For most single cards, TCGplayer vs eBay fees end up nearly the same. Sell a $20 card with no shipping or tax and TCGplayer keeps $2.95, so you get $17.05. eBay keeps $3.05 and sends you $16.95. Ten cents is the whole difference there. The gap only gets big on pricey cards, because TCGplayer's commission stops at $75 a card.
Type your card's price into the calculator above to check. If you charge shipping or the buyer pays sales tax, put those in too, because both sites take a cut of them.
TCGplayer vs eBay fees, side by side
TCGplayer splits its cut in two. There's a 10.75% commission on the card plus the shipping the buyer pays, with the card part capped at $75. Then a transaction fee of 2.5% of the full order, tax included, and $0.30 per order on top.
On eBay a trading card pays 13.25% of everything the buyer hands over, shipping and sales tax included. Then $0.40 gets added per order, or $0.30 if the order is $10 or less. eBay has no $75 cap. Its 13.25% keeps going up to $7,500 per item.
With no shipping or tax, the payouts line up like this:
| Sale price | TCGplayer fee | TCGplayer pays you | eBay fee | eBay pays you |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1.00 | $0.43 | $0.57 | $0.43 | $0.57 |
| $5.00 | $0.96 | $4.04 | $0.96 | $4.04 |
| $10.00 | $1.63 | $8.38 | $1.63 | $8.38 |
| $20.00 | $2.95 | $17.05 | $3.05 | $16.95 |
| $50.00 | $6.93 | $43.08 | $7.03 | $42.98 |
| $100.00 | $13.55 | $86.45 | $13.65 | $86.35 |
| $500.00 | $66.55 | $433.45 | $66.65 | $433.35 |
| $1,000.00 | $100.30 | $899.70 | $132.90 | $867.10 |
Standard settings, free shipping to the buyer, no sales tax.
Under $10 the two match to the cent. A $5 card costs $0.96 on both sites. Between $10 and a few hundred dollars, TCGplayer usually comes out about 10 cents ahead. That's the gap between its $0.30 order fee and eBay's $0.40.
How much does TCGplayer take vs eBay on expensive cards?
This is where the choice matters. TCGplayer's 10.75% reaches $75 on a card priced at about $698. Above that, its commission stays at $75 while eBay's keeps growing.
Sell a $1,000 card with no shipping or tax. TCGplayer takes $100.30 and pays you $899.70. eBay takes $132.90 and pays you $867.10. That is about $33 more in your pocket from TCGplayer.
The transaction fee on TCGplayer has no cap. It is still 2.5% of the order, so a very expensive card still pays a real fee there.
Shipping and tax change the gap
TCGplayer fees vs eBay fees move apart once a real order has shipping and tax. Add $1.31 shipping and 7% sales tax to that $20 card. TCGplayer's fees come to $3.16 and eBay's to $3.42. eBay charges its full 13.25% on the tax. TCGplayer only charges its 2.5% transaction fee on the tax, not the 10.75% commission.
So the more tax and shipping on an order, the more TCGplayer saves you. The difference on a single cheap card is still small.
TCGplayer Pro and Direct
Pro sellers pay a lower 9.25% commission but add a 2.5% Pro fee. On a $20 card that is $3.15 in total, slightly more than the standard rate. Pro is a tool for stores and big sellers, not a fee cut.
TCGplayer Direct works differently. Cards under $2.50 cost 50% of the price, and cards from $2.50 pay $1.12 each plus 8.95% and 2.5%. The TCGplayer fee calculator has a Direct option if you sell that way.
Should I sell on eBay or TCGplayer?
Look at the fees first, then at who buys there.
- Cards over about $700: TCGplayer's $75 cap saves you real money. The bigger the card, the bigger the saving.
- Normal singles: the fees are close enough that price and speed of sale matter more. TCGplayer is built for Pokémon, Magic and other card games, so buyers search there by card name.
- Sports cards: TCGplayer is mainly for card games. For baseball and other sports cards, eBay's trading card rate is the usual choice.
- Graded slabs: eBay charges the same 13.25% whether a card is graded or raw. On TCGplayer the $75 cap still applies.
Thinking about live selling too? Whatnot vs eBay compares those fees, and the guide to where to sell Pokémon cards ranks every site by payout.
Common questions
Is TCGplayer or eBay cheaper for selling cards?
TCGplayer, but only just on most cards. Under $10 the fees are the same. From $10 to about $700, TCGplayer is about 10 cents cheaper per order. Above that, its $75 commission cap makes it much cheaper.
What are TCGplayer seller fees vs eBay seller fees?
TCGplayer charges 10.75% commission plus 2.5% and $0.30 per order for a Level 1-4 seller. eBay charges 13.25% plus $0.40 per order on trading cards. Both charge on shipping, and both take something on sales tax.
How much does TCGplayer take from a $100 card compared with eBay?
With no shipping or tax, TCGplayer takes $13.55 and eBay takes $13.65. You keep $86.45 on TCGplayer and $86.35 on eBay.
Does eBay vs TCGplayer change for international buyers?
Yes. On an international order TCGplayer's transaction fee goes up to 3.5% plus $0.30. eBay adds 1.65% for buyers abroad unless you ship through eBay International Shipping.
Sources
Fees last checked against these official pages: TCGplayer (US) on 2026-10-15; eBay trading cards (US) on 2026-10-14. We re-check every source daily and update the calculators when a platform changes its fees.
- TCGplayer Help: Fees
- TCGplayer Help: Fee Calculation Examples
- TCGplayer Help: TCGplayer Direct - Direct Fee
- TCGplayer Help: Marketplace Fee Cap Increase FAQ
- eBay Help: Selling fees