Whatnot fees for card sellers come in two parts. Commission is a tiered percentage of the item price after your coupons: 8% at the Standard tier for Sports and TCG in the US, falling to 6.5% at the top public tier (structure in force since 21 September 2026). Payment processing is 2.9% + $0.30 per order on everything the buyer paid, including shipping and sales tax. On a $50 single, that comes to $6.01 in fees. The Whatnot fee calculator runs the same numbers for any price, tier and category.
| Sale price | $50.00 |
|---|---|
| Commission8% × 50.00 item price | −$4.00 |
| Payment processing2.9% × 55.00 buyer paid + 0.30 | −$1.90 |
| You keep | $44.10 |
| Card cost | −$15.00 |
| Profit on the card | +$29.10 |
Fees are 11.8% of the sale price. Buyer-paid shipping goes to Whatnot's prepaid label, so it is not yours to keep.
Commission tiers since 21 September 2026
Whatnot replaced its flat commission with a tiered rate card on 21 September 2026. Your tier comes from your total sales across all categories in a four-week (28-day) period, and it sets your rate for the next period. A few rules matter for part-time sellers:
- The rate is locked for the whole period. Crossing a threshold mid-period lowers next period’s rate, not today’s.
- Every period starts from zero. Sales do not carry over.
- Cancelled orders, private shows and local pickup orders are subtracted from your total.
- Live sales use the show’s category; marketplace and Shop sales use the product’s category.
- Existing sellers were placed using their sales from 24 August to 20 September 2026.
US rate card (as of 25 October 2026)
| Four-week sales | Sports | TCG | Fashion | Other Collectibles | Coins | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard, $0–14,999 | 8.00% | 8.00% | 8.00% | 8.00% | 4.00% | 8.00% |
| Tier 1, $15,000–34,999 | 7.75% | 7.75% | 7.00% | 7.25% | 3.90% | 7.00% |
| Tier 2, $35,000–49,999 | 7.50% | 7.50% | 6.50% | 6.50% | 3.80% | 6.50% |
| Tier 3, $50,000–99,999 | 7.25% | 7.25% | 5.50% | 6.00% | 3.70% | 5.50% |
| Tier 4, $100,000–249,999 | 7.00% | 7.00% | 5.00% | 5.00% | 3.60% | 4.00% |
| Tier 5, $250,000–499,999 | 6.75% | 6.75% | 4.50% | 5.00% | 3.55% | 4.00% |
| Tier 6, $500,000+ | 6.50% | 6.50% | 4.50% | 5.00% | 3.50% | 4.00% |
Most part-time card sellers will sit at Standard: $15,000 in four weeks is a lot of base and mid-range singles. Whatnot’s “as low as 3%” headline refers to custom rates for its highest-volume sellers who work with an account manager. It is not on the public rate card.
UK in brief
UK Sports and TCG commission starts at 6.67% (£0–9,999) and steps down to 5.25% at £85,000+. Processing is 2.42% + £0.25 per order. Whatnot adds VAT to its commission and fees for sellers who are not VAT-registered; VAT-registered sellers account for it themselves. Our UK card sellers and HMRC guide covers the tax side.
Premier Shop discount ends 1 November
Through 31 October 2026, the 10% Premier Shop discount applies on top of your tier rate (Whatnot’s example: a 5% rate becomes 4.5%; at Standard, 8% becomes 7.2%). From 1 November 2026, Premier Shop no longer includes a commission discount. The badge, discoverability and priority support stay.
What commission and processing are charged on
The two fees have different bases, and that is where most hand calculations go wrong.
| Fee | Charged on | Rate (US) |
|---|---|---|
| Commission | Item price after your coupons (Whatnot’s “Post Coupon Price”) | Your tier rate for the category |
| Processing | Everything the buyer paid: item + shipping + sales tax | 2.9% + $0.30 per order |
Whatnot’s Weekly Orders Report defines Post Coupon Price as “the amount on which you are charged commission.” Shipping and the buyer’s sales tax never enter the commission base. Processing, though, is charged on the full “Buyer Paid” amount, so the tax you never keep still costs you 2.9%.
