Marketplace fees compared: Amazon, eBay and Pigu

Short answer: there is no single "cheapest" platform. Amazon typically charges 8–15 % per sale (depending on category) plus FBA logistics and a subscription fee; eBay charges roughly 11–14 % final value fee plus a small fixed per-order fee; and the Lithuanian Pigu marketplace usually works on a contract-negotiated commission (around 10–20 % by category). What actually decides the winner is not the headline percentage but your product price, category, whether you use the platform's warehouse, and which market you target. This article breaks down every fee, shows how each one eats into your margin, and helps you decide which marketplace fits your specific business model.

Fee percentages change and depend on category and country – always verify current rates on the platforms' official pages before deciding. The figures below are illustrative (2026).

Why platform fees decide whether selling is worth it

Most sellers pick a marketplace by traffic – more buyers, so I'll go there. That's reasonable but incomplete. Real profit depends not only on how many units you sell, but on how much is left after every platform deduction.

Marketplace fees fall into a few groups:

• Commission (referral / final value fee) – a percentage of each sale. This is the largest and most constant cost.
• Subscription – a fixed monthly seller-account fee (not required everywhere).
• Logistics fees – if you use the platform's warehouse (e.g. Amazon FBA): storage, pick, pack, ship.
• Extra fees – payment processing, currency conversion, on-platform advertising, returns.

The same product sold at the same price can yield very different profit across platforms. So before listing anything, run a simple calculation – how much actually lands in your pocket after all deductions. Our free margin calculator and our Amazon fee calculator make this quick.

Amazon: referral fee, FBA and subscription

Amazon is the largest international marketplace, but also has the most complex fee structure. The main costs:

1. Referral fee (sales commission)

A percentage of the final item price (including shipping). It varies by category:

• Most categories – around 15 %.
• Some (e.g. computer components, certain electronics) – 8–10 %.
• Some categories have a minimum referral fee (e.g. about 0.30 USD/EUR per unit), so for very cheap items the percentage effectively becomes a fixed amount.

2. FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) logistics fees

If you store goods in Amazon's warehouse and let them handle packing and shipping:

• Fulfillment fee – per order pick-and-ship; depends on item size and weight.
• Storage fee – monthly, for the space used; rises sharply during the peak season (October–December).
• Long-term / overstock fees – if goods sit too long.

3. Subscription

• Individual plan – no monthly fee, but an extra fixed fee per unit sold (about 0.99 EUR/USD). Fine if you sell < ~40 units/month.
• Professional plan – a fixed monthly fee (roughly ~39 EUR/USD), no per-unit fee. Worth it for higher-volume sellers.

Advertising (Sponsored Products) and returns handling are separate, variable costs. Amazon's strength is huge traffic and FBA logistics; its weakness is fee complexity and intense competition. Work out the exact numbers for your product with the Amazon fee calculator.

eBay: commissions and extra fees

eBay's structure is simpler than Amazon's and often more attractive for small or starting sellers.

• Final value fee – the main commission, charged on the total (item + shipping). For most categories – around 11–14 %.
• Fixed per-order fee – a small amount (roughly ~0.30 EUR/USD) on each sale.
• Insertion fees – a certain number of listings per month are free; beyond that you pay per extra listing.
• International payment / currency conversion fees if you sell to overseas buyers.
• Store subscription (optional) – a monthly plan giving more free listings and lower commissions; worth it for active sellers.

eBay's advantage is a lower entry barrier and suitability for used, collectible or niche items that can be sold auction-style. The downside is lower traffic in some categories than Amazon, and you handle logistics yourself (though intermediary fulfillment options exist).

Pigu and local platforms: model and costs

For Lithuanian and Baltic goods, Pigu (Pigu.lt, operating as "Pigu Group" across the Baltics) is often the best fit. Unlike Amazon or eBay, the Pigu marketplace model is usually set by individual contract, so exact numbers depend on negotiation and category.

Typical structure:

• Sales commission – depends on the product category, roughly 10–20 %.
• Possible registration / activation or monthly fee – per contract.
• Logistics services – Pigu offers its own warehousing and delivery options (similar to FBA), charged separately.
• Payment processing – usually included in the commission, but worth confirming in the contract.

