How the fee is calculated
Fee = clamp(5% × (item + shipping), $0.50, $500) + 3.19% × item + $0.49. The $500 cap means very expensive gear pays an ever-smaller effective rate.
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Reverb Fee Calculator — 5% Selling Fee (Capped at $500)
Reverb charges a 5% selling fee on the item price plus shipping — minimum $0.50, capped at $500 — and payment processing of 3.19% + $0.49 (2.99% for Preferred Sellers). Listing is free.
Worked examples (2026 rates)
| Sale total | Fee | You keep | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $1.31 | $8.69 | 13.1% |
| $25.00 | $2.54 | $22.46 | 10.1% |
| $50.00 | $4.59 | $45.42 | 9.2% |
| $100.00 | $8.68 | $91.32 | 8.7% |
| $250.00 | $20.97 | $229.04 | 8.4% |
Every number above is computed by the same in-browser engine as the calculator, from the published 2026 fee schedule — nothing is hardcoded.
Reverb's fee stack, including the $500 cap explained
Reverb charges a 5% selling fee on the full item + shipping total with a $0.50 minimum and a $500 maximum, plus payment processing of 3.19% + $0.49 (2.99% for Preferred Sellers). Listing is free. On a $350 pedal sale with $25 shipping, the selling fee is $18.75 and processing is $11.66 — about 8.2% all-in. The cap is the standout feature: it binds when item + shipping exceeds $10,000, so a $15,000 vintage Les Paul pays $500 flat plus ~$480 processing, an effective rate under 6.6%. No other major gear platform caps fees this way, which makes Reverb structurally the cheapest venue in the US for five-figure instruments.
Reverb vs eBay for musical instruments
eBay's final value fee is 13.6% + $0.40 on the total sale including shipping (guitars are one of the categories with its own schedule, but rarely cheaper). Reverb runs ~8.2% all-in at typical prices and drops further above the $10,000 cap line. On a $2,000 amp, Reverb costs about $164 versus roughly $272 on eBay — over $100 saved on one listing. eBay counters with vastly more traffic and a general-audience buyer pool; Reverb's buyers are musicians actively hunting gear, which converts better on niche and vintage items. Serious sellers commonly list on Reverb first and use eBay only for commodity gear where search traffic decides the sale.
Hidden costs on Reverb: processing tiers, returns and shipping
Beyond the headline 5%, three things move your real margin. First, the processing tier: standard sellers pay 3.19% + $0.49 while Preferred Sellers pay 2.99% — on $30k of yearly sales that gap is $60, so the seller program pays for itself in fee savings alone. Second, returns: Reverb's buyer-friendly window means inaccurate listings cost you return shipping both ways and potentially non-refunded processing. Third, shipping itself — heavy amps and guitars run $40-150 insured, and while you can charge buyers, high shipping suppresses conversion. Chargebacks are rare because Reverb mediates disputes in-house before they reach the card network, but that mediation only protects you when your listing and photos are airtight.
FAQ
What does Reverb charge to sell?
A 5% selling fee on item + shipping (min $0.50, max $500) plus 3.19% + $0.49 payment processing. No listing fee.
When does the $500 cap kick in?
At an item+shipping total of $10,000 — above that the selling fee stops growing. High-end vintage gear benefits most.
Is Reverb cheaper than eBay for instruments?
Reverb ~8.2% all-in vs eBay's 13.6% + $0.40 — yes, meaningfully, for musical gear.
What are the fees if an international buyer purchases on Reverb?
Reverb's 5% selling fee (min $0.50, capped at $500) applies regardless of buyer location, and payment processing runs 3.19% + $0.49 for standard sellers. Cross-border sales can involve currency conversion inside the payout, and you pay your own shipping and any customs paperwork. Vintage US gear sells strongly in Europe and Japan, so factor duties and longer dispute windows into high-value international orders — and always ship signature-confirmed above $500.
Does Reverb charge me if the buyer returns the item?
Reverb sides with buyers within its return window on items that are not as described. On an accepted return the selling fee is generally refunded to you but the 3.19% + $0.49 processing may not be, and you can eat return shipping if the listing was inaccurate. The 5% fee has a $0.50 minimum, so trivial amounts aside, the real cost of returns is shipping both ways. Detailed photos, honest condition grading and noting every mod or repair are the cheapest return insurance you can buy.
How quickly does Reverb pay out and can I get fees reduced at volume?
Reverb releases payouts shortly after the buyer receives the item or the tracking shows delivery, typically landing in your bank within a few business days; new sellers face an initial hold. On fees, the published schedule has no volume tiers — but Preferred Sellers get processing at 2.99% instead of 3.19%, worth 0.2 points on every sale. The $500 selling-fee cap is the built-in volume gift: any single item+shipping total above $10,000 pays no more than $500 in selling fee.