Marketplace Fee Thresholds

The prices at which commission changes on Amazon, Walmart, Etsy, eBay and in India.

Small price changes, big fee changes

Most marketplaces charge a commission (they call it a referral fee) as a percentage of your selling price. On many marketplaces the percentage depends on the price. On some, when your price crosses a set amount, the new percentage applies to the whole price. Price just above that amount and you can keep less money than you would just below it.

Example: a T-shirt on Amazon.com (commission only)
At $19.99 the referral fee is 10% ($2.00), so you keep $17.99 before other costs.
At $20.49 the fee is 17% of the whole price ($3.48), so you keep $17.01.
Charging 50 cents more leaves you $0.98 less per order.

How to use this: find your marketplace and category below. Where the fee jumps, keep your price clearly below that amount, or far enough above it that the higher price covers the higher fee. Where the rate changes only on the part of the price above an amount, there is no jump.

These are commission rates only. Closing fees, fulfilment, payment and conversion charges, duty and VAT are extra; the Ecommerce Exports Calculator adds all of them.

Amazon.com (US)

CategoryCommission (referral fee)Where the fee jumps
Apparel and ethnic wear
Marketplace category: Clothing & Apparel
5% up to $15; 10% up to $20; 17% above $20At $15 the fee rises from 5% to 10% on the whole price
At $20 the fee rises from 10% to 17% on the whole price
Home textiles, Home decor and handicrafts, Kitchen and dining
Marketplace category: Home & Kitchen
15% of the priceNo jump
Jewellery
Marketplace category: Jewelry
20% on the part up to $250; 5% on the part above $250No jump: the rate changes only on the part of the price above each threshold