Flipping on Poshmark or eBay is worth it for a small, specific set of sellers, and the difference between the two platforms is smaller than most comparison articles admit. Poshmark charges 20 percent on any sale above 15 dollars and gives you a cheap prepaid shipping label, which suits clothing and accessories. eBay keeps roughly 13.6 percent plus a small per-order fee and lets you set your own shipping, which suits higher-value items. The question that actually decides it is not the fee percentage. It is your cost per sale once sourcing, shipping, supplies, unpaid hours and unsold stock are counted.
I have read through the seller communities carefully, because the honest answer lives there rather than in the marketing pages. Below I break down the fee math with real numbers, show the reports sellers publish about their own income, and tell you which platform suits which type of seller. I also flag the point where most people quit.
Table of Contents
- Is flipping on Poshmark or eBay worth it? The short answer
- What flipping on Poshmark or eBay actually involves
- Poshmark vs eBay fees: what each platform takes from a sale
- The true cost of one sale, including the unpaid hours
- Real earnings resellers report
- Shipping, payout and returns: where the platforms behave differently
- How to handle lowball offers without losing the sale
- Cross-listing the same item on both platforms
- Which platform fits which type of seller
- Your first 30 days on a resale platform
- When the math stops working
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Is it more profitable to sell on Poshmark or eBay?
- How much does Poshmark take from a 100 dollar sale?
- How much does eBay take from a sale of 1000 dollars?
- How much are eBay fees on a 2000 dollar sale?
- Who has higher selling fees, eBay or Poshmark?
- How to make 10,000 dollars a month on eBay?
- Why are so many people leaving eBay?
- Do you ignore lowball offers on Poshmark?
- What is a good response to a lowball offer?
- How low is too low to offer on Poshmark?
- The final word on whether flipping is worth it
Is flipping on Poshmark or eBay worth it? The short answer
Yes, but only if your average item sells for enough to absorb a flat shipping cost, and only if you treat listing as a scheduled job rather than something you do when you feel like it.
Poshmark is worth it when you are clearing a closet, reselling clothing, shoes, handbags and accessories, and you are willing to share every listing daily to feed the algorithm. eBay is worth it when you are reselling higher-value items, mixed categories, collectibles, electronics or anything where buyer trust and slower, more predictable fulfilment matter more than the social sharing grind.
Here is the part most articles skip. On Poshmark, an item priced under 15 dollars pays a flat fee of 2 dollars and 95 cents, which is a brutal percentage on a cheap piece. On eBay the same item pays a percentage, so the math flips. Do the arithmetic on your own price point before you commit.
What flipping on Poshmark or eBay actually involves
Flipping means buying secondhand or discounted stock, then reselling it for more than it cost you once every cost is subtracted. On Poshmark the inventory is mostly fashion. On eBay it can be almost anything in any price bracket, which is why eBay reaches further for non-clothing sellers.
How listing works on each platform
Poshmark runs two listing types. A Closet listing is free and unlimited, and it is tied to your personal profile, so buyers see your whole wardrobe. A Boutique listing is built for a resale business, gives you a storefront and a shareable link, and includes a small monthly allotment of free listings, with paid options beyond that.
eBay runs fixed price and auction formats. Fixed price with Best Offer enabled is the workhorse for resellers, because it lets you negotiate privately without a public counter-offer thread. Auction listings can work for deadstock or clearance, but they tie up your item while the clock runs.
Where the buyers are
Poshmark buyers browse by category and follow sellers, so the sharing habit is not optional if you want consistent sales. eBay buyers search by keyword, so your title and description do more of the work and a good listing can keep selling for years with no extra effort.
Poshmark vs eBay fees: what each platform takes from a sale
Poshmark charges more in percentage terms, and eBay charges less but adds per-order and optional store costs. The difference is usually seven to nine percentage points, which sounds small until you multiply it across fifty sales a month.
Use current figures. Several widely read comparison pages still quote the old Poshmark sub-15 dollar fee of 2 dollars and 29 cents, and that number is out of date. The current flat fee is 2 dollars and 95 cents.
