12% = over $10K/yr sales · 15% = under $10K/yr
Quick Answer
How much does Etsy take from a sale?
Etsy takes 3 core fees: a $0.20 listing fee, a 6.5% transaction fee on the total order (including what the buyer pays for shipping), and a payment processing fee of 3% + $0.25 (US rate). For most US sales with no Offsite Ads, total fees are typically 10–12% of your order total.
On a $30 sale (US, no Offsite Ads, free shipping): Listing $0.20 + Transaction $1.95 + Processing $1.15 = $3.30 in Etsy fees — leaving $26.70 before your own costs.
But once you add $5 in materials, 1 hour of labor at $15/hr, and $4 for a shipping label, that $26.70 becomes $2.70 in actual profit — a 9% margin. This is why calculating before pricing matters.
Real Examples
What popular Etsy items actually net after all costs
Etsy fees + real production costs for US sellers. Labor at $15/hr where applicable.
| Item | Sale Price | Etsy Fees | Your Costs | Net Profit | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greeting card | $6.00 | −$1.02 | −$9.40 | −$4.42 | -74% |
| Sticker pack | $12.00 | −$1.59 | −$8.00 | $2.41 | 20% |
| Tote bag (POD)+15% ads | $28.00 | −$7.31 | −$11.00 | $9.69 | 35% |
| Wire bracelet | $30.00 | −$3.30 | −$26.00 | $0.70 | 2% |
| Printable planner | $9.00 | −$1.30 | −$3.00 | $4.70 | 52% |
| Candle+12% ads | $22.00 | −$5.18 | −$20.00 | −$3.18 | -14% |
| Custom portrait+12% ads | $85.00 | −$18.73 | −$33.00 | $33.28 | 39% |
* POD = Print on Demand (no production cost or shipping label — supplier handles fulfillment). Digital products have zero shipping cost. Margins vary by supplier and volume.
How It Works
How Etsy calculates fees on every sale
Listing Fee — $0.20 per listing
Charged when you publish or renew a listing. Auto-renews at $0.20 each time a listing sells. Not refundable even if the item doesn't sell. On a slow product selling 10 units/month, that's $2/month just in renewal fees.
Transaction Fee — 6.5% of total order (including shipping)
Applied to the full order value including the shipping price the buyer pays — not just the item price. Most sellers don't realize this. If your buyer pays $20 + $5 shipping, Etsy charges 6.5% of $25 = $1.63, not $1.30.
Payment Processing Fee — 3% + $0.25 (US)
Covers Etsy Payments processing for all accepted methods (cards, Apple Pay, PayPal). Rate varies by country: UK is 4% + £0.20, EU is 4% + €0.30. On a $30 sale, this adds $1.15 for US sellers.
Regulatory Operating Fee (select countries)
Some third-party sources cite a small regulatory fee in certain markets. This is not confirmed as a separate line item in Etsy's current official fee schedule. Check your Etsy payment account for any market-specific charges.
Offsite Ads Fee — 12% or 15% (only when triggered)
Only charged when a buyer clicks an Etsy-placed ad on Google, Facebook, Instagram, etc. and purchases within 30 days. Sellers earning under $10K/year pay 15% and can opt out; sellers over $10K pay 12% and cannot. The fee is capped at $100 per order regardless of order value. This single fee can reduce a 25% margin to under 10%.
Why It Matters
Most Etsy sellers miss fees they didn't know existed
The gap comes from forgetting costs that aren't a single line item: the $0.20 listing fee that auto-renews every sale, the 6.5% transaction fee that applies to shipping too, the packaging that costs $1–3 per order, and most commonly — the time it takes to make, photograph, list, and ship the item.
A $30 handmade bracelet that takes 1 hour to make looks profitable until you add it up: $3.30 in Etsy fees + $5 materials + $15 labor + $4 shipping label = $27.30 in total outgoings. Net profit: $2.70. Margin: 9%.
Sellers who build margin in before listing — not after — are the ones who can afford to scale, run ads, and still pay themselves.
Common Mistakes
5 pricing mistakes that silently destroy Etsy margins
Mistake #1: Not paying yourself for your time
This is the most common margin killer on Etsy. Many sellers price for materials + fees and leave labor at $0. If you spend 2 hours on a $40 item at just $12/hr, you've absorbed $24 in invisible costs. Your 'profit' is actually a loss. The calculator's Labor field exists exactly for this.
