How Much Does Whatnot Charge?
A UK Seller's Fee Breakdown
Every Whatnot sale comes with fees that eat into your profit. Here's exactly what you're paying, how it's calculated, and what it really costs you on a typical sale.
8%
Platform commission
Whatnot's cut on every sale. This is the main fee and applies to all listing types.
2.9% + £0.30
Payment processing
Charged per transaction to process the buyer's card payment. The £0.30 fixed fee is per sale.
~11%
Total combined
The real cost per sale when you combine both fees. On a £10 item, that's £1.40 gone before you count anything else.
How Whatnot Fees Are Calculated
When you sell an item on Whatnot, two fees are deducted from your payout:
1. Platform Commission (8%)
This is Whatnot's main revenue source. It's a flat percentage of the sale price. Whether you sell a £1 Pokémon card or a £500 sealed booster box, Whatnot takes 8% of the sale amount.
2. Payment Processing Fee (2.9% + £0.30)
This covers the cost of processing the buyer's card payment. The percentage-based portion (2.9%) scales with the sale price, but the fixed £0.30 fee hits harder on low-value items. On a £2 sale, that £0.30 alone is 15% of the price.
3. VAT on Fees (Non-VAT-Registered Sellers)
If you're not VAT registered, the platform commission includes VAT. This means the 8% commission effectively costs you 8% inclusive of VAT — you can't reclaim any of it. If you are VAT registered, you can reclaim the VAT element as input tax, reducing your effective fee cost.
Worked Example: £25 Sale
Why Low-Value Sales Hurt More
The £0.30 fixed fee per transaction makes a big difference on cheap items. Here's how the total fee percentage changes with sale price:
| Sale Price | Total Fees | Fee % | You Keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| £2.00 | -£0.69 | 34.3% | £1.31 |
| £5.00 | -£0.95 | 18.9% | £4.05 |
| £10.00 | -£1.39 | 13.9% | £8.61 |
| £25.00 | -£3.03 | 12.1% | £21.97 |
| £50.00 | -£5.75 | 11.5% | £44.25 |
| £100.00 | -£11.20 | 11.2% | £88.80 |
At £2, you're losing over a third of the sale price to fees alone. This is why many sellers set minimum auction prices or bundle low-value items.
How to Minimise the Impact of Whatnot Fees
- Set safe minimum prices — Use a break-even calculator to know the lowest you can sell for and still cover your costs after fees.
- Bundle low-value items — Selling 5 cards as a lot for £10 is far better than 5 individual £2 sales, because you only pay the £0.30 fixed fee once.
- Track your real profit — Fees are only part of the picture. When you add in cost of goods, packaging, and shipping, your true margin might be lower than you think. Learn how to calculate your full profit.
- Consider VAT registration — If your turnover is approaching the VAT threshold (£90,000), registering lets you reclaim VAT on Whatnot's fees. Read the full UK fees guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage does Whatnot take from sellers?▼
Does Whatnot charge fees on shipping?▼
Are Whatnot fees different for auctions vs buy-now?▼
Do I pay VAT on Whatnot fees?▼
How do Whatnot fees compare to eBay?▼
Stop Guessing, Start Tracking
Whatnot Profits automatically calculates your fees, margins, and real profit on every sale. Import your Whatnot CSV and see the numbers in seconds.
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