Here is the fundamentals side by side.
| Factor | Poshmark | eBay |
|---|---|---|
| Seller commission | 20 percent above 15 dollars | Roughly 10 percent final value fee |
| Under 15 dollars | Flat 2 dollars and 95 cents | Same percentage rate applies |
| Payment processing | Included in the commission | Around 3 percent, per-order fee applies on most categories |
| Listing cost | Closet listings free, Boutique allotment plus paid options | Monthly allotment of free listings, insertion fee above it |
| Shipping | Discounted flat-rate USPS Priority Mail label | You choose the carrier and rate, or use calculated shipping |
| Returns | No returns on Poshmark sales | 30 day money back guarantee, and payment network protection on top |
| Payout | Instant payout once the label is scanned | Held until delivery, then released to your payment account |
Now a worked example, because percentages without examples are just noise. Take a jacket that you sourced for 8 dollars and list at 60 dollars.
| Line | Poshmark | eBay |
|---|---|---|
| Sale price | 60 dollars | 60 dollars |
| Platform fee | 12 dollars | About 6 dollars and 20 cents |
| Payment processing | Included | About 2 dollars |
| Per-order fee | None | About 35 cents |
| Shipping you pay | About 6 dollars with the flat label | About 10 dollars |
| Sourcing cost | 8 dollars | 8 dollars |
| Supplies, tags, poly mailers | About 1 dollar | About 1 dollar |
| Your take | About 33 dollars | About 32 dollars and 45 cents |
The results are close at 60 dollars. Push the item to 120 dollars and the gap widens, because Poshmark’s percentage bites harder while eBay’s flat shipping cost gets spread thinner. That is why sellers report that eBay’s lower fee wins on higher-value items.
The same reversal happens on cheap pieces. A 12 dollar top on Poshmark loses 2 dollars and 95 cents to the flat fee, plus roughly 6 dollars in postage, before you have paid for it. A reseller in r/reselling pointed out that pricing under 15 dollars changes the whole structure of the trade, and it is the single most common reason an item quietly stops being worth listing.
The true cost of one sale, including the unpaid hours
Every honest profit number runs through the same seven lines. If you only count the platform fee, you are not doing resale, you are doing bookkeeping on a hobby.
- Sourcing cost. What you paid at the thrift store, yard sale, clearance rack or estate sale, including the subscription or mileage cost of getting there.
- Platform fee. The commission and payment processing, which we just calculated.
- Shipping. The label cost. On Poshmark the flat label is the biggest hidden cost on cheap items. On eBay you control it, which is why heavy or bulky goods can go either way.
- Supplies. Poly mailers, tags, tissue, printer ink for shipping labels, hangers, and a measuring tape for sizing accuracy.
- Time. Photographing, writing descriptions, measuring, laundering, packaging, sharing, answering offers, and chasing payments. This is the biggest real expense and the only one that never shows up in a spreadsheet unless you put it there.
- Unsold stock. Cash tied up in items that will not move. The most common reason sellers stop is not burnout from the sharing, it is the balance in the closet.
- Returns and disputes. Zero on Poshmark. A real line item on eBay once you have volume.
Put a number on that time. If a listing takes twenty minutes end to end including sharing, and you do twenty listings, that is nearly seven hours of unpaid work in a week. At a modest hourly target, that labour is worth more than most sellers credit themselves for.
Real earnings resellers report
Nobody publishes an audited income statement, so treat every number below as self-reported and outlying. The consistent pattern matters more than any single figure.
- A poster in r/BehindTheClosetDoor reports making between 3,000 and 4,000 dollars a month on Poshmark, and in the same breath says it is a hustle and that they put about 500 dollars a month into new inventory. Take 3,000 dollars of sales, subtract the 20 percent fee and roughly 500 dollars of inventory, and the realistic landing zone is closer to 1,900 dollars before any of the unpaid hours.
- Consensus in r/reselling is that you need roughly 50 or more active listings, plus consistent sharing, before sales become predictable rather than random.