Mistake #2: Forgetting that Etsy charges transaction fees on shipping
The 6.5% transaction fee applies to the full order total — item price plus whatever shipping the buyer pays. If you charge $6 shipping on a $20 item, Etsy's cut is 6.5% of $26 = $1.69, not $1.30. Sellers who price with 'free shipping' baked in are especially likely to miss this.
Mistake #3: Ignoring listing renewal fees at volume
Each time a listing sells, it auto-renews at $0.20. A seller moving 100 units/month pays $20/month just in renewal fees — $240/year. On low-margin items like sticker packs or digital downloads, this can meaningfully erode profit.
Mistake #4: Not modeling Offsite Ads before hitting $10K
Once you cross $10,000 in annual Etsy sales, you're permanently enrolled in Offsite Ads at 12% — you can't opt out. A seller at $800/month suddenly absorbing 12% on ad-driven sales that previously had 0% Offsite Ads cost can see margins drop 10–12 percentage points overnight.
Mistake #5: Pricing from revenue, not profit
"I made $5,000 last month" sounds great. But if $2,000 went to materials, $800 to Etsy fees, $600 to shipping labels, and $400 to packaging and supplies, you netted $1,200 — a 24% margin. Many sellers don't track this until they've been running their shop for years.
Features
Every Etsy fee, accounted for
10 Countries
Correct fees and currency for US, UK, Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Netherlands, India, New Zealand, and Singapore.
Full Fee Breakdown
See every fee line — listing, transaction, processing, regulatory, and Offsite Ads — not just a total.
True Cost Mode
Break your costs into Materials, Labor, Shipping Label, and Other to see what you actually net — not just after Etsy fees.
Offsite Ads Modeling
Toggle 0%, 12%, or 15% Offsite Ads to model what happens when a high-traffic ad sale comes in.
Margin Health Signal
A color-coded margin output tells you at a glance if your pricing is healthy (30%+), marginal (15–30%), or risky (<15%).
Free, No Signup
No account or credit card required. Run as many calculations as you need.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How much does Etsy take from a $30 sale?+
On a $30 sale (US seller, no Offsite Ads, no shipping): Listing $0.20 + Transaction $1.95 + Processing $1.15 = $3.30 total Etsy fees. You keep $26.70 before subtracting your production costs (materials, labor, shipping label, packaging).
What is a good profit margin on Etsy?+
A 20% margin is the minimum viable threshold for most Etsy sellers. 30% or above is considered healthy. Below 15% is risky — one month of strong Offsite Ads traffic can wipe it out. Many sellers discover their real margin is closer to 10–15% once they honestly account for labor and packaging.
Should I include my time as a cost?+
Yes, always. Not paying yourself for your time is the single most common pricing mistake on Etsy. Even at $12–15/hr, labor cost often exceeds materials cost on handmade items. Use the calculator's Advanced cost breakdown to add labor separately so you can see the true margin.
Does Etsy charge fees on shipping?+
Yes. The 6.5% transaction fee applies to the total order including the shipping amount the buyer pays. If your buyer pays $20 + $5 shipping, Etsy charges 6.5% of $25 = $1.63 — not $1.30. This catches many sellers off guard, especially those who offer 'free shipping' by baking shipping into the item price.
What is the Etsy Offsite Ads fee and can I opt out?+
Offsite Ads charges 15% for sellers under $10,000/year, or 12% for sellers over $10,000/year. It only applies when a buyer clicks an Etsy-placed ad (Google, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) and completes a purchase within 30 days. Sellers under $10K can opt out in their shop settings; sellers over $10K are enrolled permanently.
Are Etsy fees different in other countries?+
Yes. The 6.5% transaction fee is the same everywhere, but payment processing rates and listing fees vary. UK sellers pay 4% + £0.20 processing; EU sellers pay 4% + €0.30; Australian sellers pay 3% + A$0.25. This calculator adjusts all fees automatically when you change selling location.
What's Next
Know your margin. Now act on it.
ShopFoundry has free tools for every stage — whether you're writing a new listing, fixing an existing one, or checking your copy before publishing.
Generate a Listing
Starting fresh? Generate Etsy-ready title, tags, and description from a short product brief.
Try Listing Generator →Analyze a Listing
Already have a listing? Check it for weak titles, missing tags, and copy issues before your next sale.
Try Listing Analyzer →Check Character Limits
Written your title and tags? Make sure they fit Etsy's 140-character title and 20-character tag limits.
Check Title Limits →