How to price 3D prints on Etsy and eBay after fees
Etsy and eBay take their cut from the price the buyer pays, not from your cost. If you list at your direct-sale price, or just add the fee percentage on top, you net less than you planned. Below are the official fees for US sellers, checked November 2026, the math that fixes it and one part priced for both marketplaces.
Etsy fees for US sellers in 2026
| Fee | Amount | Charged on |
|---|---|---|
| Listing | $0.20 per listing | Each listing, renewed every 4 months; a multi-quantity listing renews for $0.20 after each sale |
| Transaction | 6.5% | Item price plus shipping and gift wrap (not sales tax, for US sellers) |
| Payment processing (US) | 3% + $0.25 per order | The whole order, including shipping and sales tax |
| Offsite Ads, only on orders an ad brings | 15%, or 12% once the shop passes $10,000 in yearly sales | Item, shipping and gift wrap, capped at $100 per order |
Sources, checked November 2026: Etsy's Fees & Payments Policy and Etsy Payments Policy. Three details from those pages matter for pricing:
- While your shop is under $10,000 in sales over the prior 365 days, you can opt out of Offsite Ads. Once you reach $10,000, they become mandatory at 12% for the life of the shop.
- Etsy Ads (the on-site ads) are separate: you set a daily budget, and that spend is a marketing cost.
- Etsy may charge a one-time set-up fee when you open a shop. If it applies, it is shown during sign-up.
eBay fees in 2026
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Insertion | First 250 listings a month free, then $0.35 per listing |
| Final value fee, most categories | 13.6% of the total sale, up to $7,500 |
| Per-order fee | $0.40, or $0.30 when the order is $10.00 or less |
Source: eBay's Selling fees help page, checked November 2026. Two things change the math compared with Etsy:
- The final value fee replaces payment processing, so there is no separate 3%.
- "Total sale" includes the item, shipping, handling and the sales tax the buyer pays. Some categories have other rates, and eBay Store subscribers pay different fees, so check the category you list in.
The formula that keeps your margin
price = (cost × (1 + markup) + fixed fees) ÷ (1 − fee % − tax %)
- cost: everything the part costs you, from filament, electricity and printer wear to labor and packaging. The guide on how much to charge for 3D printing builds it up.
- markup: the percentage on top of cost, which is how the MakerPrice 3D calculator applies margin. The difference between margin and markup is in the profit margin vs markup guide.
- fixed fees: per-order and per-listing amounts, in dollars.
- fee % and tax %: as decimals, so 9.5% is 0.095.
On Etsy the two percentages stack: 6.5% transaction plus 3% processing is 9.5%, and the fixed part of a one-item order is the $0.25 processing fee plus the $0.20 listing fee, or $0.45.
The division is there because the fee is a share of the final price. Multiplying by 1.136 for eBay falls short: $12.80 × 1.136 + $0.40 is $14.94, eBay keeps $2.03 plus $0.40 of that, and you net $12.51 instead of $12.80.
Worked example: one part on Etsy and eBay
Premises: the part costs $8.00 to make, the markup is 60%, so it sells for $12.80 in person. The buyer pays shipping separately, and sales tax is left out (more on both below).
On Etsy:
- Cost with markup: $8.00 × 1.60 = $12.80.
- Add the fixed fees: $12.80 + $0.45 = $13.25.
- Divisor: 1 − 0.095 = 0.905.
- Price: $13.25 ÷ 0.905 = $14.64.
- Check: 9.5% of $14.64 is $1.39. With the $0.45, Etsy keeps $1.84 and you keep $12.80.
On eBay: ($12.80 + $0.40) ÷ 0.864 = $15.28. eBay keeps $2.08 plus $0.40, and you keep $12.80.
| Channel | Fees used | Price | Channel keeps | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct sale, cash | none | $12.80 | $0.00 | $12.80 |
| Etsy | 9.5% + $0.45 | $14.64 | $1.84 | $12.80 |
| Etsy order from Offsite Ads, 15% | 24.5% + $0.45 | $17.55 | $4.75 | $12.80 |
| Etsy order from Offsite Ads, 12% | 21.5% + $0.45 | $16.88 | $4.08 | $12.80 |
| eBay, most categories | 13.6% + $0.40 | $15.28 | $2.48 | $12.80 |
Table premises: $8.00 cost, 60% markup, a one-item order, no sales tax and shipping charged separately. Fee rates are the official ones above.
Offsite Ads: price for the normal sale, check the ad sale
You cannot tell in advance which order will come through an ad, so price for the normal sale and then check that an ad sale still makes money. At $14.64, an order from Offsite Ads pays another 15%, or $2.20. You keep $10.60 and the profit drops from $4.80 to $2.60. That is still a profit. If your cost were closer to the price, the same order could lose money, and then you either raise the price or opt out while your shop is under $10,000 a year.
Shipping and sales tax change the fees too
- Shipping on Etsy pays 9.5%. If you charge $5.00 for a label that costs $5.00, you lose $0.48 on every order. Charging $5.52 covers it, or you can build the shipping cost into the item price with the same formula.
- eBay charges 13.6% on sales tax. In a state with 7% sales tax, the fee on the tax adds about $0.15 to a $15.28 sale.
- Etsy's 3% processing also applies to sales tax. At 7% tax, that is about 3 cents on a $14.64 item. In the calculator, tick the option that says the fee also applies to the tax.
Box, bubble wrap, tape and the time it takes to pack belong in the cost before the formula. The guide to finishing and packaging shows how to count them.
What else belongs in the math
- Income tax. In the US it is charged on profit, not on each sale, so it normally stays out of the divisor. Set it aside from what you earn.
- Etsy Ads. If you spend, on average, a share of sales on ads, that share can go into the divisor next to the fees.
- Unsold listings. Each Etsy listing that sits for four months renews for another $0.20. eBay listings past your free 250 a month cost $0.35 each.
- Small items. Fixed fees weigh more the cheaper the item: $0.45 is 3% of a $15 part but 15% of a $3 keychain. The guide to keychain pricing runs that math.
Frequently asked questions
Is Etsy or eBay cheaper for 3D prints?
It depends on the price and on ads. On a $20 item without Offsite Ads, Etsy takes $1.90 plus $0.45, or $2.35, and eBay takes $2.72 plus $0.40, or $3.12. An Etsy order that comes from Offsite Ads pays another $3.00 at 15%, which makes it more expensive than eBay for that sale.
Should I opt out of Etsy Offsite Ads?
Run the formula with 24.5% instead of 9.5%. If the part still makes a profit you are happy with, staying in costs you nothing on orders the ads do not bring. If an ad order would lose money and your shop is under $10,000 a year, opting out protects you. Above $10,000, the 12% rate is mandatory, so build it into the price.
How do I enter Etsy fees in the MakerPrice 3D calculator?
Use 9.5% as the platform fee and $0.45 as the fixed fee per order, then tick the option that the fee also applies to shipping. The fixed fee is split across the parts in the quote, so for a multi-quantity listing add $0.20 for each extra unit, because the listing renews after each one sells.
Does Etsy collect sales tax for me?
In most US states, yes. Etsy's policy says it calculates, collects and remits sales tax on orders shipped to US buyers where that applies, so you do not add it to your price yourself. It still shows up in your fees through the 3% processing charge.
Do eBay fees change for orders under $10?
Only the per-order part: it drops from $0.40 to $0.30 when the order total is $10.00 or less. The 13.6% stays the same, so on a $6 item eBay takes $0.82 plus $0.30, or $1.12, almost a fifth of the price.