- Sellers in r/poshmark describe Poshmark as selling items for more money while demanding more of your time, and eBay as selling faster with less effort per item.
- Resellers who ran the numbers on identical inventory found that eBay’s lower fee wins once the item is valuable enough.
- The top-ranking result for this question is a thread in r/Flipping from a seller sitting on 46,000 items and wondering what sales to expect. That is the honest picture of flipping. The inventory is enormous and the throughput is modest.
One seller group runs a year-in reselling comparison with the same items priced on both platforms side by side, and the finding matches everything else. The eBay listing makes more per item, and the Poshmark listing sells at a higher price but takes longer and pulls harder on your attention.
Set your expectations accordingly. Most people starting out make pocket money in the first couple of months. Consistent five-figure months show up after a year of inventory building, and they are the exception rather than the rule.
Shipping, payout and returns: where the platforms behave differently
These three mechanics decide how much stress a sale gives you, and they are where a lot of sellers discover which platform actually suits them.
Shipping
Poshmark issues a discounted flat-rate USPS Priority Mail label from inside the app, which is fast and predictable, but the flat rate only covers items under a weight ceiling. Past that, the label price climbs and it is no longer cheap. Multi-item buyers also struggle, because buyers on Poshmark expect a single combined shipping charge and frequently talk themselves out of a bundle when the postage looks high.
eBay lets you choose the carrier, the service level and the rate, including discounted rates for Top Rated Sellers and store subscribers. That control is worth real money on large or heavy items and heavy freight, and it is the strongest argument for eBay outside of collectibles.
Payout
Poshmark releases your money as soon as the carrier scans the package, and instant payout can push it to your bank or PayPal balance immediately. eBay holds the funds until tracking shows delivery, and a slow buyer or a slow scan can stretch that wait by weeks. For sellers budgeting week to week, the difference is significant.
Returns
Poshmark sales are final. A buyer who regrets a purchase can open a case, and if you do not respond Poshmark may refund them from your earnings, but you will not be forced to ship money back. eBay runs a 30 day money back guarantee, and if the item arrived untracked the buyer can open a PayPal case, which can override a no-returns listing and reach back 180 days. That exposure is the single largest financial risk on eBay for new sellers.
How to handle lowball offers without losing the sale
Constant lowball offers are the most complained-about part of Poshmark, and they usually come in two flavours. Some buyers offer around 30 percent of your price. A few offer an insulting amount, sometimes three dollars for a full priced jacket, hoping you have not done the math.
Here is a four-step method I would use.
- Check your floor before you list. Divide your total cost by what you keep after the fee and shipping. If the item cost 8 dollars, add fee and postage, then add a margin. That number is your floor and it is not negotiable in a conversation.
- Ignore anything below 40 percent of your asking price. It is not a negotiation, it is a free option for the buyer. Engaging teaches them to try again.
- Counter above your floor, not at it. If your floor is 22 dollars, counter at 26. The buyer still gets a deal, you keep your margin, and the conversation ends in a sale far more often than a flat refusal.
- Write one line and send it. Something like: happy to come down a little, but 26 is as low as I can go given the fees and shipping. Short, factual and non-negotiable in tone. Long explanations invite counter-counters.
Two rules from seller experience. If someone blocks you for making a fair offer, that is a loss of a buyer you never had. And if you accept a lowball once, expect more from the same account, so decide your floor before you reply rather than in the moment.
Cross-listing the same item on both platforms
Cross-listing is the simplest way to exploit the fee difference, and most experienced sellers do it. List the item on Poshmark at 10 percent above your eBay price. When the Poshmark buyer pays, drop the eBay listing immediately.
The reason it works is that the platforms have separate buyer pools, so the same piece can find a buyer twice before you have discounted it. On a 120 dollar item, the gap between the two fee structures is often more than the price difference you gave up.
Two things will undo it. Listing too much on both platforms without a tracking sheet, so you sell the same item twice and eat a return or a cancelled order. And forgetting that eBay listings and Poshmark Closet listings count against different limits, so volume is not the constraint you assumed it was. Track every item in one spreadsheet with its item number, both prices and its status.
