Comparison · fashion
eBay vs Poshmark
Which marketplace has lower fees for resellers — and when does each one win?
The eternal question for fashion resellers: list on the broad-reach general marketplace, or stay in the closet-curated social ecosystem?
Net payout at common sale prices
| Sale price | eBay fees | eBay net | Poshmark fees | Poshmark net | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25.00 | −$3.80 · 15.2% | $21.20 | −$5.00 · 20.0% | $20.00 | +$1.20 |
| $50.00 | −$7.20 · 14.4% | $42.80 | −$10.00 · 20.0% | $40.00 | +$2.80 |
| $100.00 | −$14.00 · 14.0% | $86.00 | −$20.00 · 20.0% | $80.00 | +$6.00 |
| $250.00 | −$34.40 · 13.8% | $215.60 | −$50.00 · 20.0% | $200.00 | +$15.60 |
| $500.00 | −$68.40 · 13.7% | $431.60 | −$100.00 · 20.0% | $400.00 | +$31.60 |
| $1,000.00 | −$136.40 · 13.6% | $863.60 | −$200.00 · 20.0% | $800.00 | +$63.60 |
Net payout = sale price + shipping charged − platform fees. Both platforms calculated with default options and no shipping charged to buyer.
Fee structure
eBay
Open calculator →Auctions and fixed-price marketplace for general goods
- The Final Value Fee (FVF) is calculated on the total amount the buyer pays — item price + shipping + handling + sales tax.
- Per-order fee is tiered: $0.30 on orders of $10.00 or less and $0.40 on orders over $10.00. It is charged once per buyer purchase regardless of how many items are in the order, and is waived entirely on Athletic Shoes sold at $150 or more.
- When the buyer's registered address is outside the US, eBay adds an international fee of 1.65% to the entire order total.
- Promoted Listings Standard charges your chosen ad rate only when the sale is attributed to a click on the ad within the last 30 days.
Poshmark
Open calculator →Fashion-forward social marketplace
- Poshmark takes a flat $2.95 on sales under $15 and 20% on sales of $15 or more. There is no separate payment processing fee — it's bundled into the commission.
- The commission is charged on the listing price. Buyers pay shipping separately via Poshmark's flat-rate label, so shipping does not increase your fee.
- There are no listing fees and no monthly subscription. The 20% is the highest headline rate of the major resale platforms, but it is genuinely all-inclusive.
- Poshmark reverted the US marketplace to this structure on 24 October 2024, removing the Buyer Protection fee it had briefly introduced.
Audience & fit
Poshmark has a more engaged fashion-specific buyer pool and the social mechanics (likes, shares, parties) move inventory. eBay is cheaper on fees and reaches more buyers but is less style-aware. High-end designer typically moves faster on Poshmark; general thrifted/midmarket fashion is roughly equivalent on either.
The bottom line
The fee gap is real: eBay runs 13.6% general, Poshmark a flat 20% on sales over $15. On a $60 dress that's roughly $4 more to Poshmark per sale. But fashion resale isn't decided on fees alone — it's decided by which audience actually buys your item.
Poshmark's buyer pool is fashion-specific and highly engaged, and its social mechanics — shares, parties, closet following, bundles — actively move inventory in a way eBay's search-and-browse model doesn't. That engagement can sell designer and contemporary pieces faster and at prices that absorb the 20%. eBay reaches far more buyers overall and costs less, but it's style-agnostic, so fashion competes against everything else on the site.
High-end and contemporary designer often nets more on Poshmark despite the fee; general thrifted and midmarket fashion is roughly a wash, so eBay's lower rate and wider reach edge it. If you're unsure, list midmarket on eBay and reserve Poshmark for the pieces its engaged buyers will pay up for.
Frequently asked
How are eBay seller fees calculated?
eBay charges a Final Value Fee (FVF) as a percentage of the total amount the buyer pays — item price plus shipping plus handling plus sales tax. The FVF rate varies by category (13.6% for most categories, 13.25% for trading cards, 8% for Athletic Shoes over $150, 15.3% for books/movies/music, 15% for jewelry, lower rates for heavy equipment). eBay also adds a per-order fee of $0.30 on orders up to $10.00 and $0.40 above that, and a 1.65% international fee if the buyer is outside the US.
Does eBay charge fees on shipping?
Yes. The Final Value Fee is applied to the item price plus the shipping the buyer pays, so charging more for shipping does not save you fees — it just shifts which line item the fees come from. Free shipping (where shipping is built into the item price) results in the same total fees.
Why does Poshmark take 20% of my sale?
Poshmark's 20% commission covers payment processing, the Posh Protect buyer guarantee, customer service, and shipping label costs (USPS Priority Mail flat rates that buyers pay). It is the highest percentage fee of any major resale platform, but unlike eBay or Mercari, there are no separate processing fees — the 20% is the all-in cost.
How does the $2.95 flat fee work for cheap items?
Sales under $15 are charged a flat $2.95 instead of the 20% percentage. This is actually a discount for very small sales — at $5, the flat $2.95 is 59% effective, but at $10 it's only 29.5%. At $14.99, the flat fee is $2.95 (19.7%), and at $15.00 the percentage kicks in for $3.00 (20%). There's a tiny cliff right at the threshold.
More comparisons
See all comparisons →Want to run the numbers on your specific sale?