A $100 sale can leave less money than an $85 local offer. The difference depends on the fee base, the shipping quote and the work needed to complete the transaction. This guide gives you a reusable calculation and shows where sellers commonly miss a cost.
Start with the right definition of proceeds
Use three separate numbers:
- Gross seller receipts: the item price plus any shipping or other amount collected for you. Exclude sales tax collected and remitted by the platform on the buyer's behalf.
- Net transaction proceeds: those receipts minus selling, shipping and fulfillment costs.
- Economic profit or loss: net transaction proceeds minus your cost of acquiring the item and other relevant costs.
For example, selling a personal appliance for $150 and keeping $125 after fees and delivery gives you $125 in net transaction proceeds. If you originally paid $400, it has not produced a $125 resale profit. You have recovered some of the original spending.
Tax treatment is a separate calculation with its own rules. Keep acquisition and sale records instead of assuming that every platform payout is taxable profit or that the absence of a tax form settles the question. If you are buying inventory to sell regularly, start with reselling for beginners.
Know what amount the percentage fee applies to
The fee base matters as much as the percentage. A marketplace might charge on the item price, the item plus shipping, or a total that also includes sales tax. A fixed order charge can make small transactions less attractive even when the percentage seems manageable.
As checked October 30, 2026, eBay's ordinary fee schedule describes a percentage-based final value fee plus a per-order charge. The fee base generally includes item price, buyer-paid shipping and sales tax, with stated exceptions. For many categories, the listed percentage is 13.6% on the relevant lower sale tier, but category, store subscription and other rules can change the result. Use the specific current eBay schedule, not that example rate for every product.
Mercari's current fee page lists a 10% seller fee on the item price plus buyer-paid shipping for applicable listings. Its buyer protection charge is a separate buyer cost, which can still affect what a buyer is willing to spend in total. Check Mercari's current fee page for the applicable transaction and withdrawal charges.
Other possible costs include promoted listings, insertion fees, currency conversion, international selling, optional payout methods and fees tied to seller performance. Do not add a separate payment-processing charge when it is already included in the marketplace fee, and do not assume it is included without checking.
Use a worksheet for each selling route
Copy these rows into a note or spreadsheet. Use an actual packed shipping quote before committing to the listing.
| Item to record | What belongs in it |
|---|---|
| Agreed item price | The likely accepted price, after any discount |
| Buyer-paid shipping collected for you | Include only what actually flows into your seller receipts |
| Platform and order charges | Use the correct fee base and fixed charge |
| Optional promotion | Only the campaign and attribution terms you actually choose |
| Shipping label or transport | Include destination, service, dimensions and weight |
| Packing materials | Box, cushioning, tape and necessary protective supplies |
| Other fulfillment costs | Relevant travel, paid help or delivery costs |
| Net proceeds | Receipts minus the above transaction costs |
| Acquisition cost | Your basis for comparing economic profit, kept separately |
| Time | Research, photos, messages, packing, travel and follow-up |
An allowance for possible returns can help you plan, but it is an estimate rather than an expense already paid. Label it separately and reconcile it with actual results. Do not subtract both an estimated reserve and the same realized return cost when you calculate the final transaction.
Worked example: shipped sale versus local offer
All numbers below are hypothetical. The 12% fee and shipping amount illustrate the method and are not a quoted platform schedule. Sales tax and optional promotions are excluded from this simplified example.
| Calculation | Shipped marketplace sale | Local pickup sale |
|---|---|---|
| Item price | $100 | $85 |
| Shipping collected from buyer | $12 | $0 |
| Total seller receipts | $112 | $85 |
| Assumed fee | 12% of $112 + $0.40 = $13.84 | $0 in this example |
| Actual shipping or travel cost | $12 label | $4 travel |
| Packing | $3 | $0 |
| Net transaction proceeds | $83.16 | $81 |
The shipped sale leaves $2.16 more, despite its $15 higher item price. If it takes considerably more time, the local offer may be attractive. If the item is specialized and unlikely to find a local buyer, the shipped route may still be the practical choice.
Now suppose the shipping label actually costs $18. The shipped proceeds fall to $77.16. Calling shipping “buyer paid” would not prevent that loss because you only collected $12. This is why a real packed quote belongs before publication, not after the sale.
Work backward to a minimum price
In a simplified transaction where a percentage fee applies to the item price plus shipping collected, use this formula:
Minimum item price = (target net proceeds + fulfillment costs + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − percentage fee) − shipping collected.
