Whatnot · break economics

Whatnot fee calculator

Whatnot is where most live card breaks happen, and where most breakers discover that a good night on screen was a thin night in the bank. Put your real numbers in below and the calculator shows the break-even spot count, the floor price, and what happens when demand comes in short.

Free break calculator

Run the numbers.

Step 1 — where are you selling?

This fills the fee fields below. Replace them with your own effective rate once you have a payout statement.

Using 10.9% + $0.30 per sold spot. How Whatnot charges breakers

Product photo

Add the exact box or card set you are pricing. The image stays in this browser during the free calculation.

Sealed product costYour all-in inventory cost, including tax and inbound shipping.$Total spotsThe total number of packs, teams, characters, or other listed spots.Price per spotWhat one buyer pays before taxes and buyer-paid shipping.$Expected sell-through85%A planning scenario for demand, not a partial-opening rule.

Platform + processing10.9%Use the current percentage charged by your selling platform.Fixed fee per sold spotPer-order processing fee, if your platform charges one.$Fulfillment per sold spotOnly seller-paid packaging, labels, postage, or handling.$Giveaway budgetYour cost for promotional packs, cards, or prizes.$Supplies + other costsSleeves, top loaders, labels, and show-specific overhead.$Target profitThe net amount you want left after every entered cost.$

The sample uses public product specs and illustrative operating costs. Replace every assumption with your actual receipt, platform fee schedule, packaging, and shipping responsibility.

Estimates depend on the fees and costs you enter. Confirm current platform terms before committing inventory. Sell-through is a planning scenario, not permission to open unfilled product.

Human-checked numbers

Want a second pair of eyes?

You know the cards better than I do. I know the spreadsheet better than you do. Send me a break and I will tell you what it actually nets after fees, shipping, supplies, and the spots that never sell.

Five each week

Free

Free break check

Send the break you are planning. I run the numbers and send the verdict back, at no charge.

One planned break, any selling platform
Break-even spot count and spot price
The number most sellers get wrong
Plain email reply, usually the same day
In exchange: permission to publish it anonymised

Request a free check

Flat price

$49

Break Audit

A decision-ready economics report for one product or planned break.

One product and one selling platform
Break-even, fee check, and discount ceiling
70%, 85%, and 100% sell-through scenarios
Go, reprice, or skip verdict in a polished PDF
Delivered by email within one business day

Non-custodial

We never touch your inventory proceeds or wallet keys.

Your real costs

The report uses your fees, shipping, and sell-through.

Ready to share

A clean report for partners, sellers, or your own archive.

How the fee is built

What Whatnot charges a breaker

Seller commission: A percentage of the sale price
Payment processing: A percentage plus a flat charge per order
Shipping: Paid by whoever the listing says pays it

Confirm this against your own payout

Whatnot's commission is reported to vary by category, and trading cards are not always charged at the headline rate. Some sources describe reduced or waived commission on the portion of an order above a high threshold.
Because of that, the 10.9% seeded here is a combined starting figure, not your rate. Open one real payout statement, divide total fees by total sales, and use that number instead.

Rates seeded above were checked on 30 July 2026. Platforms change them without notice — verify at Whatnot Help Center.

Questions breakers ask

What percentage does Whatnot take from a break?

Whatnot charges a seller commission plus payment processing. The commission is reported to differ by category, so the only figure you should plan with is the effective rate from your own payout statement: total fees divided by total sales.

Do Whatnot fees come out before or after shipping?

Treat them separately. Commission and processing apply to what the buyer pays for the spot. Shipping is its own cost, and whether it lands on you or the buyer depends on how the show is listed. The calculator keeps the two apart so you can see which one is eating the margin.

How many spots do I need to sell to break even?

That depends on the sealed cost, the spot price, and every fee above. Enter them and the calculator returns the exact spot count, the required sell-through percentage, and the lowest spot price that still clears cost.

Want a second pair of eyes?

Send the break you are planning and I will run the numbers and send the verdict back, at no charge.

Get a free break check