← Back to the Whatnot payout calculator
Three ways to handle a label on the same lot. They do not pay the same, because Whatnot’s two fees sit on different bases: commission is on the hammer, processing is on the checkout total.
US default rates: 8% commission, 2.9% + $0.30 processing. Same label cost in every column.
| Charge $5 postage | Bake into a $30 hammer | Eat the label at $25 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hammer | $25.00 | $30.00 | $25.00 |
| Buyer-paid shipping | $5.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Checkout total | $30.00 | $30.00 | $25.00 |
| Commission | $2.00 | $2.40 | $2.00 |
| Processing | $1.17 | $1.17 | $1.03 |
| Payout | $21.83 | $26.43 | $21.98 |
| Leftover after label + $8 cost | $13.83 | $13.43 | $8.98 |
Charging postage wins this lot by $0.40 over baking it in, and by $4.85 over eating the label. Baking the $5 into the hammer puts that $5 on the commission base — 8% of $5 is the 40 cents. Eating the label at the same hammer loses the $5 collected and only saves 2.9% of $5 ($0.15) in processing.
This is arithmetic on one lot, not a rule for a show. Free shipping can still be worth it when a buyer will not bid without it, when a Whatnot promo requires it, or when the alternative is a no-sale. The table above is what that promo costs on this lot, so you can decide whether the extra bid is worth $4.85 — or whether you can raise the start by more than the $5 and still come out ahead of eating it.
The Whatnot seller payout calculator has a “Compare free shipping” button that reruns the same lot with buyer-paid shipping zeroed, so you can see the leftover delta on your own hammer and label. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Usually no, not at the same hammer. Eating a $5 label on a $25 lot drops leftover by about $4.85 versus charging the buyer that $5 — you lose the postage collected and only save 2.9% of it in processing. Baking the $5 into a $30 hammer is closer, but commission then takes 8% of the postage too.
No. Commission is on the hammer only. A $25 lot with $5 buyer-paid shipping and a $5 label leftover $13.83 after an $8 cost. The same lot started at $30 with free shipping leftover $13.43 — 40 cents less, which is 8% of the $5 you moved onto the hammer. Processing is the same because the checkout total is $30 either way.