What Is Take Rate? Platform Fee Formula & Benchmarks (2026)
Take rate is the share a platform keeps from every transaction it facilitates, as a percentage of gross merchandise value (GMV). The formula is: take rate = platform revenue ÷ facilitated GMV × 100%. For a seller, take rate is the all-in cost of selling on a platform — commission, payment and fulfillment fees combined as a share of your price — and it comes straight out of your margin.
To see how these fees land on per-product profit, use our profit calculator.
The formula
Platform view: take rate = total platform revenue ÷ platform GMV × 100%
Seller view: your effective take rate ≈ (platform commission + payment fee + other platform fees) ÷ sale price × 100%
The higher the take rate, the less room you have to cover COGS and ads. It's the first fee deducted after gross margin.
Worked example
An item sells for $40. The platform charges an 8% commission ($3.20) plus roughly 2% payment processing ($0.80), totaling $4.00. Your take rate on this order = 4.00 ÷ 40 × 100% = 10%. So on platform fees alone, every $40 sale hands $4 to the platform, leaving $36 to cover cost of goods, ads and profit.
Take-rate benchmarks by platform (approximate)
| Platform | Effective seller take (approx.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok Shop | ~6%-8% + payment fee | Referral/commission, often with promos |
| Amazon | ~8%-15% referral | Varies by category, plus FBA fees |
| Etsy | ~6.5% transaction + payment | Plus listing and ad fees |
| eBay | ~10%-13% final value | Includes payment processing |
| Shopify (own store) | 0% platform take | Only ~2.9%+$0.30 payment fee |
Rates vary by category, promotions and region — always confirm on the official fee page. An own store (Shopify) has almost no platform take, but you carry the acquisition cost yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Is take rate the same as commission? Commission is usually just one part of take rate. Take rate is everything the platform keeps (commission + payment + any fulfillment/ad fees) as a share of GMV — a broader measure.
Should I avoid high-take-rate platforms? Not necessarily. High-take platforms often bring built-in traffic and conversion, saving your acquisition cost. Weigh take rate against acquisition: an own store has a low take, but you carry all the CAC.
How does take rate affect my profit? It's deducted straight from gross margin. Gross margin minus take rate (and shipping) lands near contribution margin — the real room your ads have to work with.
Do platform take rates change? Yes. Platforms adjust fees and run limited-time promotions, and new-seller commission waivers are common. Always check the current official rate before pricing.
To see how each TikTok Shop fee peels off the sale price layer by layer and what net profit remains, read the fees and profit-margin breakdown.
Leads EshopPick's product-research and data desk. Focuses on TikTok Shop US sourcing frameworks, fee-and-profit math, and platform comparisons. Every take is grounded in our weekly real-sales data and Opportunity Score — practical calls, not chart-chasing.