eBay Fees vs Amazon Fees
Both platforms charge a percentage of the sale plus a small flat amount, but the numbers and what's included behind them aren't quite the same.
| eBay | Amazon | |
|---|---|---|
| Main fee | 13.6% final value fee (most categories) | 15% referral fee (most categories) |
| Flat fee per order | $0.30 or $0.40 | $0.30 minimum referral fee |
| Applies to | Item + shipping + tax | Item + shipping + gift wrap |
| Fulfillment | Seller's own, no extra platform fee | Self-fulfilled: none extra. FBA: separate per-unit fee |
eBay rate verified 2026-09-12 against eBay's own schedule. Amazon's 15% referral fee and $0.30 minimum are the widely-cited standard rate for most categories; Amazon runs its own category-specific rates from roughly 8% to 45% that this comparison doesn't cover in full, check Amazon Seller Central for your exact category before relying on this figure.
A worked example on a $50 sale
Sell a $50 item with $5 shipping on eBay in most categories: 13.6% of $55 is $7.48, plus a $0.40 per-order fee, for $7.88 total, a payout of $47.12. The same sale on Amazon at the standard 15% referral rate: 15% of $55 is $8.25, above the $0.30 minimum, for a payout of $46.75, before any FBA fulfillment fee. Close on this example, eBay slightly ahead, and that gap widens in eBay's favor once an FBA seller's separate per-unit fulfillment fee is added on the Amazon side.
The fulfillment fee is the real difference
The headline percentages are close enough that they aren't the deciding factor for most sellers. What actually separates the two platforms' economics is Amazon FBA's fulfillment fee, a per-unit charge based on the item's size and weight tier that pays for Amazon picking, packing and shipping it, plus storage while it sits in an Amazon warehouse. eBay has no equivalent charge because eBay sellers fulfill their own orders; whatever the seller pays to pack and ship is a real cost, but it's not a platform fee, and it's usually cheaper than Amazon's FBA rate on anything but the smallest, lightest items. A seller fulfilling their own orders on Amazon (FBM) skips the FBA fee and is much closer to eBay's actual cost structure.
Which one actually nets more depends on the item
Amazon's larger built-in search traffic on high-demand, widely-searched products can produce more sales volume than the same listing gets on eBay, which can outweigh a percentage-point or two of fee difference. eBay's auction format and its strength with used, collectible and hard-to-find items can push a final sale price higher than Amazon's typically fixed-price listings for the same category. Neither platform wins on fee percentage alone; it's a function of where the specific item sells for more and how it gets fulfilled.
For eBay's exact numbers on your own sale, use the eBay fee calculator. See the complete eBay fee schedule for every category rate.