Why you pay two fees on every sale
Published August 9, 2026
Quick answer
Nearly every sale is billed twice: once by the platform for the introduction, once by the payment processor for moving the money. Etsy's headline 6.5% transaction fee is really $9.95 on a $100 sale once processing and listing costs are added, because processing is charged separately and quoted separately.
The two layers
The first layer is what the platform charges for access to its buyers: eBay's 13.6%, Amazon's 15% referral, Etsy's 6.5% transaction fee. The second is what it costs to take the money: typically around 2.9% plus $0.30. Marketplaces bundle both into one payout and rarely present them as one number, which is why the fee people quote is almost always the smaller half.
Etsy is the clearest example
Etsy's transaction fee is 6.5%, which sounds modest. On a $100 sale the actual total is $9.95 once payment processing and the $0.20 listing fee are included. Nothing is hidden and nothing is unusual about it, but a seller pricing against "6.5%" is working from a number that is roughly a third of the truth.
Running your own store does not remove the second layer
Shopify replaces the marketplace cut with a monthly plan, but processing does not go away: Basic is $39 a month plus 2.9% and $0.30 per transaction. On a $100 order at 100 orders a month that is $3.59 all in. The saving against a marketplace is real, but it comes from removing the first layer only. Standalone Stripe on the same $100 order is $3.20, and that is the floor nobody gets below.
What to do about it
Price against your net, not the headline rate. Run the sale through a calculator that includes processing before you set a price, and do it again whenever you change platform, because the two layers combine differently everywhere. The number that matters is what lands in your account, and it is never the percentage on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Why are there two fees on one sale?
One pays the platform for bringing you the buyer, the other pays the payment processor for moving the money. They are separate services and are billed separately even when they arrive as a single deduction.
What does Etsy really charge on a $100 sale?
$9.95, leaving $90.05. The 6.5% transaction fee is only part of it; payment processing and the $0.20 listing fee make up the rest.
Can I avoid payment processing fees?
No. Every card payment carries a processing cost. You can lower it by using ACH or bank transfer where the buyer allows it, but there is no route to zero.