What a sale really costs online

Sources

• Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, 2nd Quarter 2026 (released August 18, 2026) · U.S. Census Bureau, 2026
• Etsy, Inc. Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 · Etsy, Inc. (filed with the U.S. SEC), 2025
• Unisex Staple T-Shirt (Bella + Canvas 3001): price and US shipping · Printful, 2026
• Price List (Notice 123), effective October 4, 2026: USPS Ground Advantage retail prices · U.S. Postal Service, 2026
• 2025 Retail Returns Landscape (with Happy Returns) · National Retail Federation, 2025
• Shopify pricing: plans and online card rates with Shopify Payments (US) · Shopify, 2026
• Fees & Payments Policy · Etsy, Inc., 2026
• Etsy Payments Policy: payment processing fees by country · Etsy, Inc., 2026
• How much does it cost to sell on Amazon? Selling plans and referral fees · Amazon.com Services LLC, 2026
• Stripe pricing: standard rates for cards (US) · Stripe, 2026
• Wayfair Inc. Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 · Wayfair Inc. (filed with the U.S. SEC), 2025
• Unisex Heavy Blend Hoodie (Gildan 18500): price and US shipping · Printful, 2026

Every number

• $40example (example number: Simplified example: one printed T-shirt plus the shipping the customer pays.) · Simplified example: one printed T-shirt plus the shipping the customer pays.
• $34example (example number: Simplified example: the shirt's price in our example shop.) · Simplified example: the shirt's price in our example shop.
• $6example (example number: Simplified example: what our example shop charges the customer for shipping.) · Simplified example: what our example shop charges the customer for shipping.
• $4.90example (example number: Simplified example: what's left of the example order on your own website after every cost in the breakdown.) · Simplified example: what's left of the example order on your own website after every cost in the breakdown.
• $11.50example (example number: Simplified example: what's left of the example order in an Etsy shop after every cost in the breakdown.) · Simplified example: what's left of the example order in an Etsy shop after every cost in the breakdown.
• $4.78example (example number: Simplified example: what's left of the example order in a print-on-demand shop after every cost in the breakdown.) · Simplified example: what's left of the example order in a print-on-demand shop after every cost in the breakdown.
• 17.1%census.gov ·2026 · E-commerce as a share of all US retail sales, second quarter of 2026, seasonally adjusted: the quarterly release of August 2026. The page shows the newest release, so check that quarter when re-checking.
• $340.2Bcensus.gov ·2026 · US retail e-commerce sales in the second quarter of 2026, seasonally adjusted: the quarterly release of August 2026. The page shows the newest release, so check that quarter when re-checking.
• 86.5 millionsec.gov ·2025 · Active buyers on the Etsy marketplace at the end of 2025.
• 5.6 millionsec.gov ·2025 · Active sellers on the Etsy marketplace at the end of 2025.
• $9example (example number: Simplified example: a blank shirt plus a one-color print, bought in a batch of fifty.) · Simplified example: a blank shirt plus a one-color print, bought in a batch of fifty.
• $11.92printful.com ·2026 · Printful's price to the seller for a Bella + Canvas unisex T-shirt (its staple tee) with one print, at the time of writing.
• $4.95printful.com ·2026 · Printful's starting US shipping price for a T-shirt order, at the time of writing.
• $7example (example number: Simplified example: a label bought through the store platform, which sells them for less than the post office counter.) · Simplified example: a label bought through the store platform, which sells them for less than the post office counter.
• $9.35usps.com ·2026 · USPS Ground Advantage retail (counter) price for a package up to eight ounces to a mid-distance zone (zone five), in the price list that took effect in October 2026.
• $0.75example (example number: Simplified example: a mailer, tissue paper and a thank-you card.) · Simplified example: a mailer, tissue paper and a thank-you card.
• $1.50example (example number: Simplified example: money set aside on every order for returns: return labels, repacking and the odd shirt you can't resell.) · Simplified example: money set aside on every order for returns: return labels, repacking and the odd shirt you can't resell.
• 19.3%nrf.com ·2025 · The share of online sales retailers expected to be returned in 2025, in dollars (a survey-based estimate).
• $15example (example number: Simplified example: what the ads cost, on average, for each customer they bring: worked out in the cost-per-click ticket.) · Simplified example: what the ads cost, on average, for each customer they bring: worked out in the cost-per-click ticket.
• $6example (example number: Simplified example: what Etsy Ads cost, on average, for each sale they bring.) · Simplified example: what Etsy Ads cost, on average, for each sale they bring.
• 2.9%shopify.com ·2026 · Shopify's standard online card rate on its Basic plan, with Shopify Payments, at the time of writing (premium cards cost more).
• $0.30shopify.com ·2026 · Shopify's fee per online card payment on the Basic plan, on top of the percentage.
• $39shopify.com ·2026 · Shopify's Basic plan, paid month to month, at the time of writing.
• $29shopify.com ·2026 · Shopify's Basic plan per month when paid for a year at a time.
• 2%shopify.com ·2026 · Shopify's extra fee on its Basic plan when you use another payment company instead of Shopify Payments.
• 100example (example number: Simplified example: orders a month in our example shop.) · Simplified example: orders a month in our example shop.
• $0.39example (example number: Simplified example: the monthly plan shared out over the example shop's orders.) · Simplified example: the monthly plan shared out over the example shop's orders.
• $1.46example (example number: Worked out from Shopify's published standard card rate, on the example order.) · Worked out from Shopify's published standard card rate, on the example order.
• $1.85example (example number: Simplified example: the card fee plus the plan's share, on the example order.) · Simplified example: the card fee plus the plan's share, on the example order.
• 6.5%etsy.com ·2026 · Etsy's transaction fee: a share of the item price plus the shipping and gift wrap you charge.