Worked example: a $50 single
A Pokémon single sells for $50.00 at auction. The buyer pays $5.00 shipping to the prepaid Whatnot label and $4.00 sales tax. You are at the Standard tier.
| Line | Arithmetic | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer paid | $50.00 + $5.00 + $4.00 | $59.00 |
| Commission | 8% × $50.00 | $4.00 |
| Processing | 2.9% × $59.00 = $1.711, rounded to $1.71, + $0.30 | $2.01 |
| Total fees | $4.00 + $2.01 | $6.01 |
| You keep | $50.00 − $6.01 | $43.99 |
The $5.00 shipping pays for the label and the $4.00 tax goes to the state, so $43.99 is what actually lands in your balance. Total fees are 12.0% of the item price. Subtract what the card cost you and you have your profit; if it came out of a box, our break cost basis guide shows how to set that number.
The 0% commission above $1,500
Since 14 January 2026, Whatnot has charged 0% commission on the part of an individual order’s price above $1,500 in select categories. For card sellers that means Trading Card Games, Entertainment Cards and the Sports Singles subcategories (Football, Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, Hockey, UFC and Wrestling Singles). Sports breaks and Surprise Products are excluded, so a mystery pack or a break spot does not qualify even if it clears $1,500. Processing still applies to the full amount.
Example: a graded TCG single sells for $2,000 at the Standard tier, with no buyer-paid shipping or tax for simplicity.
| Line | Arithmetic | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Commission | 8% × first $1,500; 0% on the other $500 | $120.00 |
| Processing | 2.9% × $2,000 = $58.00, + $0.30 | $58.30 |
| Total fees | $178.30 | |
| You keep | $2,000 − $178.30 | $1,821.70 |
Without the promotion, commission would be $160.00 and total fees $218.30, so the promo saves $40.00 on this card. List the card in the right Singles subcategory, or the reduced rate will not apply. Whatnot calls this “a limited-time promotion” that it can modify or end “at any time”, so check the help page before pricing a big slab around it.
Giveaways, tips and seller-paid shipping
Giveaways. A giveaway has a $0 price, so there is no commission. You pay its shipping, including international shipping if you allow it, and Whatnot deducts it from your balance when the giveaway is run (your balance can go negative). In the Weekly Orders Report a giveaway shows as Buy Format “Giveaway” with a negative Transaction Amount. Its real cost is the card’s basis plus that postage.
Tips. Whatnot’s tips page says “Sellers receive 100% of the tip amount” and that it charges no commission on tips. The fee pages do not separately say whether processing is taken on tips, so we could not confirm it either way; check the Tips rows in your weekly report.
Shipping. By default the buyer pays shipping on a prepaid Whatnot label, and it is not your income or your cost. You pay only for free or discounted shipping you offer, giveaway shipping and label adjustments.
State sales tax on Whatnot’s fees
In some states Whatnot must charge sales tax on its own fees, deducted from US sellers’ earnings. As of 17 October 2026:
| Fee taxed | States |
|---|---|
| Commission | DC, Hawaii, New Mexico, West Virginia |
| Payment processing | Connecticut (special 1% rate), Hawaii, New Mexico, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas (standard rate reduced by 20%), West Virginia |
Whatnot’s own example: a Houston seller with $100 of buyer payments pays $3.20 of processing, and tax on it at 8.25% reduced by 20% (6.6%) adds $0.21. Resale certificates do not exempt you from this tax. The weekly report shows it in the Tax on Commission and Tax on Payment Processing Fee columns. Sales tax you owe on your own sales, at card shows for example, is a separate question covered in our card show sales tax guide.
Tracking fees per show
Whatnot shows the rate charged on each order in Seller Hub, but per-show profit takes more work. The Weekly Orders Report (Financials, Statements, Download) lists Commission Fee and Payment Processing Fee for every completed order. Import it into the Pullsheet ledger and each sale carries its exact fees, card cost and show, so the P&L tab shows profit after fees rather than gross sales. The post-show pick list guide walks through the full routine, and Whatnot taxes covers what to do with the totals at year end.
This guide explains Whatnot’s published fee rules as of 17 October 2026; it is not tax advice, and Whatnot can change its rates, so check your rate card in Seller Hub.