The listing fee: $0.20, charged far more often than most sellers expect
It is the smallest fee on the invoice and the one that surprises people most — because it is charged per item, not per order, and it keeps coming back every four months.
Every time the $0.20 lands
| Trigger | What you pay |
|---|---|
| You publish a new listing | $0.20 |
| The listing auto-renews (every 4 months) | $0.20 |
| An item sells and the listing is relisted | $0.20 |
| Extra units on a multi-quantity order | $0.20 per additional unit |
Etsy bills the fee as USD 0.20 and converts it to your shop currency, so a UK shop pays roughly £0.16 and a euro shop roughly €0.18. The listed figure drifts a little with the exchange rate.
Per item, not per order — the part people miss
If a buyer orders three of the same item in one order, the listing fee is charged three times, not once.
| Quantity in one order | Listing fee | Total fees on a $25 item | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 unit | $0.20 | $2.83 | $22.17 |
| 3 units | $0.60 | $7.98 | $67.02 |
| 10 units | $2.00 | $26.00 | $224.00 |
Why this matters more on cheap items
Because the fee is a flat amount, its weight depends entirely on the price. On a $5 item the listing fee alone is 4% of the price. On a $100 item it is two-tenths of one percent.
Add the fixed $0.25 processing charge and cheap listings carry a heavy flat burden before any percentage fee applies:
| Item price | Flat fees | As % of price |
|---|---|---|
| $5 | $0.45 | 9.0% |
| $15 | $0.45 | 3.0% |
| $38 | $0.45 | 1.2% |
| $100 | $0.45 | 0.5% |
This is why low-priced listings feel like they never make money. It is not the percentages — it is the flat charges eating a fixed slice of a small number.
What a catalogue actually costs to keep alive
A listing stays active for four months and then renews, so each listing is charged roughly three times a year whether or not it sells.
| Active listings | Renewals per year | Annual listing cost |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 30 | $6 |
| 40 | 120 | $24 |
| 100 | 300 | $60 |
It is not a large number, but it is a real one — and it is why sellers with hundreds of dormant listings should think about whether all of them earn their keep.
Two related one-off and optional costs
- Shop set-up fee. Etsy introduced a one-time set-up fee in September 2024 — commonly $15 USD, up to $29 depending on country and the verification steps involved. It is charged once per shop, including additional shops, and is not refundable.
- Etsy Plus. The optional subscription is $10 a month and includes listing credits. If you renew a large catalogue regularly, the credits can offset part of the cost — but only if you would be paying for the other features anyway.
Quick answers
Does the listing fee apply when an item sells?
Yes. When an item sells, the listing is renewed automatically and another $0.20 is charged — this is how a sold-out listing reappears in your shop.
Do I pay it on drafts?
No. Only published listings are charged. Drafts cost nothing.
Is the fee refunded if I delete a listing?
No. Once a listing is published, the fee has been charged. Deleting it does not return it.
Where does it show in my numbers?
In the fee calculator, the listing fee is shown as a rate multiplied by the quantity — so ordering three items shows the fee tripling, exactly as Etsy charges it.
Rates last verified October 2026. Etsy bills this fee in USD and converts it, so local-currency figures are approximate. Confirm current terms in Etsy's Fees & Payments Policy.