Etsy Fees Explained 2026: How Much Does It Really Cost to Sell on Etsy?

OpenVendi Blog · May 2026

Etsy is the most well-known marketplace for handmade and vintage goods, but its fee structure has grown more complex every year. Many sellers are surprised to find that Etsy takes a much larger cut than they expected. Here is every fee you will encounter as an Etsy seller in 2026.

Listing Fee: $0.20 Per Item

Every time you list an item on Etsy — new or renewed — you pay $0.20. Listings expire after four months, so if your item does not sell, you pay again to renew. If you sell multiple quantities, each sale auto-renews the listing at $0.20. For sellers with large catalogs, these fees add up before a single sale is made.

Transaction Fee: 6.5%

When you make a sale, Etsy charges 6.5% on the total order amount — item price, shipping, and gift wrapping included. This increased from 5% to 6.5% in 2022 and has remained there since.

Payment Processing Fee: 3% + $0.25

Etsy Payments is required in most countries. In the US you pay an additional 3% plus $0.25 per transaction. Combined with the transaction fee, Etsy takes 9.5% plus $0.25 on every sale before any other fees.

Offsite Ads Fee: 12–15%

Etsy automatically enrolls sellers in its Offsite Ads program, advertising your listings on Google, Facebook, and Instagram. If a buyer clicks one of these ads and purchases within 30 days, Etsy charges an additional 15% on that order. Sellers who make over $10,000 in 12 months are permanently enrolled and cannot opt out — their fee drops to 12% but participation is mandatory. This fee can eliminate your margin on lower-priced items entirely.

Etsy Plus: $10/month

An optional subscription offering advanced shop customization and restock notifications for $10 per month — whether you make sales that month or not.

What Does Etsy Take on a $50 Sale?

On a $50 item with $5 shipping (total order $55):

• Listing fee: $0.20
• Transaction fee (6.5% of $55): $3.58
• Payment processing (3% + $0.25): $1.90
• Total fees: $5.68 — about 10.3% of the sale

And if that sale came through an Offsite Ad, add another $8.25 (15% of $55), bringing total fees to $13.93 — over 25% of the order value before you account for materials or labor.

How OpenVendi Compares

OpenVendi charges zero listing fees and a flat 1% platform fee, with only the standard Square card processing fee (3.9% + $0.30) passed through. On that same $55 order your total fees would be around $2.72 — less than half of Etsy's base fees, with no offsite ads surprise.