Marketplace
AbeBooks seller fee calculator
See what AbeBooks takes on a book sale under the Basic and Premium plans, which plan is cheaper for your month, and the price you need for a target profit. Nothing is uploaded.
This sale
| Basic | Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Item Amount | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Commission | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Per-item fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Processing fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| AbeBooks fees | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Effective fee rate | 0% | 0% |
| You keep (before costs) | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Profit after book + postage | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Price for target profit | — | — |
Premium figures leave out the monthly subscription; it's in the monthly compare below.
Your month
| Basic | Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| Per-sale fees | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Subscription | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Monthly AbeBooks cost | $0.00 | $0.00 |
How the numbers work
AbeBooks charges on the Total Item Amount: the book price plus the shipping you charge plus any extras, net of taxes. So the fee is also taken on shipping.
- Basic: 15% of the first $500 of that amount and 10% of anything above, plus $1.00 for each item sold. No subscription and no processing fee.
- Premium: 8% commission per item, never less than $0.50 or more than $40. A processing fee of 5.5% on the first $500 of the order and 3.5% above, with a $0.50 minimum on AbeBooks.com. A monthly subscription set by last month's average listings: $25 up to 500, $37 up to 4,000, $42 up to 10,000, $53 up to 20,000, $80 up to 30,000, $125 up to 50,000, $200 up to 100,000, $300 up to 150,000, $400 up to 500,000, and $500 above that.
Example: a $12 book with $4.99 shipping is a $16.99 Total Item Amount. Basic takes $2.55 commission + $1.00 = $3.55. Premium takes $1.36 commission + $0.93 processing = $2.29, plus your share of the subscription. Premium saves $1.26 a sale here, so at 300 listings ($25/month) it pays off from the 20th sale of the month.
On cheap books the $1 per-item fee dominates Basic. On expensive books Premium's $40 commission cap kicks in once the item amount passes $500, while its 5.5% processing keeps going.
FAQ
Does AbeBooks charge commission on shipping?
Yes. AbeBooks charges commission on the Total Item Amount, which is the item price plus shipping charges and any extra charges, net of specified taxes. On the Premium plan the processing fee is also charged on the Total Order Amount, which includes shipping. That's why the calculator shows your shipping margin after fees, not just shipping charged minus postage.
Which AbeBooks plan am I on?
AbeBooks says all seller accounts that existed on July 22, 2025 were automatically enrolled in the Premium Plan. New sellers pick a plan at registration. You can switch at any time and the new plan starts on the first day of the following month.
When is Premium cheaper than Basic?
Premium swaps the $1 per-item fee and 15% commission for 8% commission (minimum $0.50, maximum $40) plus 5.5% processing, and adds a monthly subscription from $25 based on your average listing count. It wins once your monthly savings per sale cover the subscription. Enter your monthly sales and listings in the calculator to see the break-even number of sales.
Is this the exact amount AbeBooks will deduct?
No. It is an estimate from the published USD fee schedule for AbeBooks.com orders. Multi-item orders, partial refunds, other AbeBooks sites, currency conversion and taxes can change the result. Check your account statement for the real figures.