Use the percentage as a decimal. Fulfillment costs include the actual shipping cost and packing in this example. If the fee base includes taxes or other amounts, add those fees to the model rather than forcing the transaction into this simplified formula.
Suppose you want $70 left, shipping and packing cost $15, the hypothetical fee is 12% plus $0.40, and you collect $12 for shipping. The minimum item price is:
($70 + $15 + $0.40) ÷ 0.88 − $12 = $85.05, rounded up to the cent.
At $85.05, your gross seller receipts are $97.05. The modeled fee is about $12.05, leaving about $70 after the $15 fulfillment cost. Confirm the platform's actual rounding and fee calculation before relying on a minimum to the penny.
This is a floor for your chosen proceeds target, not proof that buyers will pay that amount. If comparable items sell below the floor, change the selling method, lower the target or decide not to sell through that channel.
Get the shipping quote from the packed parcel
Weigh the item with its box, padding and accessories. Measure the finished parcel rather than estimating from the item alone. A bulky lightweight box can cost more than you expect, and choosing a label with insufficient weight or dimensions can create adjustments.
Use a service appropriate for the item and destination. USPS's package preparation guide explains how packaging and postage selection fit together and links to its calculator. Carrier restrictions matter for batteries, liquids and other regulated contents. If you are selling a device, see our used-electronics guide before picking a shipping service.
Do not treat every piece of packaging already in your home as free protection. A weak reused box can create a bigger loss than the cost of a sound replacement. Conversely, buying an oversized premium box for a low-value item can make the sale uneconomic. Match the packaging to the shipment and document the finished condition.
Test discounts, bundles and free shipping
Free shipping means the cost is included in your economics rather than charged separately to the buyer. Compare the total buyer price and your net proceeds under each structure. The words on the listing do not remove the postage bill.
With a fee that changes proportionally with the sale price, a $10 discount does not always reduce your net by the full $10. In a simplified example with a 12% fee and no other change, the reduction is $8.80. That calculation does not apply if the discount moves the sale into a different fee rule or changes other charges.
Bundles can help when several inexpensive items fit into one practical shipment. Check whether the larger parcel increases postage and whether the platform treats the bundle as one order. A bundle that saves a fixed order fee but requires a much larger box may provide little benefit.
For bulky goods, use furniture pricing and pickup planning to compare pickup with delivery. Distance, stairs and paid help can matter more than a small marketplace percentage.
Leave room for a transaction that does not go perfectly
Read the platform's return and dispute rules before deciding that a sale is final. eBay's Money Back Guarantee policy includes obligations when an item does not arrive or differs from the listing. A return preference does not erase those obligations.
Keep a reserve appropriate to your actual selling activity rather than spending every payout immediately. Save the listing, condition photographs, shipping records, fees and messages. If a problem occurs, use the official resolution process and check which fees are credited; do not assume every charge disappears with a refund.
Price pressure can also make a risky offer look appealing. An unusually high bid paired with a request to refund an overpayment is not a reason to skip verification. Review selling-scam prevention before making an exception to your payment process.
Frequently asked questions
Does buyer-paid shipping cover shipping fees too?
Only if the amount collected covers the postage, packing and any fee charged on that shipping amount. Check the platform's fee base. Charging exactly the label price can still leave you paying packing costs and a percentage fee from your item proceeds.
Should I use the original purchase price as my minimum?
Keep it in your records, but a used item's market value may be much lower. Decide what you would accept today after transaction costs. For inventory bought specifically to resell, acquisition cost is especially important when deciding whether the activity is profitable.
Is local selling always free?
No. A particular listing or payment arrangement may have fees, and travel, delivery or paid help can still cost money. The local example above assumes no platform charge solely to show the calculation; check the rules for your actual route.
Should I pay for promotion?
Estimate the added fee at the likely sale price and understand when the platform attributes a sale to the promotion. Promotion might help an appropriate listing get seen, but it cannot guarantee a sale or repair inaccurate pricing and poor condition information.
How much should I budget for returns?
There is no universal percentage. Use your actual category and transaction history when available, keep an initial estimate clearly labeled, and update it. An occasional seller of one expensive fragile item faces a different exposure from someone selling many small durable goods.
Sources and research
Official fee and shipping information was checked October 30, 2026. Worked examples and the simplified formula are editorial calculations, not promises of profit or quotations for an actual shipment.