Which platform fits which type of seller
The right answer depends on what you are selling and how much time you actually have. Here is how it breaks down.
- Clearing out a closet for cash: Poshmark. Free Closet listings, no returns, and a buyer base already looking for secondhand fashion. Expect a few hundred dollars over a couple of months, not a business.
- Starting a part-time side hustle in clothing: Poshmark, but only if you will share listings daily. The algorithm punishes sellers who go quiet, and that is the number one cause of a slow first three months.
- Reselling thrifted finds and mixed categories: eBay, because search-driven demand keeps working long after you list, and you can list hundreds of small items without a sharing routine.
- Full-time resale business: Both, run as two funnels. Boutique listings on Poshmark for your best pieces, eBay for volume and for anything that will not fit a fashion audience.
- Luxury handbags and sneakers: eBay, where authentication services exist in eligible categories and can cover the return, which matters enormously when a single authentication failure costs more than a month of profit.
- Trading cards and collectibles: eBay, for fixed price plus Best Offer and a deep buyer base for graded product.
- Selling kids clothes as a parent: Poshmark for the volume, eBay if the brand is desirable enough to attract buyers beyond resale shoppers.
If you are selling from Edmonton or anywhere in Canada
There is an extra layer for Canadian sellers that almost every comparison article leaves out. Poshmark labels are USPS, so your parcels travel through a US postal system, which means US-based buyers, longer transit, and a shipping price that is not built for Canadian routes. eBay lets you ship with Canada Post and quote a Canadian rate, which is often cheaper and faster for a Canadian buyer.
Two practical consequences. Your cheapest items get punished harder on Poshmark, because the flat label is the whole margin. And for a Canadian buyer, a eBay listing that offers tracked Canada Post shipping will often beat a cheaper Poshmark listing, even when the eBay fee is higher. If your inventory is sourced at Edmonton thrift stores, yard sales and estate sales, list the same find on both and see where it goes.
Your first 30 days on a resale platform
Month one is not about income, it is about building the listing base that makes month two predictable. Here is the order I would work in.
- Days 1 to 3: set up the account properly. Complete the profile, connect a payment account, and on eBay check your selling limits and store subscription options. On Poshmark decide now whether you are running a Closet or a Boutique.
- Days 4 to 10: list your first 25 items. Use what you already own. Clean it, measure it, photograph it in daylight against a plain background, and write descriptions that state the size and any flaw.
- Days 11 to 20: push to 50 active listings. This is the threshold seller communities keep pointing to. Below it you have no data, and you cannot tell a bad price from a bad photo.
- Days 21 to 30: share and price-test. Share every Poshmark listing daily, cut the price by 10 percent on anything with no views after two weeks, and raise the price on anything with views but no offer. Track the response, not just the sale.
After month one you should know your cost per item, your realistic sell-through rate and which categories actually move. That is the moment the business question becomes answerable with your own numbers instead of someone else’s.
When the math stops working
Most people who quit reselling do not quit because of the fee. They quit because of stock and fatigue, and both show up in the same place: a closet of unsold items that cannot be moved at any price you would accept.
Here is the honest exit test. Add up the cash sitting in unsold items. If that number is money you need for rent, groceries or debt, the flipping is not a side hustle, it is a worse place for your savings than a savings account. Cash tied up in stock is not an investment until it sells.
The second test is time. If the listing and sharing routine has become something you dread, your effective hourly rate has fallen even if your gross number looks fine. Take two consecutive weeks off completely. If you do not want to start again, that is your answer, and it is a legitimate one.
Two more honest notes. The sellers posting the biggest income numbers are outliers, and the gap between them and a careful beginner is usually sourcing access and time, not platform choice. And the single best way to make flipping work is to keep the cost side small: free or nearly free stock, your own clean packaging, and listings priced so the fee is a rounding error.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it more profitable to sell on Poshmark or eBay?
eBay is more profitable on higher-value items because its total take is roughly 13.6 percent plus a small per-order fee, against Poshmark’s 20 percent above 15 dollars. On cheap items under 15 dollars, Poshmark charges a flat 2 dollars and 95 cents, so eBay is often better there too. Poshmark earns its higher fee with a cheaper prepaid label and instant payout. The deciding factor is the cost per sale once sourcing, shipping, supplies and time are counted.
