until the matching earnings are available. Etsy Ads, shipping labels, listing fees and subscription fees are still charged right away.
Buddy's take
So ultimately, on a $50 order Etsy's regular fees come to $5.31, or about 10.6 percent. The total rises to $12.81, or about 25.6 percent, when an Etsy-run ad brings the buyer.
But for me personally, I'd also watch the small orders. The flat $0.20 listing fee and the flat 25 cents in the processing fee make a $5 download cost about 18.5 percent in fees. So the lower the price, the more those two flat amounts matter.
And for a new seller, I'd plan around the 14 day wait for the first deposit and the possibility of a reserve. This is general information about fees and taxes. For tax questions, your state's tax agency or an accountant can confirm what applies where you live.
Have a question about “Etsy fees explained: what Etsy takes from each sale, with one sale worked out”?
Ask it here. Every question comes to me first. I answer as many as I can, and each answered question goes on this page with my answer so other people starting a store can see it too. I don't ask for your email, so check back on this page for the answer.
More costs and fees guides
How much does it cost to sell on Amazon? Every seller fee, with one sale worked out
The monthly plan fee, the referral fee, Fulfillment by Amazon fees, storage, returns and ads for a US seller, added up on a $25 sale so you can redo the math yourself.
Etsy fees vs Shopify fees: which one costs less at $1,000, $3,000 and $5,000 a month?
The real numbers for a US seller, with the math shown so you can swap in your own order size.
What does Shopify really cost per month? The plan, card fees, domain, theme and apps added up
Three example budgets for a US store at $1,000, $3,000 and $5,000 a month in sales, with the math shown so you can redo the totals.
- Etsy's Fees & Payments Policy, last updated Oct 5, 2026, read October 16, 2026: listing fee, transaction fee, Offsite Ads, Etsy Plus, set-up fee, currency conversion, billing.
- Etsy's Etsy Payments Policy, last updated Jul 31, 2026, read October 16, 2026: the 3% + $0.25 processing fee, deposits, reserves and refunds.
- Etsy's Sell on Etsy page, checked October 16, 2026: the set-up fee note, with no amount printed.
- Etsy Help, checked October 16, 2026: Etsy Fee Basics, US sales tax and fees, Texas tax on seller fees, why money hasn't been deposited, receiving deposits, payment account reserve, regulatory operating fee, Etsy Ads and Etsy Plus.
- Etsy's Seller Handbook article on Share & Save, linked October 16, 2026.
- Shopify's pricing page, linked for readers comparing platforms.
- Videos, all uploaded in 2026: Krafty Digital Designs (July 29), Etsy Deposit Gaps Guides (September 24), Starla Moore (September 22) and Handmade Bosses (August 5).
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