listmargin

eBay profit calculator

Not what it sold for.
What you actually made.

Put in the sale and what it cost you. You get profit, margin, ROI and the break-even price, with every eBay fee itemised on the way there — including the ones charged on shipping and sales tax, which is where most profit estimates go wrong.

  • All 46 category rates from eBay's full schedule, not the four-line summary.
  • Margin and ROI computed separately, because they answer different questions.
  • Nothing to sign up for.

The sale

Store subscription

Your costs

Promoted listings, tax, listing fees

Settlement

Most categories · no store

Buyer pays

Item40.00
Shipping8.00
Sales tax3.36
Order total51.36

eBay takes

Per-order fee0.40
Total eBay fees7.38

You receive

Order total51.36
eBay fees−7.38
Sales tax remitted−3.36
eBay pays you40.62

Your costs

Item cost−8.00
Shipping cost−7.00

Profit

25.62

Margin
53.4%
ROI
170.8%
Break even at
$18.42

Store check

Rates effective —

Margin and ROI answer different questions

Margin is profit over the sale price: of the buyer's money, how much did you keep. ROI is profit over what you spent: how hard did your cash work. They diverge most on cheap sourcing — a thrifted shirt can carry a mediocre margin and a spectacular ROI at the same time.

The practical split: source on ROI, price on margin. When you're deciding what to buy, ROI tells you which item multiplies your money fastest. When you're deciding what to charge, margin tells you how much room you have before an offer stops being worth accepting. The calculator shows both on every sale so you never have to pick one mental model.

Know your floor before the offers come in

The break-even figure is the lowest sold price that still covers your item cost, your shipping, and every fee at that price — fees included, which matters, because the fee shrinks as the price drops. eBay's offer flow moves fast, and the difference between a quick nod and a bad deal is knowing that number before you're looking at a countdown.

Why your real profit is lower than your head-math

Two mechanics do most of the damage. eBay's final value fee is charged on the entire order — item, shipping, and the sales tax eBay collects and remits — so the effective rate on money you actually keep is higher than the headline rate. And a handful of categories re-rate the whole sale when it crosses a threshold, in either direction. The full story is on why eBay fees are so high, and the complete rate table lives on the fee calculator.

Quick answers

How do I calculate profit on an eBay sale?
Start from everything the buyer paid (item, shipping, sales tax), subtract eBay's fees and the tax eBay remits to the state, and you have your payout. Subtract what the item and the postage cost you, and that's profit. The calculator on this page does each of those steps as a line item, in that order.
What percentage does eBay take from a sale?
For most categories, 13.6% of the total the buyer pays — including shipping and sales tax — plus a per-order fee of $0.30 on orders of $10 or less and $0.40 above that. Category rates differ; the calculator applies yours.
What is the difference between profit margin and ROI?
Margin is profit divided by the sale price: what share of the buyer's money you kept. ROI is profit divided by what you spent: what your cash earned. A ten-dollar profit on a hundred-dollar sale is a thin margin; if the item cost you five dollars, it is a terrific ROI. Sourcing decisions run on ROI, pricing decisions on margin.
Does eBay charge fees on shipping and sales tax?
Yes. The final value fee applies to the order total — item price, shipping, and sales tax the buyer paid — not just the item. This is the single biggest reason profit comes out lower than sellers expect.
What is a break-even price?
The lowest sold price that still covers your item cost, your shipping cost, and every eBay fee at that price. The calculator solves for it, holding your category and costs constant, so you know the floor before you accept an offer.