I’ll never forget the night I sold a Charizard card on Whatnot for $85. The adrenaline was real. I had 40 people watching, the chat was scrolling fast, and I felt like a Wall Street auctioneer. "Do I hear ninety? Sold to user KingKardz!" It was exhilarating.
Then I sold the exact same card (different serial number) on eBay a week later. No lights, no camera, just a notification on my phone while I was eating a sandwich.
When I sat down to do my bookkeeping at the end of the month, the math shocked me. I assumed Whatnot was cheaper because everyone talks about their "low 8% commission." But once I factored in the payment processing, the time I spent setting up the lights, and the "giveaways" I ran to keep the audience engaged, the reality was much more complicated. In 2026, the battle of whatnot fees vs ebay fees isn't just about percentages—it's about the hidden costs of your time and the "pay-to-play" mechanics of each platform.
The "Simple" Promise of Whatnot Fees
If you look at the marketing, Whatnot seems like the savior of the reseller. Their pitch is simple: 8% commission.
But as any veteran seller knows, the "commission" is just the tip of the iceberg. Here is the actual breakdown of whatnot seller fees vs ebay fees for a standard transaction in 2026:
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Commission: 8% (on the sale price).
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Payment Processing: 2.9% + $0.30 (on the total transaction, including shipping and taxes).
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Listing Fee: $0.
The Reality Check: Let's say you sell a Funko Pop for $30, and the buyer pays $5 shipping and $3 tax.
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Total Transaction: $38.
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Commission (8% of $30): $2.40.
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Processing (2.9% of $38 + $0.30): $1.40.
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Total Fee: $3.80.
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Effective Rate: ~12.6% of the sale price.
It’s definitely lower than eBay, but not by the massive margin some influencers claim. And there are exceptions. If you sell Coins & Money, the commission drops to 4%. If you sell Electronics (in the US), it’s 5%. They are aggressively subsidizing these categories to steal market share from eBay.
The "Tiered" Reality of eBay Fees
eBay is the old guard. Their fee structure is a labyrinth of categories, store subscriptions, and tiers. In 2026, the standard ebay fees vs whatnot fees comparison usually lands eBay at around 13.25% to 15%.
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Final Value Fee (FVF): This ranges from 12.9% to 15% for most items (up to $7,500). Crucially, this includespayment processing. There is no separate "Stripe fee" on eBay.
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Per Order Fee: $0.30 to $0.40.
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Optional Upgrades: Promoted Listings (which we will discuss later).
My Honest Failure: I once sold a high-end camera lens on eBay for $1,200. I assumed the fee was the standard 13.25%. I didn't realize that "Cameras & Photo" has a tiered structure where the portion over a certain amount is charged at a lower rate. I actually paid less than I expected.
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The Lesson: eBay rewards high-ticket sales. If you sell a $2,000 item, eBay’s blended fee often drops below Whatnot’s flat rate because of these caps.
The Hidden Cost: "Time Equity" vs. Passive Income
This is the metric nobody talks about in a fee comparison whatnot vs ebay. What is your time worth?
The Whatnot Model: To sell on Whatnot, you generally have to be live. You are an entertainer. I did a 3-hour stream last Tuesday. I sold $400 worth of inventory.
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Fees: ~$45.
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Time Cost: 3 hours of screaming, 1 hour of setup/breakdown.
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Hourly Rate: ~$88/hr (gross).
The eBay Model: I listed 10 items on eBay. It took me 30 minutes. They sold over the course of a week while I was sleeping or watching Netflix.
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Fees: ~$55.
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Time Cost: 30 minutes.
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Hourly Rate: ~$690/hr (gross).
When you look at whatnot vs ebay fees, you have to ask: Do you want to pay 2% more to get your time back? For me, eBay’s higher fee is a "convenience tax" I am happy to pay for the ability to sell without being on camera.
Shipping Profits: The Secret Margin Killer
Here is where it gets interesting. On Whatnot, shipping is strictly a pass-through cost. You weigh the item, the buyer pays the label cost, and Whatnot generates the label. You cannot markup shipping.
On eBay, you have control.
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The eBay Strategy: I often charge $8 for shipping on a hoodie, but because I get a commercial discount through Pirate Ship or eBay Labels, I only pay $6.
