I still remember the first time I sold a "grail" on Grailed. It was a 2016 Supreme box logo hoodie—the kind of item that makes your palms sweat when you finally list it. I listed it for $600, watched the likes pile up, and accepted an offer for $550. I felt rich. I mentally spent that $550 immediately on a new pair of boots.
Then the notification hit my email. "Your item has sold!" Followed by the payout notification.
It wasn't $550. After the Grailed commission, the payment processing fee, and the shipping label cost, the number that actually hit my bank account was closer to $480. I stared at the screen, feeling like I’d just been mugged by a calculator. Where did that $70 go?
If you are new to the world of reselling menswear, streetwear, and luxury fashion, Grailed is the promised land. The audience is educated, they know what Rick Owens is, and they are willing to pay for it. But that access comes at a steep price. If you don't understand the fee structure before you list, you aren't running a business; you're just paying Grailed for the privilege of shipping your clothes to strangers.
The "9% Commission" is Only Half the Story
When people ask how much does Grailed take, the official answer is usually "9%." This sounds reasonable. It’s significantly lower than Poshmark’s 20% flat fee or The RealReal’s staggering 40-50% cut on lower-priced items.
But "9%" is a marketing number. It hides the reality of the transaction.
The Commission (9%)
Grailed takes 9% of the entire transaction value.
-
The Trap: This includes the shipping cost.
-
Example: If you sell a jacket for $100 and charge the buyer $20 for shipping, the total is $120. Grailed takes 9% of $120 ($10.80), not 9% of $100 ($9.00).
The Payment Processing Fee (The Silent Killer)
This is where the math gets messy. Grailed uses PayPal and Stripe to process payments. These processors charge a fee that Grailed passes directly to you.
-
Domestic (US): Typically 3.49% + $0.49.
-
International: Can jump to 4.99% + fixed fee.
Here's where it gets interesting... these fees stack. So, your "9%" fee is actually 9% + 3.49% + fixed costs. Total Impact:You are effectively paying ~13-14% on every single domestic sale. If you sell internationally, you might be giving up nearly 15-16%.
My Honest Failure: I sold a vintage tee to a buyer in Australia once. I didn't adjust my shipping price to account for the higher international processing fee. Between the 4.99% fee and the expensive shipping, I made $4 profit on a shirt I sold for $45. I essentially paid for the privilege of sending a shirt to Sydney.
The Grailed Fee Calculator: Do the Math Before You List
Stop doing mental math. It doesn't work. We tend to round down costs and round up profits. You need a reliable grailed fees calculator logic in your head (or a spreadsheet).
Here is the formula you should burn into your brain:
Scenario A: The $50 T-Shirt (Domestic)
-
Item Price: $50
-
Shipping Paid by Buyer: $10
-
Total Transaction: $60
-
Grailed Commission (9%): $5.40
-
Processing Fee (~3.5% + $0.49): $2.59
-
Total Fees: $7.99
-
Net Payout: $52.01
-
Cost of Shipping Label: -$10.00 (You have to buy the label!)
-
Real Profit: $42.01
Wait, did you see that? You sold it for $50, but you pocketed $42. That’s a 16% haircut.
Scenario B: The $500 Jacket (International)
-
Item Price: $500
-
Shipping: $50
-
Total: $550
-
Grailed Commission: $49.50
-
Processing Fee (~5% + fee): $28.00
-
Total Fees: $77.50
-
Net Payout: $472.50
-
Shipping Cost: -$50.00
-
Real Profit: $422.50
(Parenthetical aside: Seeing nearly $80 vanish in fees on a single sale hurts physically. But remember, on Poshmark, you would have lost $100+ on that same jacket. Grailed is still competitive for high-ticket items.)
How Does Grailed Work with Shipping? (Grailed Labels vs. Your Own)
The fee structure changes slightly depending on how does Grailed work regarding shipping labels.
Grailed Labels (The Easy Way)
Grailed offers prepaid labels for US sellers.
-
Pros: It’s easy. The tracking updates automatically. If the package gets lost, you have better protection.
-
Cons: They are sometimes more expensive than commercial rates (like Pirate Ship).
-
The Fee implication: The cost of the label is deducted from your payout after fees are calculated.
Ship on Your Own (The "Pro" Way)
-
Pros: You can use services like Pirate Ship to get "Cubic Rate" shipping, which can save you 30-40% on heavy items like boots or hoodies.
-
Cons: You must manually enter the tracking number immediately. If you forget, you don't get paid.
-
My Strategy: For anything under 1lb (t-shirts), I use Grailed labels for convenience. For heavy boots or winter coats (over 3lbs), I ship on my own because Grailed’s heavy labels are overpriced.
