You have a pile of hoodies, a few pairs of trainers and a top you wore once. Before you list them, you want one straight answer: what are eBay selling fees on clothing right now, and how much of each sale do you actually keep? The honest answer depends on where you sell and whether eBay treats you as a private or business seller.
Fees verified against eBay's official United States fee pages on 19 October 2026. Checked daily for changes (fee change tracker). Source: eBay eBay.com fee page.
What's true now (fee data verified October 2026)
- UK private sellers: no final value fee and no per-order fee on clothes, or any other category.
- UK business sellers: 11.9% on clothing, plus a per-order fee and a 0.35% regulatory operating fee.
- US sellers (everyone): 13.6% on clothing plus $0.30–$0.40 per order.
Sources: eBay UK selling fees and eBay.com selling fees. Any "2026" page still quoting a percentage for UK private sellers is out of date.
UK private sellers: what "free to sell" really covers
Free means eBay takes nothing from your sale price or postage. Instead, the buyer pays a Buyer Protection fee at checkout: a fixed amount plus a percentage of the item price, added on top. It never comes out of your payout.
The catch? Your buyer sees a higher total than your listing price. That's exactly how Vinted works too, so when you price against Vinted, compare the all-in totals buyers see, not the sticker prices. For the full category breakdown, see our UK private seller fees by category guide.
You can still pay for:
- Listing upgrades such as subtitles or bold titles
- Promoted Listings, charged as a percentage when an ad-driven sale happens
- Listings beyond your free monthly allowance
- Some international sales, plus costs from disputes or chargebacks
eBay selling fees for clothing: US and UK business rates
Here are the US rates for fashion categories. Note the category boundaries: athletic sneakers and women's handbags have their own rules, and the sneaker and handbag thresholds apply to the whole sale.
| Category | No store | Basic store or higher |
|---|---|---|
| Clothing, shoes & accessories | 13.6% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 12.7% up to $2,500, 2.35% on the rest |
| Athletic shoes (sneakers) | 13.6% if the sale is up to $150; 8% (no per-order fee) above $150 | 12.7% if the sale is up to $150; 7% (no per-order fee) above $150 |
| Women's bags & handbags | 15% if the sale is up to $2,000; 9% above $2,000 | 13% if the sale is up to $2,000; 7% above $2,000 |
| Jewelry (except watches) | 15% if the sale is up to $5,000; 9% above $5,000 | 13% if the sale is up to $5,000; 7% above $5,000 |
And the UK business schedule. On both sites, the percentage applies to the total including postage.
| Category | Final value fee |
|---|---|
| Everything else | 12.9% |
| Collectables, toys, antiques & sporting goods | 10.9% |
| Clothes, shoes & accessories | 11.9% |
| Trainers | 11.9% if the item price is up to £100; 7% above £100 |
| Women's bags & handbags | 12.9% up to £800, 7% on the rest |
| Jewellery (except watches) | 14.9% up to £1,000, 4% on the rest |
| Watches, parts & accessories | 12.9% up to £750, 3% on the rest |
| Books, films, music & video games | 9.9% |
| Phones, laptops, tablets, cameras & TVs | 6.9% up to £1,000, 3% on the rest |
| Other electronics & accessories | 9.9% |
| Video game consoles | 6.9% up to £400, 2% on the rest |
| Home, furniture & DIY | 11.9% up to £500, 7.9% on the rest |
| Appliances & DIY tools | 6.9% up to £400, 3% on the rest |
| Vehicle parts & accessories | 9.5% up to £750, 3% on the rest |
| Tyres, sat navs & power tools | 6.9% up to £750, 3% on the rest |
| Coins | 10.9% up to £450, 3% on the rest |
| Musical instruments & DJ equipment | 10.9% |
| Business, office & industrial | 12.5% |
| NFTs | 5% |
Worked examples: what you keep
Say you sell each item with postage included in the price, so the total equals the item price.
| Item | Price | US keeps ($) | UK private keeps (£) | UK business keeps (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheap top | 10 | 8.34 (fee 1.66) | 10.00 (fee 0.00) | 8.47 (fee 1.52) |
| Branded hoodie | 25 | 21.20 (fee 3.80) | 25.00 (fee 0.00) | 21.54 (fee 3.46) |
| Designer jeans | 50 | 42.80 (fee 7.20) | 50.00 (fee 0.00) | 43.48 (fee 6.52) |
| Designer trainers / sneakers | 200 | 184.00 (fee 16.00) | 200.00 (fee 0.00) | 175.10 (fee 24.90) |
Look at the cheap top: the $0.30 per-order fee alone is 3% of a $10 sale, so a US seller pays $1.66 in total. The designer sneakers clear the $149.99 threshold, so the lower sneaker rate applies to the whole sale with no per-order fee. Run your own numbers in the eBay profit calculator, or read how much eBay takes from a sale.
Private or business: who decides?
If you buy stock to resell or make clothes to sell, you're trading, and you should register as a business. Clearing out your own wardrobe is private selling. Separately, eBay reports seller income to HMRC once you pass 30 sales or roughly £1,700 in a year. That report isn't a tax bill, but it puts your activity on HMRC's radar. If eBay decides your account looks like trading, it can reclassify you, and business fees apply from then on.
Hidden costs that eat clothing margins
Rule of thumb: on items under £15 or $15, skip Promoted Listings and price return postage in before you list. One return can wipe out the profit on several sales.
Clothing has high return rates because of fit. Business and US sellers also face seller performance surcharges if their rating slips, and Promoted Listings math rarely works on cheap tops.
What changed, briefly
eBay UK made clothing free for private sellers first, in 2022. It extended free selling to every category for private sellers in late 2024, and business fees have shifted since; see what changed in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is it really free to sell clothes on eBay UK as a private seller in 2026?
Yes. There's no final value fee and no per-order fee. You only pay for optional extras like upgrades or Promoted Listings.
Is the Buyer Protection fee taken from my payout?
No. The buyer pays it at checkout on top of your price. You receive your full sale price plus postage.
Does the eBay final value fee include postage on clothing sales?
For UK business and US sellers, yes: the percentage is charged on the total, postage included. UK private sellers pay no final value fee at all. Is eBay or Vinted better? For UK private sellers, both are fee-free to the seller, so pick based on where your buyers shop.