By Trish Glenn, Director of Events and Education, List Perfectly
Figures accurate as of December 15, 2025
One of the most common questions I hear from resellers is:
“Which platform has the lowest fees?”
But after working with sellers across every major marketplace, here’s the truth:
The cheapest platform may not work for you — and the most expensive may not either.
In 2026, reselling fees aren’t just about percentages. They’re about buyer behavior, time-to-sell, returns, visibility, and workflow. This guide breaks down what reselling really costs today and how to choose platforms strategically instead of emotionally.
Why This Matters at List Perfectly
At List Perfectly, our job isn’t to push sellers toward one marketplace. It’s to help them make informed decisions.
Too many resellers:
- Panic over fee changes
- Abandon platforms too quickly
- Chase trends instead of data
- Go all-in on only one marketplace
This guide exists to slow that process down and replace fear with clarity.
The Truth: All Marketplaces Take a Cut
There is no such thing as a “fee-free” platform.
What changes is how the cost shows up:
- Upfront vs. backend
- Predictable vs. variable
- Time-based vs. money-based
Smart sellers don’t avoid fees. They build systems that absorb them.
Marketplace Fee Snapshot (2026)
Figures accurate as of December 15, 2025
eBay: How It Works & Fees
- Static listings, auctions, and live sales
- Free listing allowance, then insertion fees
- Final Value Fee: ~12–15% of total sale (item + shipping + tax)
- Opinion: All-in costs often feel closer to ~25%
- $0.30–$0.40 per-order fee
- Store subscriptions can reduce part of the final value fee
- Promoted Listings: optional, variable
- Payment processing included
Best for:
Long-tail inventory, collectibles, used goods, volume sellers, and data-driven sellers
Hidden cost to watch:
Over-promoting low-margin items
Depop
- Circular fashion, mobile-first marketplace
- Static listings; buyers shop via feed, search, and hashtags
- No Depop selling fee
- Depop Payments (US): 3.3% + $0.45 per transaction
(item + shipping + tax) - Optional Boosted Listings fee: 8% if the item sells via boosting
Why Depop Is Good to Sell on in 2026
Depop is not just a resale platform — it’s a buyer culture.
Depop excels when selling:
- Trend-forward items
- Vintage with personality
- Y2K, archive, streetwear, aesthetic-driven pieces
- Items that benefit from visual storytelling
Where sellers go wrong is treating Depop like eBay.
Depop buyers:
- Expect curated photos
- Engage with offers and bundles
- Reward consistency and identity
For the right inventory, Depop’s fees are often offset by faster sell-through, higher engagement, and younger buyers who don’t shop elsewhere.
Bottom line:
Depop isn’t for everything — but when it’s right, it’s very right.
If you already sell clothing, Depop should be tested — not ignored.
(Helpful resource: Depop Seller Hub – depop.com/seller-hub)
Poshmark
- Static listings plus Posh Shows (live selling)
- Free to list
- Orders over $15: 20% fee
- Orders under $15: $2.95 flat fee
Best for:
Clothing sellers who value ease, offers, and social discovery
Tradeoff:
Higher fees, lower decision fatigue
Mercari
- Static listings
- Flat 10% selling fee
- No listing fee
Best for:
Price-sensitive categories, casual buyers, fast offers
Reality check:
Lower seller fees don’t always mean higher profit — buyer psychology matters.
Etsy
- Vintage, handmade, and unique goods
- Listing fee: $0.20 per item (every 3 months)
- Transaction fee: 6.5%
- Payment processing: ~3% + $0.25
- Offsite ad fees may apply after $10K in sales
Best for:
Handmade sellers, vintage shops, branded stores, repeat buyers
Watch out for:
Fee stacking if you rely heavily on offsite ads
Facebook Marketplace
- Static listings
- Local pickup: 0% fees
- Shipped orders: 10% fee
- No listing fee
Best for:
Local sales, bulky items, fast cash flow
Hidden cost:
Your time and inbox sanity
Whatnot
- Live-selling focused marketplace (with growing buy-it-now options)
- Auctions and fixed-price listings
- Commission: 8%
- Payment processing: 2.9% + $0.30
- No listing fees
Best for:
Live sellers with strong on-camera presence, collectibles, trading cards, sneakers, streetwear, vintage, and community-driven inventory
Hidden cost:
Time, preparation, and performance pressure
Grailed, Vestiaire, and Shopify
These platforms are not interchangeable with general marketplaces.
They work when:
- You understand the audience
- You commit to the format
- Your inventory fits the culture
Here, fees matter less than belonging or traffic ownership.
The Biggest Mistake Sellers Make
Choosing platforms based on fees instead of fit.
Better questions to ask:
- Where does this item sell best?
- How fast do I need cash flow?
- How much time do I want to market?
- What buyers already exist on this platform?
This is why cross-listing remains one of the smartest strategies in 2026.
Why Cross-Listing Wins
Cross-listing allows you to:
- Test platforms without committing
- Let buyers decide where demand lives
- Reduce reliance on one marketplace
- Absorb fee changes without panic
This is the philosophy behind List Perfectly:
List once. Sell where it makes sense.
Final Takeaway
The most profitable sellers in 2026 are not the ones paying the least in fees.
They are the ones who:
- Understand buyer behavior
- Match inventory to platform
- Track true net profit
- Build systems, not reactions
Fees are just one line in the equation.
