Guides / Whatnot fees
Whatnot fees explained
For most categories, Whatnot takes an 8.0% commission on the item's final sale price, plus a 2.9% + $0.30processing fee on the buyer's total. So on a $20.00 item with $8.00 buyer-paid shipping and no tax, Whatnot takes $2.71 and you keep $25.29. To see the exact payout on your own sale, use the Whatnot fee calculator.
Two fees, two different bases
Whatnot's math is simpler than Etsy's but has the same trap: the two fees are not charged on the same amount.
- Commission: 8.0% standard.On the item's final sale price only, not shipping and not tax. A few categories are lower.
- Processing: 2.9% + $0.30.On the buyer's whole total, which is the item plus the shipping and tax the buyer pays.
A worked example
Take a $20.00 item with $8.00 of buyer-paid shipping and no tax, at the standard 8.0%rate. Whatnot's cut breaks down like this:
| Commission (8.0% of $20.00 item) | $1.60 |
| Processing (2.9% + $0.30 of $28.00) | $1.11 |
| Total Whatnot fees | $2.71 |
| You keep | $25.29 |
That is an effective rate of 9.7% on the $28.00 sale. Change any number in the Whatnot fee calculator.
Whatnot payout by sale
Standard 8.0% commission plus 2.9% + $0.30 processing at every row. Each row is item plus buyer-paid shipping, no tax. The effective rate is highest on the cheapest sale, because the flat $0.30 is a big share of a small order:
| Item + shipping | Whatnot takes | Effective % | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5.00 + $4.00 | − $0.96 | 10.7% | $8.04 |
| $20.00 + $8.00 | − $2.71 | 9.7% | $25.29 |
| $50.00 + $8.00 | − $5.98 | 10.3% | $52.02 |
| $120.00 + $10.00 | − $13.67 | 10.5% | $116.33 |
Source: Whatnot published fee schedule, verified August 31, 2026. Run your own numbers in the Whatnot fee calculator.
Category rates and high-value pricing
The 8.0% is standard, but not universal. Electronics is 5.0% and Coins & Money is 4.0%, with other select-category reductions that Whatnot does not fully enumerate. For big-ticket sales, high-value pricing (effective January 14, 2026) charges 0% commission on the portion of the item price above $1,500 in eligible categories, so only the first $1,500 is commissioned. Whatnot also runs occasional 0%-commission promos; confirm those on your own show rather than assume them.
How Whatnot compares
Whatnot's commission-plus-processing model lands between the flat-fee marketplaces and Etsy's three-fee stack. If you sell the same items on other apps, it is worth running the numbers side by side: Mercari's flat 10% covers item and shipping in one rate, while Whatnot commissions the item only but adds processing on top. Compare with the Mercari fee calculator or read the marketplace fee comparison.
Common questions
How much does Whatnot take from a sale in 2026?
For most US categories, Whatnot takes an 8.0% commission on the item's final sale price, plus a 2.9% + $0.30 processing fee on the buyer's total (item + shipping + tax). On a $20.00 item with $8.00 buyer-paid shipping and no tax, that is $1.60 commission plus $1.11 processing, so Whatnot takes $2.71 and you keep $25.29.
Does Whatnot's commission apply to shipping and tax?
No. The commission is charged on the item's final sale price only, never on the shipping the buyer pays or on sales tax. Shipping and tax enter the math only through the 2.9% + $0.30 processing fee, which is charged on the buyer's whole total.
Is Whatnot's commission always 8%?
No. 8.0% is the standard rate for most categories, but a few are lower: 5.0% for Electronics and 4.0% for Coins & Money, with other select-category reductions Whatnot does not fully list publicly. Always check the rate for your category before you price a show.
How does Whatnot's high-value order pricing work?
As of January 14, 2026, in select categories Whatnot charges 0% commission on the portion of an item's sale price above $1,500, so commission applies only to the first $1,500. On a $3,000 item in an eligible category, you are commissioned on $1,500 and the rest is commission-free.
Does Whatnot ever run 0% commission promotions?
Yes, Whatnot periodically runs 0%-commission events and regional promotions, but the exact terms and timing change, so they are not baked into this calculator. Treat any promo rate as something to confirm on your own live show rather than assume.
Fees verified against Whatnot's published seller-fee help pages. See our methodology, or open the Whatnot fee calculator. Page last updated August 31, 2026.
Keep reading
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Run your numbers on a real listing.
Whatnot Fee Calculator→