• $0.20etsy.com ·2026 · Etsy's fee to list one item for four months, paid whether or not it sells.
• 3%etsy.com ·2026 · Etsy's payment processing fee for US shops, on the whole order including shipping.
• $0.25etsy.com ·2026 · Etsy's payment processing fee per US order, on top of the percentage.
• $2.60example (example number: Worked out from Etsy's published transaction fee, on the example order.) · Worked out from Etsy's published transaction fee, on the example order.
• $1.45example (example number: Worked out from Etsy's published payment processing fee, on the example order.) · Worked out from Etsy's published payment processing fee, on the example order.
• $4.25example (example number: Worked out from Etsy's published listing, transaction and processing fees, on the example order.) · Worked out from Etsy's published listing, transaction and processing fees, on the example order.
• 15%etsy.com ·2026 · Etsy's Offsite Ads fee on an order that came from one of its ads, for shops under its yearly sales threshold.
• $6example (example number: Worked out from Etsy's published Offsite Ads fee, on the example order.) · Worked out from Etsy's published Offsite Ads fee, on the example order.
• $10.25example (example number: Worked out from Etsy's published fees, including the Offsite Ads fee, on the example order.) · Worked out from Etsy's published fees, including the Offsite Ads fee, on the example order.
• 12%etsy.com ·2026 · Etsy's Offsite Ads fee once a shop has made its sales threshold in a year.
• $10,000etsy.com ·2026 · Sales over the prior year at which Etsy's Offsite Ads fee drops, and stops being optional.
• $100etsy.com ·2026 · The most Etsy's Offsite Ads fee takes from one order.
• 17%amazon.com ·2026 · Amazon's referral fee for clothing and accessories on total prices over its threshold.
• $20amazon.com ·2026 · The total price above which Amazon's clothing referral fee is at its top rate.
• $6.80example (example number: Worked out from Amazon's published referral fee for clothing, on the example order.) · Worked out from Amazon's published referral fee for clothing, on the example order.
• $0.99amazon.com ·2026 · Amazon's per-item fee on its Individual selling plan.
• $39.99amazon.com ·2026 · Amazon's Professional selling plan, per month.
• 1.5%stripe.com ·2026 · Stripe's extra fee for cards issued outside the US.
• 1%stripe.com ·2026 · Stripe's extra fee when a payment has to be converted to another currency.
• $38.54example (example number: Worked out from Shopify's published standard card rate, on the example order.) · Worked out from Shopify's published standard card rate, on the example order.
• $16.87example (example number: Simplified example: the printer's shirt and shipping prices above, added up.) · Simplified example: the printer's shirt and shipping prices above, added up.
• $1example (example number: Simplified example: the label minus the shipping the customer paid.) · Simplified example: the label minus the shipping the customer paid.
• $0.50example (example number: Simplified example: what one click on the shop's ad costs.) · Simplified example: what one click on the shop's ad costs.
• 30example (example number: Simplified example: about one visitor in this many buys.) · Simplified example: about one visitor in this many buys.
• 37.5%example (example number: Worked out: the example ad cost as a share of the example order.) · Worked out: the example ad cost as a share of the example order.
• $0.25example (example number: Simplified example: what one click on an Etsy Ads promotion costs.) · Simplified example: what one click on an Etsy Ads promotion costs.
• 24example (example number: Simplified example: about one Etsy visitor in this many buys.) · Simplified example: about one Etsy visitor in this many buys.
• $914.8Msec.gov ·2025 · Etsy's marketing expense, fiscal 2025.
• 31.7%sec.gov ·2025 · Etsy's marketing expense divided by its revenue, fiscal 2025, worked out from the annual report.
• 11.4%sec.gov ·2025 · Wayfair's advertising expense as a share of its net revenue, fiscal 2025.
• $1example (example number: Simplified example: what a click costs once holiday shoppers and big stores crowd in.) · Simplified example: what a click costs once holiday shoppers and big stores crowd in.
• $30example (example number: Simplified example: the holiday click price times the visitors it takes to make one sale.) · Simplified example: the holiday click price times the visitors it takes to make one sale.
• $0.50example (example number: Simplified example: what an Etsy Ads click costs in the holiday rush.) · Simplified example: what an Etsy Ads click costs in the holiday rush.
• $12example (example number: Simplified example: the holiday click price times the visitors it takes to make one sale.) · Simplified example: the holiday click price times the visitors it takes to make one sale.
• 25%example (example number: Simplified example: a Black Friday discount.) · Simplified example: a Black Friday discount.
• $8.50example (example number: Simplified example: the discount taken off the example shirt price.) · Simplified example: the discount taken off the example shirt price.
• $38example (example number: Simplified example: the example price plus a small rise.) · Simplified example: the example price plus a small rise.
• $4example (example number: Simplified example: a small price rise.) · Simplified example: a small price rise.
• 20example (example number: Simplified example: better photos and reviews, so fewer visitors leave without buying.) · Simplified example: better photos and reviews, so fewer visitors leave without buying.
• 16example (example number: Simplified example: better photos and reviews, so fewer visitors leave without buying.) · Simplified example: better photos and reviews, so fewer visitors leave without buying.
• $22.63printful.com ·2026 · Printful's price to the seller for a Gildan heavy blend hoodie with one print, at the time of writing.
• $8.79printful.com ·2026 · Printful's starting US shipping price for a hoodie order, at the time of writing.
• $11.70usps.com ·2026 · USPS Ground Advantage retail (counter) price for a package up to one pound to a mid-distance zone (zone five), in the price list that took effect in October 2026.
• $40example (example number: Simplified example: a starting price for the hoodie, before shipping, to change: it leaves less than the example target.) · Simplified example: a starting price for the hoodie, before shipping, to change: it leaves less than the example target.