I use Closo to automate checking shipping rates across platforms – saves me about 3 hours weekly – because knowing whether to list with "Free Shipping" or "Buyer Pays" can change my profit margin by 10%.
How Much Are Grailed Fees Compared to Competitors?
It’s impossible to evaluate grailed seller fees in a vacuum. You have to look at the alternatives.
Note: Depop recently removed selling fees for US/UK sellers, making it the cheapest option on paper, though their buyer base is very different from Grailed's.
Opinion Statement: If you are selling a generic Nike hoodie, put it on Depop or eBay. The fees are lower or the audience is bigger. But if you are selling a niche Japanese denim brand like Kapital or Visvim, Grailed is the only place where buyers will pay the premium price. You pay the Grailed fee to access the "Hype" audience.
The "Offer" Game: Where Margins Die
Grailed culture is built on lowballing. It is aggressive. Buyers will send you offers for 60% of your asking price.
Here is the danger: When you accept an offer, you are often accepting a lower price and sometimes absorbing shipping costs (if not specified). Always check: Does the offer include shipping?
-
The Interface: Grailed's offer screen usually shows "Offer Price" and "Shipping Location."
-
The Math: If a buyer offers $100 and they are in Europe, and you accept... you might be on the hook for $40 shipping out of that $100. Suddenly, after fees ($13) and shipping ($40), you are making $47 on a $100 sale.
Tool I Use: I keep a simple grailed fees calculator spreadsheet open whenever I am processing offers. I plug in the offer amount and see the "Net Profit" instantly. If the number is red, I decline. Don't negotiate with your gut; negotiate with data.
People always ask me...
"Does Grailed charge for listing items?"
Common question I see. No. Listing on Grailed is completely free. You can list 1,000 items and pay $0. You only pay grailed seller fees when an item actually sells. This makes it a great place to "park" high-end inventory that might take months to find the right buyer.
"Who pays the sales tax on Grailed?"
People always ask me this. The buyer pays the sales tax. Grailed collects it automatically at checkout and remits it to the state. You do not touch this money, and it is not deducted from your earnings. However, the processing fee (PayPal/Stripe) is sometimes calculated on the total transaction amount including tax, which is a small annoyance (you pay a fee on the tax money you never see).
"How much fees does Grailed take for international sales?"
It varies, but expect to pay closer to 15-16% total. The standard 9% commission remains the same, but the payment processing fee for cross-border transactions is significantly higher (often 4.99% or more, plus currency conversion fees if applicable). Always add a buffer to your international shipping price to cover this "hidden" cost.
Conclusion
So, how much does Grailed take? If you are a US seller, plan for 13%. Is it worth it? For the right items, absolutely.
Grailed has cornered the market on cool. You can try to sell your Rick Owens Geobaskets on eBay, but you will likely get fewer views and lower offers. The Grailed fee is the price of admission to a club where people actually understand the value of what you are selling.
Just remember:
-
Price High: Build the 13% fee (and the inevitable lowball offer) into your listing price.
-
Watch Shipping: Never offer free international shipping unless you have done the math three times.
-
Use a Calculator: Don't let the excitement of a sale blind you to the reality of the payout.
If you are looking to expand beyond Grailed, check out our guide on selling streetwear on eBay vs. Grailed. And once you start moving expensive inventory, make sure you know how to protect yourself from chargebacks to keep that hard-earned money safe.
FAQ Page Schema
Here's something everyone wants to know: Is Grailed cheaper than Poshmark for sellers? Yes, significantly. Poshmark charges a flat 20% commission on all sales over $15. Grailed charges a 9% commission plus a payment processing fee (approx. 3.5%), totaling around 12.5% to 13%. On a $200 item, selling on Grailed saves you about $15 in fees compared to Poshmark.
Common question I see: When does Grailed take their fees? Grailed deducts its fees automatically at the moment of sale. You do not need to pay a monthly bill. When the buyer pays, the funds are split instantly: Grailed takes their 9%, the payment processor takes their cut, and the remainder is deposited into your PayPal or Stripe account (though it may be held for a few days for security).
People always ask me: Can I avoid Grailed fees by selling through Instagram? Technically, yes, but it is extremely risky. Taking a transaction off-platform (messaging a buyer to pay you via Venmo or CashApp) violates Grailed's Terms of Service and will get your account permanently banned. Furthermore, you lose all seller protection. If the buyer claims they never received the item or issues a chargeback, you have zero recourse. The 13% fee is the cost of insurance and audience access.
