New eBay Live Fee Rates Undercut Regular Selling Costs, Rival Whatnot
eBay has introduced a public fee schedule for eBay Live, giving sellers a clearer view of livestream selling costs as the company expands the format across the US and international markets.
Under the new US rate card, sellers pay a combined 6.9% plus $0.30 per order for coins, bullion and eligible sneakers sold through eBay Live. All other categories carry a combined fee of 8.9% plus $0.30.
The rates combine commission with a 2.9% payment processing fee, similar to livestream competitor Whatnot’s fee structure.
For coins, bullion and sneakers, eBay charges a 4% commission capped at $100 per item, reaching the cap at $2,500. Other categories carry a 6% commission with the same cap, reached at approximately $1,667.
eBay is also temporarily reducing the fixed fee from $0.30 to $0.10 for Live orders of $10 or less through December 31, 2026.
New Public Rates Replace Opaque Live Fee Deals
The most significant change may be that eBay is publishing a standardized public rate card at all.
Until now, eBay had not disclosed a generally applicable fee schedule for eBay Live. Selling access remained controlled through applications and invitations, with participants apparently receiving individualized or promotional arrangements. eBay has also offered temporary incentives, including 3% fees during its 48 Hours of Drops event.
Liz Morton
Some sellers previously indicated their Live fees were well below regular marketplace rates and competing platforms, but undisclosed and potentially varying terms made direct comparisons difficult and raised questions about how heavily eBay was subsidizing selected participants.
The new schedule brings more transparency, though eBay UK says affected sellers were contacted directly, suggesting some existing participants may have been moved from earlier negotiated or promotional rates.
Some established sellers may now be paying more than they did under earlier private arrangements.
eBay Live Versus Regular eBay Fees
For most US sellers without a qualifying Store subscription, eBay’s standard final value fee is 13.6% of the total amount of the sale up to $7,500, plus a fixed order fee.
An item in most categories sold through eBay Live is charged 8.9%, 4.7 percentage points below the typical 13.6% non-Store rate. The difference grows substantially on expensive items because the Live commission is capped.
On a $5,000 Live sale in an “all other” category, the commission would stop at $100 while the 2.9% processing fee would continue. The combined percentage-based charge would be $245, an effective rate of 4.9% before the fixed fee, compared with $680 under a typical 13.6% marketplace rate.
Store subscribers generally pay 12.7% in most categories, including 9% for most coins, 12.35% for trading cards and 7% for eligible sneakers priced at $150 or more. Non-Store sellers generally pay 13.25% for coins and trading cards and 8% for eligible sneakers.
Coins therefore receive one of the largest Live discounts, falling to 6.9%, while trading cards drop to 8.9%. The difference is much smaller for sneakers, which already receive unusually low marketplace rates.
Live rates also appear to apply regardless of Store subscription, reducing one of the traditional financial advantages of paying for a Store.
Free Listings And Live Advertising Treatment
Listings created through eBay Live carry no insertion fee, while applicable insertion fees on existing listings moved into an event are credited within 30 days.
eBay is also waiving Promoted Listings General fees on Live sales and issuing credits when an ad fee is charged before the transaction is reclassified. Cost-per-click advertising charges may still apply.
That could make Live particularly attractive to sellers who promote a large share of their inventory, especially following eBay’s expansion of Promoted Listings attribution earlier this year.
Liz Morton
A seller paying a 10% Promoted Listings General rate on top of a regular 13.6% final value fee could face combined marketplace and advertising costs approaching 24% on an attributed sale. Through Live, the base fee could fall to 8.9% while the General ad charge is waived.
eBay Narrows Live Transaction Attribution
eBay previously allowed certain purchase commitments made within four days after an event to receive Live fees. Now, only purchases or commitments made during the event receive the lower fees; later orders are charged standard marketplace rates.
Case Break transactions remain included in Live gross merchandise volume, but ordinary post-event purchases no longer receive the lower rate.
The narrower definition may reduce disputes over attribution, though it also limits the benefit for sellers whose broadcasts generate purchases after the event ends.
UK And International eBay Live Rates
The same basic structure has been introduced in the UK, adjusted for eBay’s local processing rate.
UK sellers pay a 4% commission plus 2.42% processing for coins, bullion and eligible sneakers, producing a combined rate of 6.42% plus £0.30 per order.
All other categories carry a 6% commission plus 2.42% processing, for a combined 8.42% plus £0.30.
The £0.30 fixed fee is also temporarily reduced to £0.10 for orders of £10 or less through December 31, 2026.
eBay Live is also available in Australia, Germany, France, Italy, and Canada though local rates may vary by currency, taxes and seller agreement.
How eBay Live Compares To Whatnot
eBay calculates both commission and processing fees on the total sale amount, including shipping, handling and tax. Whatnot applies commission only to the item price and processing fees to the full checkout amount, making direct comparisons based on headline percentages imperfect.
Whatnot charges an 8% commission plus 2.9% processing and $0.30 per transaction for most US categories, producing a headline rate of 10.9% plus $0.30. Coins and money receive a reduced 4% commission, bringing the combined rate to 6.9%.
Under a limited-time offer, Whatnot caps commission calculations for coins at the first $1,500 of the item price. Comics, TCG, Sports Singles and qualifying Toys & Hobbies receive similar treatment.
Both platforms advertise a 6.9% coin rate, but Whatnot applies commission only to the item price and temporarily caps the commissionable amount at $1,500, limiting commission to $60. eBay’s $100 cap is reached at $2,500 and is calculated on the total sale amount.
For TCG and Sports Singles covered by Whatnot’s standard US rate, eBay has the lower headline rate at 8.9%, compared with 10.9% on Whatnot.
Whatnot’s temporary $1,500 threshold narrows that difference on expensive cards by limiting its commission to $120, compared with eBay’s $100 commission cap reached at approximately $1,667.
Whatnot may still be more competitive in some transactions because its commission excludes shipping and tax. It also remains more broadly accessible to sellers, while eBay Live is curated and approval-based.
eBay Raises The Stakes On Live
The rate card comes as eBay increases investment in Live through its “Meanwhile on eBay Live” campaign, affiliate support, international expansion and tests connecting inventory owners with experienced hosts.
Liz Morton
Publishing the rates removes some uncertainty and makes eBay Live easier to compare with Whatnot. It also makes the financial advantages offered to approved Live sellers much clearer.
Regular sellers in many major categories continue paying roughly 12% to 15%, often before advertising costs, while Live sellers can pay less than 9%, avoid insertion fees and receive a Promoted Listings General waiver.
For sellers able to gain access and make livestreaming work, the savings are substantial. For the broader seller base, the new rate card is another example of eBay directing its deepest discounts and product support toward selected growth initiatives.
