Enter your sale price and category, see exactly what Whatnot and the payment processor keep. Models the 8% commission (5% electronics, 4% coins), 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing, and the 0% reduced rate on the portion above $1,500.
Quick examples:
Net Profit Margin
| Order Total (price + shipping) | $0.00 |
| Whatnot Commission (8%) | −$0.00 |
| Payment Processing (2.9% + $0.30) | −$0.00 |
| Total Whatnot Fees | −$0.00 |
| Whatnot Payout (to your bank) | $0.00 |
| Item Cost | −$0.00 |
| Net Profit | $0.00 |
| Effective Fee Rate | 0% |
Whatnot charges sellers two things on every sale: a seller commission and a payment processing fee. The standard commission in the US, Canada, and Australia is 8% of the item's final sale price, taken before shipping and taxes. Two categories are cheaper: Electronics at 5% and Coins & Money at 4%. On top of the commission, every order carries a payment processing charge of 2.9% + $0.30, calculated on the total order value the buyer pays (item price plus shipping). Whatnot also runs a high-value promotion in select categories, charging 0% commission on the portion of an item's price above $1,500, though the 2.9% + $0.30 processing fee still applies to the full amount. The calculator above models all of this, so you can see your real net payout and profit before you go live.
For a typical $25 trading card sale with $5 shipping, Whatnot takes $2.00 in commission (8% of the $25 item price) plus $1.17 in payment processing (2.9% of the $30 order total, plus $0.30), for total fees of $3.17. That leaves a $26.83 payout before your cost of goods, an effective take rate of about 10.6% on the order. On a $220 electronics sale, the lower 5% commission ($11.00) plus processing keeps Whatnot's cut to roughly 7.9%. The bigger and cheaper-category your item, the lower the effective rate, because the flat $0.30 gets diluted and electronics or coins pay less commission. Enter your own numbers above to see the exact split.
| Category | Commission | Payment Processing | High-Value Break |
|---|---|---|---|
| General, Fashion, Apparel | 8% | 2.9% + $0.30 | Standard |
| Trading Cards, Comics, Anime | 8% | 2.9% + $0.30 | 0% over $1,500 |
| Toys, Hobbies, Sports Cards | 8% | 2.9% + $0.30 | 0% over $1,500 |
| Electronics | 5% | 2.9% + $0.30 | Standard |
| Coins & Money | 4% | 2.9% + $0.30 | 0% over $1,500 |
Commission is charged on the item price only, not on shipping or sales tax. Payment processing is charged on the whole order value, including shipping. Rates and category definitions change, and Whatnot runs limited-time promotions, so always confirm the current figure in your Seller Hub or on the official Whatnot seller fees page before pricing an item.
The formula is: Payout = (Item Price + Shipping) − Commission − Payment Processing, then subtract your item cost to get net profit. Take a $180 coin sold with $5 shipping. Commission is 4% of the $180 item price, which is $7.20. Payment processing is 2.9% of the $185 order total plus $0.30, which is $5.67. Total Whatnot fees are $12.87, so your payout is $172.13. If the coin cost you $120, your net profit is $52.13, a 28% margin on the order. For a $2,000 graded card in an eligible category, commission applies to the first $1,500 only: 8% of $1,500 is $120, and the $500 above $1,500 is commission-free, saving you $40 versus a flat 8%. Processing still runs on the full order. The calculator handles the $1,500 break automatically when you pick an eligible category.
Actionable Insight: Whatnot's commission is charged on the item price, but payment processing runs on the full order including shipping. Charging buyers separately for shipping does not dodge the processing fee, so bake realistic postage into your pricing rather than assuming free shipping is free to you.
For sellers running Whatnot alongside other marketplaces and a webstore, OneCart keeps stock levels in sync across every channel and centralises orders and reporting, so a live show selling out does not leave you overselling on eBay or Shopify. Explore the full set of free seller tools for pricing, margin, and shipping maths.
Whatnot's 8% standard commission plus 2.9% + $0.30 processing lands at roughly 10.5% to 11.5% all-in on a small order, which is competitive for reselling. By comparison, eBay typically runs 13% to 15% all-in for most categories, Poshmark takes a flat 20% above $15, and Etsy stacks a 6.5% transaction fee, payment processing, and a $0.20 listing fee. Whatnot's live-selling format and lower headline rate favour high-volume sellers who can move inventory fast on stream. The trade-off is that Whatnot is a live-first channel, so factor in the time cost of running shows when you compare it against always-on listing marketplaces.
Whatnot charges an 8% seller commission on most items in the US, Canada, and Australia, dropping to 5% for electronics and 4% for coins and money. Every order also carries a 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing fee on the total order value. Commission is charged on the item price, while processing is charged on item price plus shipping.
Whatnot's commission is not charged on shipping, only on the item's sale price. However, the 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing fee does apply to shipping, because it is calculated on the full amount the buyer pays at checkout. So charging the buyer for shipping still incurs a small processing cost on that shipping amount.
In select categories such as trading cards, comics, toys, hobbies, sports singles, and coins, Whatnot charges 0% commission on the portion of an item's price above $1,500 (a limited-time promotion). A $2,000 card in an eligible category pays 8% on the first $1,500 and nothing on the remaining $500 in commission. The 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing fee still applies to the full order value.
No. Whatnot has no listing fees, no monthly subscription, and no per-item charges to go live. You only pay the seller commission and payment processing when an item actually sells, so there is no cost to running a show that does not convert.
The calculator uses Whatnot's published 2026 US commission and processing rates, including the category-specific 5% and 4% brackets and the $1,500 high-value break. Your actual fees can vary with limited-time promotions, seller-status perks, region, and any active fee waivers, so treat the result as a close estimate and confirm the current rate in your Seller Hub before pricing high-ticket items.
OneCart syncs your inventory, orders, and reporting across Whatnot, eBay, Etsy, Shopify, TikTok Shop, and more, so a sold-out show never leaves you overselling elsewhere.
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