eBay and Etsy Fees in the UK (2026)
By Selling Fee Tools team ·
Selling in the UK on eBay or Etsy, the fee that matters most isn’t the headline rate: it’s whether you’re a private or business seller on eBay, and whether you’re registered for VAT. This guide uses eBay.co.uk’s fee pages and Etsy’s UK Help Center, checked in October 2026.
eBay.co.uk: private sellers
Private sellers in the UK pay no final value fee on domestic sales. eBay’s private seller page lists:
- 0% final value fee and no regulatory operating fee.
- 300 free listings a month, then 35p per listing.
- 3% international fee on sales to buyers abroad.
- A £16.80 fee if a buyer’s payment dispute goes against you.
- Fees for private sellers include VAT.
Whether you count as a private or business seller depends on what and how you sell; eBay’s fee pages and seller rules set out which applies to you.
eBay.co.uk: business sellers
Business sellers pay a percentage of the total amount of the sale (item price plus postage) plus a per-order fee:
- Final value fee: 12.9% in most categories, lower in others, such as 11.9% for clothes, shoes and accessories and 9.9% for books, comics and magazines.
- Per-order fee: 30p for orders of £10 or less, 40p above (10p up to £10 in Home, Furniture & DIY and selected Collectables).
- Regulatory operating fee: 0.35% of the total sale.
- International fee: 1.05% to Europe, 1.8% to the US and Canada, 2% elsewhere.
- Business fees are quoted excluding VAT: 20% VAT is added unless you’re VAT-registered and reclaim it.
Etsy for UK shops
- Transaction fee: 6.5% of the item price, postage and gift wrap.
- Payment processing: 4% + 20p per order for UK shops.
- Regulatory operating fee: 0.48% of the order.
- Listing fee: US$0.20 per listing, converted to pounds when charged.
- VAT on fees: 20% on every Etsy fee for UK shops that haven’t added a VAT ID; none once you have.
- Offsite Ads: 15% of the order, or 12% once your shop has passed $10,000 in sales in a year, up to US$100 per order.
The same sales on eBay and Etsy
Everything Else on eBay, no shop or ads, free listings not used up, listing fees left out on Etsy:
| Sale | eBay private | eBay business, not VAT-registered | Etsy, no VAT ID |
|---|---|---|---|
| £25 item + £3.50 postage | £0 | £3.68 + 40p + 10p + 84p VAT = £5.02 | £1.85 + £1.34 + 14p + 67p VAT = £4.00 |
| £8 item, free postage | £0 | £1.03 + 30p + 3p + 27p VAT = £1.63 | 52p + 52p + 4p + 22p VAT = £1.30 |
| £150 item, free postage | £0 | £19.35 + 40p + 53p + £4.06 VAT = £24.34 | £9.75 + £6.20 + 72p + £3.33 VAT = £20.00 |
For a business seller, Etsy’s fees come to about 14% of a £28.50 order against about 17.6% on eBay, once VAT on fees is counted.
If you’re VAT-registered
A VAT-registered seller reclaims the VAT on eBay’s and Etsy’s fees, so the £28.50 order costs £4.18 in eBay fees and £3.33 in Etsy fees. But you owe VAT on your UK sales: one sixth of a VAT-inclusive price, £4.75 on £28.50. The UK VAT calculator works out the VAT in any price.
Which is cheaper?
- If you qualify as a private seller: eBay, with no final value fee on UK sales.
- Running a business: in the examples above, Etsy takes a smaller share than eBay’s Everything Else rate, unless an order comes through Offsite Ads, which adds 12–15%. eBay is cheaper in some categories, such as books at 9.9%, and an eBay shop lowers listing fees for large catalogues.
- Postage: both charge their percentage fees on the postage you charge, so free postage built into the price costs the same as charged postage.
Work out your own numbers
- eBay Fee Calculator UK, private or business, every category, VAT and international fees
- Etsy Fee Calculator UK, with VAT on fees and Offsite Ads
- UK VAT calculator
Sources: eBay.co.uk’s business and private seller fee pages and Etsy’s UK Help Center, listed on each calculator and on our methodology page.