Whatnot seller fees

When you sell on Whatnot, a couple fees are deducted from each purchase before your earnings are available for payout.

This article explains what fees you’ll pay, how they’re calculated, and how to check your earnings for any order.

In this article: 

• What fees you pay
• How fees are calculated
• Fee rates by region
• Promotions & reduced fees
• Check fees & earnings for any order
• Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What fees you pay 

Two types of fees apply to each item sold:

• Commission fee
• Payment processing fee

Fees are applied each time a buyer checks out. Even if purchases are later bundled into one order or shipment, fees are calculated separately per transaction. 

Whatnot doesn’t charge fees to create, store, or manage listings.

How fees are calculated

Commission fee

The commission fee is Whatnot’s share of the sale. 

It’s calculated as a percentage of your item’s final sale price, excluding shipping and taxes.

Payment processing fee

The payment processing fee covers the cost of processing buyer payments through our payment provider. 

It’s calculated as a percentage of the total order value (amount paid by the buyer at checkout), plus a fixed transaction fee.

The total order value usually includes:

• Item’s final sale price
• Any shipping the buyer pays at checkout
• Buyer-paid taxes (like U.S. sales tax, or use tax such as VAT, GST, or JCT) 

For some cross-border orders, shipping may be charged separately and excluded from this total.

Because shipping and taxes can vary, this fee may differ even if the item’s final sale price is the same.

Fee rates by region 

US, Canada, and Australia

EU & UK

Japan

Promotions & reduced fees

Whatnot may offer limited-time promotions that reduce commission fees. These vary by location and eligibility.

• Australia: Orders placed with Australian sellers between July 17, 2025 and April 30, 2026, from 2:00am–4:00pm AEST/AEDT, are eligible for a 4% commission rate.
• Canada: Orders placed with Canadian sellers in the Women’s Fashion category are eligible for 0% commission for a limited time.

Fees are automatically adjusted for eligible orders. Orders that don’t meet these criteria are charged standard commission rates.

Standard payment processing fees still apply. 

Check fees & earnings for any order

Your order receipt shows the fees charged for each item and your net earnings after those fees are deducted. You don’t need to calculate anything yourself.

To view your receipt:

• Mobile app: Seller Hub → Orders → select order → Receipt and earnings details
• Web (whatnot.com): Account → Seller Hub → Orders → select order → scroll down in the right-side panel

Your receipt includes:

• Item’s final sale price
• Commission fee
• Payment processing fee
• Taxes on fees (if applicable)
• Shipping costs 
• Net earnings (what you take home)

How your earnings are calculated

Your earnings are what you take home after fees and any applicable costs are deducted.

In most cases, your earnings are calculated as:

Net earnings = Final sale price – commission fee – payment processing fee

If taxes apply to fees or you cover any shipping costs, those are also deducted from your earnings. 

Here are examples of how earnings are calculated:

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Why might earnings vary for the same sale price?

Items sold at the same price can still result in different earnings because payment processing fees are based on the total order value—not just the item price.

The total order value can vary depending on:

• Buyer-paid shipping, which may change based on distance or bundling
• Buyer-paid taxes, which vary by location

For example, higher shipping costs increase the total order value, which raises the processing fee and lowers earnings. Bundled orders may reduce shipping costs, lowering the total order value and resulting fee.

What if I offer free or reduced shipping?

If you cover part or all of the shipping cost, that amount is deducted from your earnings, along with applicable commission and payment processing fees.

Your payment processing fee may also be slightly lower because the buyer pays less for shipping, which reduces the total order value the fee is based on.

Do Giveaways have seller fees?

No. You aren't charged seller fees for Giveaways because the buyer doesn’t pay anything. 

You only pay for shipping.

How do coupons affect earnings and fees?

It depends on who created the coupon: 

• Seller-generated coupons: Reduce the final sale price, so fees apply to the discounted amount.
  • Example: If an item is priced at 20 and you offer a discount of 5, the final price becomes 15, and fees apply to that amount.
• Whatnot-generated coupons (platform-issued, like First-Time Buyer coupon): Don’t affect your earnings.
  • Example: If an item is priced at 20 and a new user uses a coupon for 5, your final sale price is still the full 20.  

Where can I view my earnings from my live show?

You can view your total sales and Estimated earnings, which reflect your sales minus Whatnot’s fees and any applicable costs, in two places:

• Shipments page: A real-time view of your sales and estimated earnings. To see a specific show, select it from the All Shows & Marketplace filter. 
• Analytics page → Shows: Data for shows in the last 30 days. Updates once per day and includes refunds and cancellations processed before the latest refresh. For example, if you sold 1,000 in your local currency and later refunded 50, your sales will display as 950.

For a breakdown of fees for each order, view your order receipts.

When do I get paid? 

Earnings are typically available for payout after order delivery is confirmed. Timing depends on your location, shipping method, and Early Payout eligibility.

Learn more about the earnings payout timeline.