The main advantage of a local platform is Lithuanian traffic, local trust, parcel-locker delivery and no need to deal with cross-border VAT, currency conversion or customs. The downside is a smaller audience than global platforms and less visibility for very niche items.

Alternatives for local selling: Varle.lt, price-aggregator sites, and your own online store, where you pay only for hosting and payment processing rather than a commission on every sale.

How each platform's fees affect your final margin

The impact is clearest with a concrete example. Say you sell an item for 40 EUR, its cost (landed) is 22 EUR, and the buyer covers shipping (we simplify logistics). Here's what's left after the platform commission (figures are illustrative):

| Platform | Commission (approx.) | Fixed fee | Deducted | Left after commission | Profit (minus 22 EUR cost) | |----------|----------------------|-----------|----------|-----------------------|----------------------------| | Amazon (15 %) | 6.00 EUR | – | 6.00 EUR | 34.00 EUR | 12.00 EUR | | eBay (12.5 %) | 5.00 EUR | ~0.30 EUR | 5.30 EUR | 34.70 EUR | 12.70 EUR | | Pigu (~15 %) | 6.00 EUR | – | 6.00 EUR | 34.00 EUR | 12.00 EUR | | Own store | payment ~1.5 % | ~0.25 EUR | ~0.85 EUR | 39.15 EUR | 17.15 EUR |

Key takeaways:

• Percentage commission hurts expensive items most. 15 % of 40 EUR is 6 EUR; on a 200 EUR item it's already 30 EUR. For pricey goods, your own store or a lower-commission platform pays back faster.
• Fixed fees hurt cheap items most. On a 5 EUR product, a 0.30 EUR fixed fee plus a minimum referral fee can swallow a large chunk of profit.
• FBA / platform logistics is not in the table, but in reality Amazon often adds another 3–6 EUR per unit – which can flip the calculation.
• Your own store looks most profitable per sale, but there you pay for traffic yourself (ads, SEO) – the marketplace commission is partly a fee for "free" buyer traffic.

To be sure, run the numbers for each product through the margin calculator – enter cost, price and commission and you'll instantly see the real margin.

Which platform fits which business model

There's no universally best marketplace – the right choice depends on what and to whom you sell:

1. Mass production / high volume, international market → Amazon. If you own a brand and can fund FBA and advertising, Amazon offers the largest traffic in Western markets. Suitable when the product margin can absorb a 15 % commission + logistics.
2. Used, niche, collectible items or beginners → eBay. Lower entry barrier, auction model and international reach without a mandatory subscription.
3. Goods aimed at the Lithuanian / Baltic market → Pigu or another local platform. Local trust, parcel-locker logistics, no cross-border VAT and customs puzzle.
4. Strong brand, repeat buyers, expensive goods → your own online store. No per-sale commission, you own the customer data and can communicate with buyers directly. The downside: you're responsible for traffic.

One often-forgotten detail is VAT and customs. Selling via Amazon or eBay into other EU countries may require registering for VAT abroad or using the OSS scheme; for non-EU markets you face customs and import VAT. A local Pigu or your own LT store simplifies these headaches. All of these variables must be included in your margin calculation – otherwise a "profitable" item can turn into a loss the moment it crosses a border. Always verify current VAT thresholds and rates with the relevant tax authority.

Often the smartest setup is a hybrid model: your main sales run through your own store, while marketplaces serve as an extra traffic source and a channel for acquiring new buyers.

Calculate the commissions with a calculator

The percentages in the table look small, but over a year they turn into thousands of euros. Before listing on any platform, it's worth calculating the exact numbers for your specific product and price.

Our Amazon fee calculator helps estimate the referral fee and FBA costs, while the margin calculator shows how much you actually earn after all deductions – whether you sell via Amazon, eBay, Pigu or your own store. You'll find more business calculators (VAT, salary, PayPal) in the tools section.

Want orders, invoices and stock levels to sync automatically between marketplaces and your accounting, with no manual work? Calculate your fees with our calculators now – and sell knowing your true margin instead of guessing it.