eBay vs Amazon Seller Fees in 2026, Run Through the Same Sale Price Side by Side
Comparing eBay fees vs Amazon fees has no single answer, because the result depends entirely on your category.
eBay charges roughly the same percentage on almost everything: 13.6 percent in most US categories. Amazon charges between 8 percent and 45 percent depending on what the item is. That structural difference, not a headline rate, decides which platform costs you less.
The two fee structures
eBay, United States, from our fee data at version 2026-07-24. The final value fee is 13.6 percent on the portion of a sale up to 7,500 dollars, then 2.35 percent above that, plus a per-order fee of 40 cents on orders over 10 dollars and 30 cents at or below. There is no mandatory monthly fee; Store subscriptions are optional and lower the rate from the Basic tier upward.
Amazon, verified against its own pricing page. Two plan options: Individual at 99 cents per item sold, or Professional at 39.99 dollars a month with no per-item charge. On top sits a referral fee varying by category, with a minimum of 30 cents in most categories. Amazon's rule is that you pay the percentage or the minimum, whichever is greater.
Both charge on shipping. Amazon states the total price includes shipping and gift-wrapping charges. eBay applies its fee to the total amount of the sale including shipping and handling.
Where Amazon is dramatically cheaper
Amazon's rate in several large categories sits well below eBay's default:
| Category | Amazon | eBay default |
|---|---|---|
| Computers | 8% | 13.6% |
| Consumer Electronics | 8% | 13.6% |
| Video Game Consoles | 8% | 13.6% |
| Appliances, full-size | 8% | 13.6% |
| Tires | 10% | 13.6% |
| Automotive and Powersports | 12% | 13.6% |
| Business, Industrial and Scientific | 12% | 13.6% |
On a 400 dollar laptop, Amazon's referral fee is 32 dollars. eBay takes 54.40 plus 40 cents. A 22.80 dollar difference on one sale.
But Amazon's Professional plan costs 39.99 a month. At a 22.80 saving per unit you need two laptop sales monthly before Amazon is genuinely cheaper. Below that, compare against the Individual plan at 99 cents per item, where the saving is 21.81 from the first sale.
Where eBay is dramatically cheaper
The reverse is just as stark.
Amazon Device Accessories carries a 45 percent referral fee. On a 30 dollar case Amazon takes 13.50. eBay takes 4.08 plus 40 cents. eBay costs a third as much.
Media items carry a 1.80 dollar closing fee on top of 15 percent. On a 5 dollar paperback Amazon takes 75 cents in referral plus 1.80 in closing, so 2.55, which is 51 percent of the sale. eBay takes 68 cents plus 30 cents, so 98 cents, under 20 percent. For anyone clearing a bookshelf this single line decides the platform.
Merchant Fulfilled Services and Gift Cards both carry 20 percent.
The categories that flip mid-price
Several Amazon categories tier, and the direction is the part people miss.
Clothing and Accessories runs 5 percent at or below 15 dollars, 10 percent between 15 and 20, and 17 percent above 20. A 12 dollar t-shirt costs 60 cents on Amazon against 2.03 on eBay. A 30 dollar t-shirt costs 5.10 on Amazon against 4.48 on eBay. The cheaper platform changes at around 20 dollars.
Five Amazon categories change rate at a price threshold. eBay applies one rate throughout:
| Amazon category | Below threshold | Above threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Clothing and Accessories | 5% to $15 | 10% to $20, then 17% |
| Baby Products | 8% to $10 | 15% |
| Beauty, Health and Personal Care | 8% to $10 | 15% |
| Grocery and Gourmet | 8% to $15 | 15% |
| Jewelry | 20% to $250 | 5% |
| Watches | 16% to $1,500 | 3% |
Note the direction. Amazon's clothing, baby, beauty and grocery tiers go up with price. eBay's single tier goes down. On cheap items in those categories Amazon wins easily; on expensive ones eBay closes the gap or takes the lead.
Jewelry runs 20 percent up to 250 dollars then 5 percent above. Watches run 16 percent up to 1,500 then 3 percent. On an 8,000 dollar watch Amazon takes 435 dollars against eBay's 1,032.15. Amazon is less than half.
Minimum fee versus per-order fee
Both platforms add something to the percentage, and the mechanics differ at low prices.
Amazon applies a minimum referral fee of 30 cents, and it is not additive: you pay the percentage or 30 cents, whichever is greater. On a 1 dollar item at 15 percent the calculated fee is 15 cents, so you pay 30.
eBay's per-order fee is additive: 30 cents at or below 10 dollars, 40 cents above, charged in addition to the percentage. On a 1 dollar item eBay takes 13.6 cents plus 30 cents, so 43.6 cents.
At very low prices Amazon's mechanic is gentler. At mid prices the difference is noise.
Fees are not the whole decision
Referral fees are the first line of the Amazon cost, not the last, and treating them as complete is how sellers get surprised.
FBA fulfilment fees sit on top for anyone using Amazon's warehouses, with storage costs that rise sharply in the final quarter, inbound placement fees and returns processing. None has an eBay equivalent, because on eBay you buy your own label and hold your own stock.
If you fulfil your own orders on both platforms, the comparison above holds. If you are weighing eBay against FBA, the referral fee is where the Amazon cost starts.
Beyond fees, three things usually matter more than the percentage. Amazon competes on the buy box, so multiple sellers list against one product page and price pressure is constant; eBay gives each listing its own page. Amazon suits repeatable, catalogued inventory; eBay handles one-off, used and unusual items that have no ASIN. And Amazon's account suspension regime is stricter, which is a risk consideration rather than a cost one.
Our itemized guide to every eBay fee covers the full eBay side including surcharges most comparisons omit, and the fee calculator runs your specific category and price.
The stale data problem
Search this comparison and the top results include pages still carrying 2022 and 2024 figures. Some rank well. None states when it was last checked.
That matters more on the Amazon side. Amazon announced its 2026 changes in October 2025 for a 15 January 2026 effective date and revises category rates, FBA bands and surcharges annually. A comparison written against the 2024 schedule can be wrong on fulfilment costs, storage bands and returns rules at once, even where the headline referral percentage happens to be unchanged.
The defence is simple and nobody applies it: find the verification date before trusting any fee table. If there is not one, the numbers are unverifiable however confident the table looks.
Where the two platforms are closest
Between roughly 20 and 200 dollars in general merchandise, the gap narrows to the point where fees should not decide anything.
A 60 dollar item in Home and Kitchen costs 9 dollars on Amazon at 15 percent. On eBay it costs 8.16 plus 40 cents, so 8.56. A 44 cent difference on a 60 dollar sale, before the Amazon plan fee enters the calculation at all.
Toys and Games, Office Products, Sports and Outdoors, Lawn and Garden, Musical Instruments, Footwear, Eyewear, Backpacks and Mattresses all sit at 15 percent on Amazon, against eBay's 13.6 plus per-order fee. In that band the platforms are within roughly one and a half points of each other and the decision belongs elsewhere: which audience finds your item, how fast it sells, and how much work each listing takes.
That band covers a large share of what casual and mid-volume sellers actually list, which is worth stating plainly because most comparisons imply a decisive fee gap that does not exist there.
How to decide
Look up your category in Amazon's referral table first. At 8 percent Amazon has a structural advantage that volume amplifies. At 45 percent, or for media, eBay wins and no volume changes that.
Then work out whether you clear the Professional plan threshold: divide 39.99 by your per-unit saving. Below that many monthly sales, Individual or eBay is cheaper.
Then check whether your category tiers by price, because a rate that is generous at 12 dollars can be punitive at 30.