Selling fees on under $20 trading cards: what you keep
On a sub-$20 card, your proceeds are dominated by fixed costs and shipping, not the percentage fee. eBay's per-order fee plus a tracked label can erase 30–50% of a $5–$15 single, while Marketplace applies Binz fixed pricing on qualifying low prices. Storefront card transactions cost 3.25% + $0.40, covered by the buyer by default, with no separate seller commission.
A $12.00 card, no shipping
Compare seller proceeds using the published fee schedules. eBay figures are estimates; Pulltrader figures use the stated rates and assumptions.
| Selling method | Basis | Seller deductions | Seller deduction rate | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eBay (individual) | Estimated | $1.99 | 16.58% | $10.01 |
| eBay (Store subscriber) | Estimated | $1.88 | 15.67% | $10.12 |
| Marketplace — Free | Exact | $1.08 | 9% | $10.92 |
| Marketplace — Business | Exact | $0.60 | 5% | $11.40 |
| Your Pulltrader storefront3.25% + $0.40 per card transaction, covered by the buyer by default; no separate seller commission | Exact | $0.00 | 0% | $12.00 |
Your storefront keeps the full item price because the buyer pays the 3.25% + $0.40 platform fee at checkout — but you bring the buyer. The marketplace brings buyers and pays out 91–95% of the item by plan.
Why this is the answer for under $20 cards
Percentage fees are tiny on small dollar amounts, so the per-order fee and your shipping label decide the outcome. Selling singles one at a time is where low-value cards lose money.
What we recommend
Move low-value singles in bulk or lots, lean on Binz fixed pricing, and route demand to your storefront so a flat percentage doesn't get swamped by per-order costs.
Alternatives & trade-offs
- Bundle into lots to amortize one shipping label across many cards.
- Use Fulfilled by Pulltrader to aggregate small orders instead of packing each yourself.
Methodology & sources
- Pulltrader figures are exact, from the authoritative fee configuration (version 2026-06-01, effective 2026-06-01).
- eBay figures are estimated from eBay published selling fees, Trading Cards category (version 2026-06-27, effective 2026-06-27) and exclude promoted listings, international fees, sales tax, and your own shipping-label cost.
- Calculation version:
ebay:2026-06-27+pulltrader:2026-06-01.
Estimates for trading cards in USD. eBay figures are estimates of published rates, not guaranteed proceeds, and this is not financial advice. Spotted something off? support@pulltrader.app.
Explore Binz fixed-price selling
Fixed payouts on qualifying low-value cards.