How to Calculate Your Real Reselling Profit (After All Fees)

Why Most Resellers Don't Know Their Real Profit

Here's a hard truth: most resellers think they're making money, but they're not actually sure. They see money coming in, but between platform fees, payment processing, shipping, and the cost of the item — the real profit is a mystery.

Let's fix that.

The Real Profit Formula

Your actual profit on any sale is:

Profit = Sale Price - Platform Fees - Payment Fees - Shipping Cost - Item Cost

Simple, right? But the devil is in the details.

Breaking Down the Fees

Platform Fees by Marketplace

Payment Processing Fees

If the platform doesn't include payment processing:

PayPal: ~2.9% + £0.30

Stripe: ~2.9% + £0.20

Depop Payments: ~2.9% + £0.30

Don't Forget Shipping

If you offer "free shipping," you're paying for it. Factor it in:

Royal Mail 2nd Class Small Parcel: ~£3.20

Royal Mail 1st Class Small Parcel: ~£4.20

Evri/Hermes: ~£2.90

Real Example: £20 eBay Sale

Let's calculate profit on a £20 item sold on eBay:

Sale price: £20.00

eBay fee (12.8%): -£2.56

Shipping (2nd class): -£3.20

Item cost (charity shop find): -£3.00

Real profit: £11.24

That's a 56% margin — not bad! But notice how different that is from just seeing "£20" in your account.

The Tool That Does This For You

Calculating this manually for every sale is tedious. That's exactly why we built Ordernise.

Just enter:

What you paid for the item

What platform you're selling on

The sale price

We automatically calculate fees and show you the real profit — instantly.

Try Ordernise free →</a>

Quick Tips for Better Margins

Know your break-even price before listing

Factor in packaging costs (poly mailers, boxes, tape)

Track your time — your time has value too

Batch similar items to reduce shipping costs

Use an app instead of spreadsheets

*Stop guessing your margins. Start your free Ordernise trial</a> and know your real profit on every sale.*