Marketplace Fees Explained: What Sellers Actually Pay
"Fees" sound small until you add them up. Here's what the different charges on a marketplace actually are, and how much they take out of your pocket on each sale.
The fees that add up
- Seller commission. The platform's cut of the sale price — the biggest lever on your take-home. This is where marketplaces differ most: general marketplaces commonly take around 11–15%, while leading art marketplaces take 40–45%.
- Payment processing. The card networks' fee, usually around 3%, that every platform pays. This is unavoidable anywhere.
- Listing / other fees. Some platforms add listing fees, promotion fees or currency-conversion charges.
What that means on a real sale
| Sale price | At ~13% commission | At 40% commission | At 0% commission |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | you keep ~$84 | you keep ~$57 | you keep ~$97 |
| $1,000 | ~$840 | ~$570 | ~$970 |
(All figures after a typical ~3% payment fee.) The gap is modest against general marketplaces and enormous against high-commission art platforms — and it compounds with every sale.
Why "0% commission" is different
Zero platform commission doesn't mean zero cost — you still pay the ~3% payment processor, exactly as you would anywhere. What it removes is the platform's cut on top. Over a year of selling, that difference is often the gap between a hobby and real income. For the full side-by-side, see our marketplace fees comparison.
Frequently asked questions
What fees do sellers pay on a marketplace?
Usually a seller commission (the platform's cut), a payment-processing fee (~3%, unavoidable), and sometimes listing or promotion fees. Commission is by far the biggest variable.
How much commission do marketplaces charge?
General marketplaces commonly take around 11–15%; leading art marketplaces take 40–45%. The Bubble Art charges 0% platform commission — only the ~3% payment fee applies.
Does 0% commission mean no fees at all?
No — you still pay the standard ~3% payment-processing fee that every platform charges. What's removed is the platform's commission on top, so you keep up to 97%.
Related: Marketplace fees · What does 0% commission actually mean? · Lowest-fee art marketplace · Sell art online with 0% commission