2026-09-13 · 2 min read
Marketplace fees: revenue, payout and profit explained
Follow a 1,200-unit sale through commission, shipping, service fees and VAT. Understand why a marketplace payout is not the same as profit.
Enter the listing price and the fees your marketplace charges. The payout figure is what reaches your bank account; the profit figure subtracts your product cost and the VAT you owe on the sale.
Commission is taken on the gross listing price, which is how most marketplaces bill it. VAT is backed out of the same gross figure, so the VAT line is what you collected on behalf of the tax office rather than income. Profit is payout minus that VAT minus your product cost. Input VAT on your own purchases is not deducted here — if you reclaim it, your real profit is higher.
Follow a 1,200-unit sale through commission, shipping, service fees and VAT. Understand why a marketplace payout is not the same as profit.