The final value fee (FVF) is eBay's main charge, and on eBay.com it looks simple: 13.6% for most categories. In practice the number you pay depends on what counts as the "sale", the category, two different kinds of threshold, your store plan and your seller level. This guide walks through each rule with real numbers.
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.
1. It's calculated on the total amount of the sale
The percentage applies to everything the buyer pays: item price, shipping, handling and sales tax. A $100 item with $15 shipping is a $115 sale for fee purposes — $15.64 at 13.6%, plus the per-order fee. The rate is applied per item; the per-order fee once per order.
2. The per-order fee
$0.30 when the order total is $10 or less, $0.40 above. It's charged once per order — a buyer checking out three items together triggers one fee — and it's waived entirely for athletic shoes selling for $150 or more.
3. Category rates
| Category | No store | Basic store or higher |
|---|---|---|
| Most categories | 13.6% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 12.7% up to $2,500, 2.35% on the rest |
| 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 |
| Watches, parts & accessories | 15% up to $1,000, 6.5% to $7,500, 3% on the rest | 12.5% up to $1,000, 4% to $5,000, 3% on the rest |
| Books, movies & music | 15.3% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 15.3% up to $2,500, 2.35% on the rest |
| Vinyl records | 13.6% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 12.7% up to $2,500, 2.35% on the rest |
| Trading cards, comics & CCGs | 13.25% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 12.35% up to $2,500, 2.35% on the rest |
| Coins & paper money (except bullion) | 13.25% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 9% up to $4,000, 2.35% on the rest |
| Bullion | 13.6% if the sale is up to $7,500; 7% above $7,500 | 7.5% if the sale is up to $1,500; 5% above $1,500; 4.5% above $10,000 |
| Cameras, phones & consumer electronics | 13.6% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 9.35% up to $2,500, 2.35% on the rest |
| Laptops, desktops, tablets & game consoles | 13.6% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 7.35% up to $2,500, 2.35% on the rest |
| eBay Motors parts & accessories | 13.6% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 11.5% up to $1,000, 2.35% on the rest |
| Musical instruments & gear (except guitars) | 13.6% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 10.35% up to $2,500, 2.35% on the rest |
| Guitars & basses | 6.7% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 6.7% up to $2,500, 2.35% on the rest |
| Stamps | 13.6% up to $7,500, 2.35% on the rest | 9.7% up to $2,500, 2.35% on the rest |
| NFTs | 5% | 5% |
| Heavy equipment, printing presses & food trucks | 3% up to $15,000, 0.5% on the rest | 2.5% up to $15,000, 0.5% on the rest |
4. Two kinds of threshold
Tiered (marginal) thresholds
Most categories cap the main rate at a price point and charge a lower rate only on the part above it — 13.6% up to $7,500 then 2.35% for most items; 15% up to $1,000, 6.5% to $7,500 and 3% above for watches. A $9,000 watch therefore pays 15% up to 1,000 ($150.00) + 6.5% from 1,000 to 7,500 ($422.50) + 3% above 7,500 ($45.00) = $617.50, about 6.9% overall.
Whole-sale thresholds
A few categories switch rate for the whole sale once it crosses a price: jewelry (15% up to $5,000, 9% if the sale is over $5,000), women's handbags ($2,000), bullion ($7,500) and athletic shoes ($150). A $6,000 bracelet pays 9% on all of it: $540.00, less than a $5,000 one would ($750.00). Pricing just above one of these thresholds can lower your fee.
5. Store plans change the table, not a percentage
Older guides describe store "discounts" of 2–7%. That's not how it works. A Starter store pays the standard rates. Basic, Premium, Anchor and Enterprise stores use a separate, lower table: 12.7% for most categories (up to $2,500), 9.35% for phones, cameras and consumer electronics, 7.35% for laptops, tablets and consoles, 9% for coins (up to $4,000), 11.5% for motors parts (up to $1,000), and 7% for sneakers over $150. Above the cap, 2.35%.
6. Surcharges and discounts on top
- Below Standard: +6 percentage points on the total sale (+7 after four months).
- Very high 'not as described' returns in a category: +5 points on that category (+6 after four months). Only one surcharge applies at a time.
- Top Rated Plus listings: 10% off the final value fee for Top Rated sellers offering same- or 1-day handling and free 30-day returns.
- International fee: a separate 1.65% when the buyer is abroad, waived with eBay International Shipping.
Worked example: vintage Air Jordans
$350 sneakers + $12 shipping = $362 total, shipped to Germany through eBay International Shipping (so no international fee), Above Standard seller.
7. Refunds and cancellations
If you refund a buyer or cancel a sale, you may be eligible for a credit of the fees under eBay's fee credits policy — so a properly handled return usually doesn't mean paying the final value fee twice. Fees on listing upgrades and insertion fees aren't refunded.
What you can control
- List in the correct category — the difference between 6.7% and 15.3% is real money.
- Watch whole-sale thresholds when pricing jewelry, handbags and sneakers.
- Compare a Basic store against your category mix, not against a mythical flat discount.
- Stay Above Standard; aim for Top Rated Plus if your handling and returns policy allow.
The eBay profit calculator applies every one of these rules, including store tables and whole-sale thresholds.