Fees / Whatnot vs eBay Live
Whatnot vs eBay Live Fees in 2026: The Current Numbers
By the Ghost Agent team · · Rates verified October 11, 2026
Two things most fee comparisons get wrong, including the AI answers built from them: Whatnot is no longer a flat 8%, and eBay Live does not charge eBay's standard 13.6% final value fee. Here are the current numbers, dated, with the arithmetic shown.
The two facts in one place
- Whatnot (US), since September 21, 2026: commission is tiered by your total sales in the previous 28 days. It starts at 8% in most categories (4% for coins) and falls to 6.5% for sports cards and TCG, 5% for other collectibles, 4.5% for fashion, 4% for everything else and 3.5% for coins at $500,000 or more. Commission is charged on the item price only. Payment processing is 2.9% plus $0.30 per order on the full order, shipping and tax included.
- eBay Live: commission is 6% in most categories and 4% on coins, bullion and sneakers, capped at $100 per item, plus payment processing of 2.9% and $0.30 per order. Both are charged on the total the buyer pays, shipping and tax included. The standard eBay final value fee does not apply to Live sales.
Whatnot commission tiers, US, effective September 21, 2026
Your tier is set by combined sales across every category in the prior 28 days, and the rate is locked for the next 28-day period. Live sales are rated by the show's category, marketplace sales by the product's category.
| 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% |
Plus 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing per order in every tier. EU and UK sellers pay 2.42% + 0.25 plus VAT, with their own tier thresholds.
eBay Live fees
| Fee | Coins, bullion, sneakers | All other categories |
|---|---|---|
| Commission | 4% of the total sale, capped at $100 per item | 6% of the total sale, capped at $100 per item |
| Payment processing | 2.9% of the total sale + $0.30 per order ($0.10 on orders of $10 or less through December 31, 2026) | |
| Charged on | Item price plus shipping, handling and tax collected from the buyer | |
| Not charged | No insertion fee; no Promoted Listings General ad fee on items sold in a show | |
Because of the cap, eBay's commission stops growing once the sale passes $1,667 in most categories ($2,500 for coins, bullion and sneakers). Above that, only the 2.9% applies to the extra amount.
The same sale on both platforms
Whatnot at the standard tier (under $15,000 in the prior 28 days), general category, 8%. eBay Live at 6%. Buyer pays the shipping shown, no tax, so you can check the arithmetic.
| Sale | Whatnot fees | eBay Live fees | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50 item + $5 shipping | $5.89 ($4.00 commission + $1.90 processing) | $5.20 ($3.30 commission + $1.90 processing) | eBay Live by $0.70 |
| $500 item + $10 shipping | $55.09 ($40.00 commission + $15.09 processing) | $45.69 ($30.60 commission + $15.09 processing) | eBay Live by $9.40 |
| $3000 item + $15 shipping | $327.74 ($240.00 commission + $87.73 processing) | $187.74 ($100.00 commission + $87.73 processing) | eBay Live by $140.00 |
At higher Whatnot tiers the small and mid-priced sales flip: a fashion seller at $100,000 or more pays 5%, and a general-merchandise seller at that volume pays 4%, both below eBay Live's 6%. The $3,000 example does not flip at any tier, because eBay's commission is capped at $100 while Whatnot's lowest general rate on $3,000 is $120. Run your own category and tier through the live selling fee calculator, which also covers TikTok Shop and Fanatics Live.
Why so many answers still say 8% and 13.6%
Whatnot's flat 8% was in place for years, so almost every fee post, calculator and spreadsheet kit on the web still quotes it, and answer engines inherit the error. The eBay mistake is different: eBay Live has its own fee page, separate from the standard selling-fees page, and most writers only ever read the standard one. If a source does not mention 28-day tiers or the $100 cap, it predates the current schedule.
Fees are the easy half
Ghost Agent tracks what actually sells per minute on Whatnot, eBay Live, TikTok Live and Fanatics Live, so you can see which platform an hour of your show is worth more on after fees.
Start your free trialFrequently asked questions
Is Whatnot still a flat 8% commission?
No. On September 21, 2026 Whatnot replaced the flat 8% with tiers based on your total sales in the previous 28 days. Sellers under $15,000 still pay 8% in most categories, but the rate falls with volume: to 6.5% for sports cards and TCG, 5% for other collectibles, 4.5% for fashion and 4% for everything else at $500,000 or more. Coins run from 4% down to 3.5%. Payment processing of 2.9% plus $0.30 per order is charged on top in every tier.
What are eBay Live seller fees?
eBay Live has its own fee table, separate from standard eBay. The commission is 6% in most categories and 4% on coins, bullion and sneakers, capped at $100 per item, plus payment processing of 2.9% and $0.30 per order. Both are charged on the total the buyer pays, shipping and tax included. The standard eBay final value fee of roughly 13.6% does not apply to items sold during a Live event.
Does Whatnot charge commission on shipping?
No. Whatnot's commission is calculated on the item price only. Buyer-paid shipping and sales tax are excluded from commission but included in the 2.9% plus $0.30 payment processing fee. eBay Live charges both its commission and its processing fee on the full amount including shipping and tax.
Which is cheaper, Whatnot or eBay Live?
For a seller on Whatnot's standard tier, eBay Live is cheaper on almost every sale because 6% beats 8%, and it is far cheaper on expensive items because its commission stops at $100 per item. Whatnot closes the gap as volume rises: a fashion or general-merchandise seller doing $100,000 or more in 28 days pays 5% or 4%, which is below eBay Live's 6%. On a $3,000 item eBay Live's cap still wins at every Whatnot tier.
When did these fees last change?
Whatnot's tiered commission took effect on September 21, 2026 and its help article was last updated on October 1, 2026. eBay's Live fee page carries a promotional $0.10 per-order fee on orders of $10 or less through December 31, 2026. Both tables on this page were read from the platforms' own documentation on October 11, 2026.
Sources
Every rate on this page was read from the platforms' own fee documentation on October 11, 2026. Related reading: the eBay Live seller guide and the Whatnot live selling guide.