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The Result: I make an extra $2 profit on shipping. This $2 "shipping margin" often completely offsets the difference in ebay vs whatnot fees.
If you are a savvy shipper, eBay allows you to recoup your fees through shipping efficiencies. Whatnot does not.
Promoted Listings: The eBay Tax
We have to be honest about eBay's "hidden" fee. In 2026, it is very hard to sell generic items on eBay without using Promoted Listings Standard. This is an optional ad fee (usually 2% to 10%) that you pay only if the item sells via the ad.
If you are selling a generic Nike t-shirt, you almost have to pay an extra 5% to get seen.
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The Math: 13.25% (Base) + 5% (Ad) = 18.25% Total. Suddenly, Whatnot's 11% looks incredibly cheap.
If you are selling rare, unique items (like that Charizard card), you don't need ads. People search for it. But for commodities, eBay is much more expensive than the sticker price suggests.
Direct Comparison Scenarios
Let’s break down the fee comparison whatnot vs ebay with three real-world examples I’ve tracked this year.
Scenario A: The $25 Funko Pop (Collectibles)
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Whatnot:
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Comm (8%): $2.00
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Proc (2.9% + $0.30): $1.15
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Net: $21.85
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eBay:
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FVF (13.25% + $0.30): $3.61
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Net: $21.39
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Winner: Whatnot (by $0.46). Basically a wash.
Scenario B: The $200 Sneaker (Fashion)
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Whatnot:
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Comm (8%): $16.00
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Proc (2.9% + $0.30): $6.25
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Net: $177.75
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eBay:
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FVF (8% for sneakers > $150): $16.00
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No per-order fee on sneakers > $150.
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Net: $184.00
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Winner: eBay. eBay aggressively subsidizes sneakers to compete with StockX.
Scenario C: The $1,000 Vintage Watch
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Whatnot:
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Comm (8%): $80.00
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Proc: ~$30.00
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Total Fee: ~$110.00
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eBay:
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Tiered FVF (15% on first $1,000, but often lower for watches/jewelry tiers): ~$120.00
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Winner: Whatnot (usually), unless you have an eBay Store subscription which caps fees on high-end items.
Managing the Chaos: The Cross-Listing Solution
The truth is, you shouldn't be choosing one. You should be using both. I use Closo 100% Free Crosslister to list my "Buy It Now" inventory on eBay. Then, once a week, I pull the "stale" inventory that hasn't sold on eBay and run a $1 auction show on Whatnot to clear it out.
The danger is selling the same item twice. I use Closo to manage this. Before I go live on Whatnot, I use the app to identify which items I'm pulling from my eBay store so I don't accidentally sell a card on stream that someone bought on eBay five minutes ago.
People always ask me...
Does Whatnot charge a monthly subscription fee?
No. Unlike eBay, which charges $4.95 to $300+ a month for "Store" subscriptions (to get lower fees), Whatnot has zero monthly costs. You only pay when you sell. This makes it a much lower barrier to entry for new sellers.
Can I charge for shipping on Whatnot?
Yes, the buyer pays for shipping, but you cannot profit from it. Whatnot calculates the weight and charges the buyer the exact label cost. You can offer "Free Shipping" (where you eat the cost), but you cannot set a flat "$10 shipping" on a 2oz item to pocket the difference like you can on eBay.
Conclusion
When analyzing whatnot fees vs ebay fees, the math is clear: Whatnot takes a smaller percentage of your money, but a larger percentage of your time.
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Choose Whatnot if: You have a charismatic personality, you sell hype categories (Cards, Comics, Streetwear), and you want to move high volume quickly through auctions.
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Choose eBay if: You want a passive business model, you sell "long-tail" items (obscure parts, vintage decor), or you sell high-end sneakers (where eBay fees are actually lower).
My recommendation? Use eBay as your warehouse and Whatnot as your clearance event. And to keep your sanity while managing two different fee structures, use a tool that tracks your margins automatically.
I rely on Closo to calculate my net profit across platforms. It helps me see instantly whether that $50 item is better off sitting on eBay or being auctioned on Whatnot, factoring in every hidden percentage point.
Start cross-listing with Closo today—because the only fee that matters is the one that leaves profit in your pocket.
