Why small items feel the fees more
Most Etsy fees are percentages, but a payment processing fee also has a fixed part: 14 TL per order for Turkish sellers, $0.25 for the US order shown in the fees guide. On a 1,000 TL order that’s a small slice. On a 300 TL pair of earrings it isn’t.
Fee share at three prices (Turkey)
Using the official Turkey rates: 6.5% transaction fee, 6.5% + 14 TL payment processing and 1.67% regulatory operating fee, with 20% VAT on the fees when no VAT ID is entered. The base is item price plus shipping. No buyer tax, currency conversion or ads are included.
| Order total | Fees before VAT | Share | With 20% VAT on fees | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 TL | 58.01 TL | 19.3% | 69.61 TL | 23.2% |
| 600 TL | 102.02 TL | 17.0% | 122.42 TL | 20.4% |
| 1,000 TL | 160.70 TL | 16.1% | 192.84 TL | 19.3% |
A 300 TL order loses almost a quarter to fees, and this table hasn’t yet counted the listing fee, currency conversion or Offsite Ads. If an ad click leads to the sale, Offsite Ads takes another 15% of the order.
US payment account for comparison: in the US order we showed, a $54.98 subtotal paid $5.60 in fees, 10.2%.
Set a price floor
Add up everything the order costs you, then divide by what is left after fees and the profit you want:
Price = (materials + packaging + shipping you pay) ÷ (1 − fee share − profit share)
Example in Turkey: 180 TL for materials, packaging and shipping, a 23% fee share and a 25% profit target. 180 ÷ (1 − 0.23 − 0.25) = 180 ÷ 0.52 = about 346 TL. Because the fixed fee shrinks as the price rises, the true fee share at that price is slightly lower, so it’s a safe estimate.
Practical ways to protect the margin
- Raise the average order, not only the price. A matching set or a gift option moves the order total and spreads the fixed fee.
- Shipping counts. Fees apply to the shipping you charge, so hiding shipping in the item price doesn’t reduce them.
- Test discounts against the floor. A 10% shop discount on a 300 TL item takes 30 TL out of an order where fees are already near 70 TL.
- Know what Offsite Ads would cost. On low-priced items, 15% on an attributed order can erase your profit.
Where I would start
- Pick three bestsellers and calculate the fee share with your own prices.
- Compare with your Earnings tab on a real order.
- Set a price floor and check which listings sit below it.
- Then work on the listing itself: photos, sizes and materials that sell jewelry.
Pricing and shipping setup are part of the Etsy Consulting: Essential package, if you would like help with them.
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Rules, numbers and dates change often. This page reflects the sources below as checked on Nov 9, 2026. Confirm current figures with the official source before you act.