Etsy Transaction Fee Explained
Quick answer
Etsy charges a 6.5% transaction fee on every sale. It applies to the item price plus any shipping you charge the buyer. On a $35 sale with $5 shipping, that's 6.5% of $40, which is $2.60.
What the Etsy Transaction Fee Is
The Etsy transaction fee is 6.5% of the total order value, applied per transaction on every sale. It is one of the core fees every Etsy seller pays, regardless of seller region or account type.
Unlike the listing fee, which is a fixed $0.20, the transaction fee scales with order value. The more you charge, the more Etsy takes in transaction fees alone.
What It Applies To
The transaction fee applies to the item price plus the shipping amount charged to the buyer, not just the item subtotal. This catches many sellers off guard, especially those who charge separately for shipping.
If you sell an item for $30 and charge $6 shipping, Etsy calculates 6.5% on $36, not $30. That means the transaction fee is $2.34 rather than $1.95, a meaningful difference at scale.
Real Examples: Transaction Fee by Order Value
These examples use the 6.5% rate on the item price only, with no shipping charged. Your actual fee will be higher if you charge for shipping.
$15 sale
Transaction fee: $0.98 (6.5% of $15)
$25 sale
Transaction fee: $1.63 (6.5% of $25)
$50 sale
Transaction fee: $3.25 (6.5% of $50)
$100 sale
Transaction fee: $6.50 (6.5% of $100)
How It Combines With Other Fees
The transaction fee is one layer of the total Etsy fee stack. On a typical order, sellers also pay:
Listing fee: $0.20 per transaction, fixed regardless of order value.
Payment processing fee: Around 3% plus a fixed amount (varies by seller region). For US sellers, that's typically 3% + $0.25.
Offsite Ads fee: 12–15% on orders attributed to Etsy's offsite advertising, applied on top of all other fees.
On a $50 order with no shipping charged, the transaction fee alone is $3.25, but combined with listing and processing fees, the total fee bill typically reaches around $5.20 before any ad fees.
FAQ
What is the Etsy transaction fee?
The Etsy transaction fee is 6.5% of the total order value, including both the item price and any shipping amount charged to the buyer. It applies to every sale on the platform.
Does the transaction fee apply to shipping?
Yes. Etsy applies the 6.5% transaction fee to the shipping amount charged to the buyer, not just the item subtotal. If you charge $5 for shipping, Etsy takes 6.5% of that amount too, $0.33 in this case.
How does the transaction fee affect profit?
The transaction fee scales directly with order value, so higher prices mean more dollars out to Etsy in transaction fees alone. On a $100 order the transaction fee is $6.50, before listing and processing fees are added. Combined with other fees, the total can exceed 10% of revenue for most orders.
Calculate your exact fees and profit
Use these free calculators to see the transaction fee in context with all other Etsy fees and your actual costs.