The short answer
On the same sale, at Whatnot’s Standard tier and eBay’s regular (non-Store) rates, Whatnot takes less in fees at every price we tested. On a $100.00 item with $7.00 shipping, Whatnot’s fees come to $11.40 and eBay’s to $14.95, so you keep $88.60 on Whatnot and $85.05 on eBay (computed). That gap is only about fees. It says nothing about which platform will get you the higher price for a given item, which matters more.
Assumptions behind the table
- The buyer pays $7.00 shipping, and the label costs exactly $7.00. On Whatnot the buyer’s shipping buys Whatnot’s label; on eBay it is paid to you and you buy the label. Either way, shipping nets to zero, so “keeps” means item price minus fees.
- No sales tax, except in the one example below where it is shown.
- Whatnot Standard tier (under $15,000 of sales in the last 28 days), Other vertical. eBay “most categories” rates for sellers without a Store.
- One trading-cards row, because both platforms have card rules: Whatnot’s TCG vertical and eBay’s trading cards rate.
| Sale | Whatnot commission + processing | You keep on Whatnot | eBay FVF + per-order | You keep on eBay | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $15.00 item Other / most categories | $1.20 + $0.94 = $2.14 | $12.86 | $2.99 + $0.40 = $3.39 | $11.61 | $1.25 more on Whatnot |
| $50.00 item Other / most categories | $4.00 + $1.95 = $5.95 | $44.05 | $7.75 + $0.40 = $8.15 | $41.85 | $2.20 more on Whatnot |
| $100.00 item Other / most categories | $8.00 + $3.40 = $11.40 | $88.60 | $14.55 + $0.40 = $14.95 | $85.05 | $3.55 more on Whatnot |
| $250.00 item Other / most categories | $20.00 + $7.75 = $27.75 | $222.25 | $34.95 + $0.40 = $35.35 | $214.65 | $7.60 more on Whatnot |
| $100.00 item Trading cards (Whatnot TCG, eBay trading cards) | $8.00 + $3.40 = $11.40 | $88.60 | $14.18 + $0.40 = $14.58 | $85.42 | $3.18 more on Whatnot |
Every dollar figure in the table is computed by the same engine our calculators use. The rates going into it are quoted from each platform’s help pages, listed on the Fee Ledger.
What each fee line is charged on
Whatnot commission: 8% at the Standard tier, charged on the item price after any coupon you fund (the post-coupon price). Shipping and tax are not in this base.
Whatnot processing: 2.9% + $0.30 on everything the buyer paid: item, shipping and tax. On a $50.00 item that is 2.9% of $57.00 plus $0.30, or $1.95.
eBay final value fee (FVF): 13.6% for most categories on the first $7,500, charged on the total amount of the sale: item, shipping, handling and sales tax. eBay has no separate processing fee; it is built into this rate.
eBay per-order fee: $0.30 when the order total is $10.00 or less, $0.40 above that. Every row in the table is over $10, so it is $0.40 each time.
Trading cards: eBay charges 13.25% instead of 13.6%, which trims the FVF on a $100.00 card from $14.55 to $14.18. Whatnot’s TCG vertical is 8% at Standard, the same as Other, so the Whatnot side does not change. Whatnot also charges 0% commission on the part of an eligible card’s price above $1,500, a promotion that does not affect any row here.
Why the gap exists
Two things drive it. First, eBay’s main rate is higher than Whatnot’s commission and processing combined at Standard tier. Second, eBay charges its full percentage on shipping. On $7.00 of shipping, eBay’s FVF adds $0.95, while Whatnot’s processing adds $0.20 and its commission adds nothing. On cheap items that matters more: at $15.00, eBay’s fees are 22.6% of the item price and Whatnot’s are 14.3% (computed).
What sales tax does
Sales tax is in the base of both eBay’s FVF and Whatnot’s processing fee, though not Whatnot’s commission. Add $8.00 of tax to the $100.00 sale and Whatnot’s fees go from $11.40 to $11.64, while eBay’s go from $14.95 to $16.04 (computed). The tax itself is collected and sent on by the marketplace, so it is not money you keep.
What this comparison leaves out
- Shipping you cover. Free or discounted shipping comes out of your pocket on both platforms.
- Whatnot giveaways. You pay the shipping on giveaway items, and that cost belongs to the show, not to any single sale.
- eBay Store subscriptions. Store subscribers pay different, generally lower FVF rates plus a monthly fee. We have not captured those rates.
- eBay promoted listings, which add an ad rate you choose, and eBay’s surcharges for Below Standard sellers and international sales.
- Whatnot tiers. Above $15,000 of sales in 28 days, Whatnot’s commission drops. See Whatnot’s 2026 commission tiers for the full rate card.
- State sales tax on Whatnot’s fees, which Whatnot deducts in a handful of states.
To run your own item, use the Whatnot fee calculator and the eBay fee calculator, or put one sale through every platform at once with the fee comparison.
Rates as of Oct 2026, quoted from Whatnot’s and eBay’s official help pages (checked October 4, 2026). Dollar figures are estimates computed with our fee engine. Flip Profit HQ is not affiliated with Whatnot or eBay.