Tools / Fees
Whatnot Fee Calculator (2026 Tiered Fees)
By the Ghost Agent team · · Rates verified September 22, 2026
Whatnot replaced its flat 8% commission with volume tiers on September 21, 2026, so most fee calculators on the web are now wrong for anyone selling at any real scale. This one models the tiers, and it runs the same sale through eBay Live, TikTok Shop and Fanatics Live, because the cheapest platform changes with the price of the item.
| Platform | Platform fee | Processing | You keep | Take rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok Shop | $3.00 | included | $47.00 | 6.0% |
| eBay Live | $3.00 | $1.75 | $45.25 | 9.5% |
| Fanatics Live | $3.00 | $1.75 | $45.25 | 9.5% |
| Whatnot | $4.00 | $1.75 | $44.25 | 11.5% |
On this sale you keep $2.75 more on TikTok Shop than on Whatnot. Fees are one input: the platform that puts the item in front of more of the right buyers is often worth more than the spread.
- TikTok Shop: 6% referral fee, which covers payment processing. No per-order fee.
- eBay Live: 6% plus 2.9% and $0.30, charged on the shipping too.
- Fanatics Live: 6% plus 2.9% and $0.30, on the item price only.
- Whatnot: 8% commission at this volume, plus 2.9% and $0.30.
Rates verified September 22, 2026 against each platform's published fee pages, linked under Sources below. Sales tax is left out because platforms collect it separately, and TikTok Shop's documentation is unclear about whether buyer-paid shipping is in its fee base, so shipping is excluded there.
Whatnot fees in 2026, by sales volume
Whatnot's US commission, by your total sales in the previous 28 days. Payment processing of 2.9% plus $0.30 is charged on top of every rate, on the full order including shipping.
| 28-day sales | Sports cards & TCG | Other collectibles | Fashion | Coins | Everything else |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $15,000 | 8% | 8% | 8% | 4% | 8% |
| $15,000 to $35,000 | 7.75% | 7.25% | 7% | 3.9% | 7% |
| $35,000 to $50,000 | 7.5% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 3.8% | 6.5% |
| $50,000 to $100,000 | 7.25% | 6% | 5.5% | 3.7% | 5.5% |
| $100,000 to $250,000 | 7% | 5% | 5% | 3.6% | 4% |
| $250,000 to $500,000 | 6.75% | 5% | 4.5% | 3.55% | 4% |
| $500,000 or more | 6.5% | 5% | 4.5% | 3.5% | 4% |
Why the same sale costs different amounts
The headline percentages are the least interesting part. Two structural details move the answer more than the rates do.
The first is what each fee is charged on. eBay Live applies both its commission and its processing fee to everything the buyer pays, shipping and tax included. Whatnot charges commission on the item price alone and processing on the whole order. Fanatics Live charges both on the item price. So a $30 item with $10 of shipping is taxed differently in three places before any rate is applied.
The second is eBay's cap. eBay Live stops charging commission after $100 per item, which means its effective rate starts falling once an item passes about $1,667, while everyone else's keeps climbing. On a $3,000 card that single rule is worth more than every percentage-point difference combined.
Whatnot: tiers, not one number
Your tier comes from total sales across all categories in the previous 28 days, and it is locked for that period before resetting. Sports and trading cards run from 8% down to 6.5%; fashion and general merchandise fall further, to 4.5% and 4%; coins start at 4% and end at 3.5%.
Two extras the calculator accounts for: Whatnot charges no commission on the portion of an item above $1,500 in several collectible categories, though sports breaks and surprise products are excluded, and live sales are rated on the show's category while marketplace sales use the product's category. One it cannot: the Premier Shop 10% commission discount, which Whatnot has said ends on November 1, 2026.
eBay Live, TikTok Shop and Fanatics Live in one line each
eBay Live charges 6%, or 4% on coins, bullion and sneakers, plus 2.9% and $0.30, with that $100 commission cap and no insertion fee. Through December 31, 2026 the per-order fee drops to $0.10 on orders of $10 or less. Every purchase in a show is a separate order with its own per-order fee, which adds up fast in a break. The eBay Live seller guide covers what else the platform expects.
TikTok Shop charges a single 6% referral fee in most categories, 5% on several jewelry and pre-owned subcategories, and that fee covers payment processing. There is no per-order fee. If you pay affiliates, their commission sits on top and you set it.
Fanatics Live is a flat 6% plus 2.9% and $0.30, charged on the item price only, with no tiers or category rates published. Be careful with numbers you find elsewhere: the tiered rates and FanCash offers people quote belong to Fanatics Collect, which is a different platform.
What this does not include
Sales tax, which platforms collect and remit separately. Your label cost, packaging and sourcing. Whatnot's shipping operational fee, because the amount is not published. Affiliate commissions on TikTok Shop. Refund handling fees. This is the platform's cut, not your margin, and the two are not the same conversation.
Fees are the easy half
Sellers tend to optimise fees because they are visible, and ignore the thing that actually decides the month, which is how much an hour of live time is worth on each platform. A 2% fee difference is worth less than a show that sells 30% more. Ghost Agent tracks what actually sold across Whatnot, eBay Live, TikTok Live and Fanatics Live, so that comparison stops being a hunch. The metrics that matter are the same on every platform.
Know what an hour of live time is worth
Ghost Agent records what sold, at what price, on every show you run, so you can compare platforms on revenue instead of fee tables.
Start your free trialFrequently asked questions
How much does Whatnot take from a sale?
Since September 21, 2026 Whatnot's US commission depends on your sales volume over the previous 28 days. Most categories start at 8% and fall as you sell more, down to 6.5% for sports and trading cards or 4% for fashion and general merchandise at the top tiers. Coins start at 4%. On top of the commission, payment processing is 2.9% plus $0.30 on the full order, including shipping the buyer paid.
Does Whatnot charge fees on shipping?
Partly. Whatnot's commission is calculated on the item price only, so buyer-paid shipping and tax are excluded from it. Payment processing at 2.9% plus $0.30 is charged on the whole order total, shipping and tax included.
Which live selling platform has the lowest fees?
It depends on the price and the category. On low-value items TikTok Shop's single 6% referral fee usually wins because it has no per-order fee and no separate processing charge. On expensive items eBay Live tends to win because its commission is capped at $100 per item. Whatnot is competitive in the middle and gets cheaper as your monthly volume rises.
Why do other Whatnot fee calculators show 8%?
Because they have not been updated since Whatnot replaced the flat 8% with volume tiers on September 21, 2026. If a calculator shows one flat rate for every seller, it is quoting the old schedule and will overstate fees for anyone selling more than about $15,000 in a 28-day window.
Does this include the cost of shipping labels?
No. This calculates platform and processing fees only. Your own label cost, packaging, sourcing and any Whatnot shipping operational fee are separate, and Whatnot does not publish that operational amount. Fanatics Live charges $4.95 plus $0.50 per additional item for break shipping.
Sources
Every rate above was read from these pages on September 22, 2026. Platforms change fees without much warning, so check the source before pricing a large lot.