How much does Poshmark take from a 100 dollar sale?
Poshmark takes 20 percent above 15 dollars, so a 100 dollar sale costs you 20 dollars in commission. The buyer pays the shipping on top of the item price. Your sourcing cost, supplies and any time you spend are not deducted by the platform, which is why many sellers calculate profit from their own cost rather than from the sale price.
How much does eBay take from a sale of 1000 dollars?
eBay takes a final value fee of roughly 10 percent, which is about 100 dollars on a 1000 dollar sale, plus roughly 3 percent payment processing and a small per-order fee. Expect a total of about 140 dollars, and less if you qualify for a discounted selling rate. If your store subscription is active, the per-order fee may be reduced or removed depending on the category.
How much are eBay fees on a 2000 dollar sale?
At roughly 10 percent plus payment processing, eBay takes about 260 dollars on a 2000 dollar sale, plus the per-order fee. This is the clearest example of why sellers with expensive inventory prefer eBay: the same percentage gap against Poshmark is about 130 dollars per item, which is pure margin on a piece like that.
Who has higher selling fees, eBay or Poshmark?
Poshmark charges the higher fee in most cases, taking 20 percent of any sale above 15 dollars against eBay’s roughly 13.6 percent plus a per-order fee. The one exception is items priced under 15 dollars, where Poshmark applies a flat 2 dollars and 95 cents and eBay keeps charging the percentage.
How to make 10,000 dollars a month on eBay?
Treat it as an inventory and systems problem, not a marketing one. Keep at least 50 to 100 active listings, keep restocking the day something sells, and price for your own cost plus the fee plus shipping. Sellers running 50 or more active listings consistently report that sales become predictable. A 10,000 dollar month is achievable but it sits at the top of the range, and top earners are outliers rather than the typical outcome.
Why are so many people leaving eBay?
The most common reasons are friction and risk. Buyers delay payment, invoices go unpaid, and cases add hours of unpaid work. Payment network protection can override a no-returns listing and reach back 180 days for untracked items. Some sellers also find the category structure and listing limits harder to navigate than Poshmark’s simple Closet and Boutique model.
Do you ignore lowball offers on Poshmark?
Yes, ignore anything below roughly 40 percent of your asking price. It is not a negotiation, it costs you nothing for the buyer to send. Before you list, work out your floor by adding your sourcing cost, the 20 percent fee, postage and supplies, then add the margin you want. Counter above that floor rather than at it, and keep the reply to one short factual line.
What is a good response to a lowball offer?
Acknowledge the offer, restate your floor in one sentence, and leave the ball in their court. A reply such as I can come down to 26 but no lower, given the fees and shipping, keeps the conversation open without apologising for your price. State a number, give a brief reason, and stop. Sellers report that a factual one-line counter converts more often than a flat refusal, while a long explanation invites a second counter.
How low is too low to offer on Poshmark?
Any offer below your own floor is too low, and that floor is the number where the item stops paying you after the fee, postage, supplies and sourcing are subtracted. As a general rule, ignore anything under roughly 40 percent of your asking price, because that is a free option for the buyer rather than a negotiation. Your floor is a number you set before you list, not one you choose in the moment.
The final word on whether flipping is worth it
Is flipping on Poshmark or eBay worth it? For a closet clear-out, yes, with almost no risk and a few hundred dollars of return. For a side hustle, yes, if you hit 50 active listings, share on Poshmark, and cross-list the pieces worth more than 100 dollars onto eBay. For a full-time income, possible but not typical, and the sellers earning the biggest numbers are sourcing better stock than you are, not picking a better platform.
Start with twenty items you already own. List them on both platforms, price them honestly, and let thirty days of real data answer the question for you. That is a cheaper test than any guide, including this one.
Updated for October 2026.