Print-on-demand margins are thin by design: your supplier's base cost and shipping already take half the sale before Etsy fees.
The true cost of selling on Etsy in 2026
Every fee below comes from one verified data source (last checked 2026-10). Pay attention to the "charged on" column — most fees apply to the whole order, not just your item price.
| Fee | Percentage | Fixed | Charged on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listing fee | — | $0.20 | Per listing / sale |
| Transaction fee | 6.5% | — | Item + shipping + gift wrap |
| Payment processing | 3% | $0.25 | Order total incl. tax |
| Offsite Ads | 15% / 12% | — | Attributed order total (cap $100) |
| Share & Save rebate | −4% | — | Orders from your links |
Shipping you charge the buyer is part of the fee base on most platforms. That means "cheap shipping, higher item price" and "higher shipping, cheaper item" cost you exactly the same in fees — the only way to lower fees is to lower the order total or move sales to cheaper channels.
Modelling Printify and Printful costs
A typical unisex tee costs $9–13 base plus $4–5 first-item shipping from a US print provider. Enter the base cost as COGS and the provider's shipping as actual shipping.
Printify Premium (~$29/month) cuts base costs about 20%. At 50+ orders a month, that saving usually beats the subscription — try lowering COGS above to see the difference per sale.
Real-world worked example: breaking down a sale
Using this page's default inputs:
- Item price $29.00 + shipping charged $4.99 = order total $33.99.
- Listing fee: −$0.20
- Transaction fee 6.5%: −$2.21
- Payment processing: −$1.27
- Total platform fees: −$3.68 (10.8% of the order).
- Your costs (product, shipping, packaging): −$17.25.
- Net cash in pocket: $13.06 — a 38.4% margin. Break-even list price: $14.57.
How to protect your profit margins on Etsy
- Aim for at least 30% margin on POD; fees plus a single refund can wipe out a thinner one.
- Charge shipping separately — buyers expect it on apparel.
- Count packaging, labels, tape and inserts in your costs — at $0.50–$1.50 per order they're often the forgotten 3% of margin.
- Use reverse mode before you list: decide the profit you want, then price to it, rather than discovering your margin after the sale.
Frequently asked questions
Does Etsy charge fees on customer shipping?
Yes. Transaction and payment processing fees are levied against the entire transaction total, including buyer-paid shipping and any gift wrap options.
What is the minimum selling price to avoid losing money (break-even)?
The break-even threshold is the exact price at which revenue covers product cost, packaging, shipping, ad spend and all platform percentage and flat fees. FeeOrbit computes it live in the results card.
How does the reverse pricing calculator work?
Reverse mode lets you set the net profit you want (for example $20). The engine solves for the list price needed after deducting every percentage and flat fee: price = (profit + costs + flat fees) ÷ (1 − percentage fees) − shipping charged.
Is my financial or product data saved or shared?
No. FeeOrbit runs entirely in your browser. Inputs are only stored in your own browser's local storage so they're there next visit — nothing is sent to a server.
How current are these fee rates?
All fee constants were last verified in 2026-10 against each platform's published fee schedule. Platforms change fees regularly, so always confirm with your seller dashboard.