Whatnot Fee & Profit Calculators
Work out your break-even price, a safe auction start, and true per-item costs after Whatnot fees, VAT and shipping — before you go live. Tweak the fee settings below to match your own account.
Watch: How to Track Your Whatnot Profit & Fees
Your fee settings
These feed every calculator below. Defaults are typical Whatnot UK fees — adjust them to match your account.
+ £0.30 fixed per order
Break-Even Calculator
Find the minimum sale price to cover costs and hit your target profit
Average giveaway cost spread across each sale
Results
Enter your costs and hit Calculate
How Whatnot Fees Work in the UK
Every time you make a sale on Whatnot, two fees are deducted before the money reaches your account. Understanding these fees is essential if you want to price your items profitably.
8% Platform Fee
Whatnot charges an 8% commission on the final sale price. On a £50 sale, that's £4.00. This fee covers access to the Whatnot marketplace and its live-auction audience.
2.9% + £0.30 Payment Processing
A payment processing fee of 2.9% + £0.30 is charged per transaction. On that same £50 sale, that's £1.75. This covers credit/debit card processing.
Total fees on a £50 sale: £4.00 + £1.75 = £5.75 (11.5%). If you're VAT registered, you'll also pay 20% VAT on top of those fees. Our calculator above factors all of this in automatically — just enter your numbers.
How to Calculate Your Whatnot Profit
To work out your real profit on a Whatnot sale, you need to subtract every cost — not just the fees. Here's the full formula:
Profit = Sale Price − Platform Fee (8%) − Processing Fee (2.9% + £0.30) − Shipping − Product Cost − Packaging
Worked Example: £25 Sale
A healthy profit margin on Whatnot is typically 30–50%. Below 20% and you're leaving very little room for returns, damaged items, or slow streams. Use the Break-Even Calculator above to find the absolute minimum price for any item.
Whatnot Fees for UK Sellers: VAT & Tax
If you're a UK-based seller, there are extra considerations beyond the standard Whatnot fees:
- VAT registration threshold: If your taxable turnover exceeds £90,000 in a rolling 12-month period, you must register for VAT with HMRC.
- VAT on fees: If VAT-registered, Whatnot's platform and processing fees are subject to 20% VAT — toggle the "VAT registered" switch above to see the impact.
- Self Assessment: All Whatnot income must be declared on your Self Assessment tax return if you're trading regularly (not just occasional personal sales).
- DAC7 reporting: Since 2024, platforms like Whatnot report your earnings to HMRC automatically if you exceed 30 sales or €2,000 in a year.
For a complete breakdown, see our Whatnot Seller Fees UK guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Whatnot charge UK sellers?
Whatnot charges UK sellers an 8% marketplace fee on the final sale price, plus a payment processing fee of 2.9% + £0.30 per transaction. Combined, that's roughly 11% on a typical sale. If you're VAT registered, you'll also pay 20% VAT on these fees. Use our calculator above to see the exact fees for any sale price.
What percentage does Whatnot take?
Whatnot takes approximately 10.9–11.5% of your sale price when you combine the 8% platform commission and the 2.9% + £0.30 payment processing fee. The exact percentage depends on your sale price — the fixed £0.30 has a bigger impact on lower-value items.
Is selling on Whatnot profitable?
Yes, selling on Whatnot can be very profitable if you price your items correctly. After Whatnot's ~11% total fees, shipping costs, and your product cost, you should aim for at least a 30–40% profit margin. Our break-even calculator helps you determine the minimum price to charge so you never sell at a loss.
How do I calculate my Whatnot profit?
To calculate your Whatnot profit: take your sale price, subtract the 8% platform fee, subtract the 2.9% + £0.30 processing fee, subtract your shipping cost, and subtract your product cost (including packaging). The result is your net profit. Our calculator does this automatically — just enter your numbers above.
What is a safe auction start price on Whatnot?
A safe auction start price is typically 20–30% above your break-even point. This gives you a buffer in case bidding is slow or only one bidder is interested. Our Safe Auction Start calculator gives you three price points: your absolute break-even, a safe start, and a healthy target price.
Do I need to pay tax on Whatnot sales in the UK?
If you're selling on Whatnot regularly as a business (not just clearing out personal items occasionally), you need to declare the income on your Self Assessment tax return. If your taxable turnover exceeds £90,000 in 12 months, you must also register for VAT. Since 2024, Whatnot automatically reports your earnings to HMRC under DAC7 rules if you exceed 30 sales or €2,000.
Learn More About Whatnot Fees & Profit
Want these numbers to fill themselves in?
Create a free account and Whatnot Profits pulls in your real fee settings automatically, tracks every sale and expense, and shows your actual profit per stream — not just estimates.
- Auto-filled fees from your own settings
- Track real profit per sale & per stream
- Import your Whatnot CSV in seconds
- P&L reports, VAT tracking & more