Fee breakdown
How Much Does Etsy Take From a $30 POD Sale?
A $30 print-on-demand sale is not $30 of profit. Etsy fees are calculated on the order amount, and POD sellers still need to subtract production cost, fulfillment shipping, and sometimes Offsite Ads.
This example uses a $30 item with $5 buyer-paid shipping, so the order amount is $35 before marketplace fees and fulfillment costs.
Open this $30 sale in the calculatorScenario: $30 item price, $5 shipping charged to the buyer, $11.25 POD product cost, and $4.50 actual shipping cost.
Gross order amount: $35.00
Without Offsite Ads
- Listing fee: $0.20
- Transaction fee estimate: $2.28
- US payment processing estimate: $1.30
- Total Etsy fee estimate: $3.78
- POD product and shipping cost: $15.75
- Estimated net profit: $15.48
In this no-Offsite-Ads scenario, the order still loses $3.78 to marketplace and payment fees before the POD provider cost is deducted.
With 15% Offsite Ads
- Listing fee: $0.20
- Transaction fee estimate: $2.28
- US payment processing estimate: $1.30
- Offsite Ads estimate: $5.25
- Total Etsy fee estimate: $9.03
- POD product and shipping cost: $15.75
- Estimated net profit: $10.23
Offsite Ads reduce the example profit by $5.25. That is why sellers should test both the normal order and Offsite Ads order before deciding on a listing price.
What this means for pricing
If your target profit is $10, this example is still above target with Offsite Ads. But if your product cost, shipping cost, discount, or ad spend is higher, the same $30 listing can quickly become fragile.
The safer workflow is to test three cases before publishing: no ads, 15% Offsite Ads, and free shipping.
Try the related calculators
Sources and assumptions
This is a US-seller estimate and does not include taxes, regulatory operating fees, refunds, gift wrapping, multi-quantity renewal behavior, or provider-specific discounts. Confirm your actual fees in your Etsy payment account.