Question 1

What fees does Whatnot charge sellers?

Accepted Answer

Whatnot charges two main fees on every sale: a platform commission fee (typically 8% in the UK) and a payment processing fee (typically 2.9% + £0.30 per transaction). If you're VAT registered, VAT is also applied on top of these fees. Our calculator factors in all of these automatically.

Question 2

How do I calculate my profit on Whatnot?

Accepted Answer

To calculate your Whatnot profit, subtract all costs from the sale price: Whatnot's platform commission (8%), the payment processing fee (2.9% + £0.30), your cost of goods, packaging costs, and any shipping you cover. Our break-even calculator does this instantly — just enter your costs and it shows the minimum price you need to charge.

Question 3

What is a good auction starting price on Whatnot?

Accepted Answer

A safe auction start price is typically 20–30% above your break-even point. This gives you a buffer in case bidding doesn't go as high as expected. Our Safe Auction Start calculator gives you three price points: your absolute minimum (break-even), a safe start price, and a healthy profit target.

Question 4

How much can you make selling on Whatnot UK?

Accepted Answer

Earnings vary hugely depending on your category, stream frequency, and audience. After Whatnot fees (roughly 11% combined), VAT if applicable, and your cost of goods, most sellers see net margins of 20–50% on items that sell above break-even. The key is knowing your numbers before you go live — which is exactly what these calculators help with.

Question 5

Are Whatnot fees different in the UK vs US?

Accepted Answer

The platform commission and payment processing percentages are similar across regions, but UK sellers may also need to account for VAT (20%) on the fees themselves. Our calculator lets you toggle VAT on or off and adjust all fee percentages to match your specific account settings.

Question 6

How do I work out the cost per item from a bulk lot?

Accepted Answer

When you buy a pallet, job lot, or bundle, you need to allocate the total cost across individual items. You can do this evenly (flat split) or by assigning higher value items a greater share (tiered allocation). Our Lot Cost Allocator tool handles both methods — just enter your total lot cost and list the items.

Question 7

Do I need a Whatnot Profits account to use these calculators?

Accepted Answer

No — these calculators are completely free and require no signup. If you want to save your fee settings, automatically import your sales data, and see full profit & loss reports per stream, you can sign up for a 14-day free trial of the full dashboard.

Whatnot Fee Calculator for UK Sellers

Platform Commission

Payment Processing

VAT (if registered)

Your fee settings

Break-Even Calculator

Results

Frequently Asked Questions

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