What you really make per online sale
A €25 sale rarely means €25 in your pocket. Between the customer's payment and your bank account sit the product cost, the platform's cut, payment processing, shipping, packaging and the cost of the occasional return. Here's how to add them up, plus a free calculator you can use (and link to).
The formula
Profit per sale = sale price − product cost − platform fee − payment fee − shipping − packaging − returns allowance
- Platform fee: usually a percentage of the sale, sometimes plus a fixed fee. Check your platform's current fee page; rates differ by country and category.
- Payment fee: card or wallet processing, often a percentage plus a small fixed amount.
- Shipping and packaging: what you pay, not what the customer pays.
- Returns allowance: if 1 in 20 orders comes back unsellable, set aside about 5% of the price.
Free profit-per-sale calculator
Estimates only; not financial or tax advice. The default numbers are illustrative only (as of October 2026), not any platform's real rates. Enter your own current fees.
Three things that change the answer most
- Free shipping moves the shipping cost onto you. Price it in.
- Discounts come straight off profit, not off revenue: a 20% discount on a 25% margin product leaves very little.
- Small orders suffer most from fixed fees.
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Bloggers and teachers are welcome to link to this page. Please credit "Fernbrook Guides".
General education only. Estimates only; not financial, tax or accounting advice. Check your platform's current fees. No particular profit result is promised. Created with AI assistance. Amazon is a trademark of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates; Fernbrook Guides is not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by Amazon.