Reverb fees explained for 2026

Reverb charges a US seller a 5% selling fee on the total sale amount including shipping, with a minimum of $0.50 and a maximum of $500, plus a payment processing fee of 3.19% + $0.49 — 2.99% + $0.49 for a Preferred Seller. There is no listing fee. Every figure below is computed by the same engine as the Reverb fee calculator; each rate is quoted from Reverb's selling fees page, cross-checked against two Reverb help-centre articles, and verified on 4 September 2026.

What a Reverb sale costs

Listing an item is free; both charges land only when it sells.

On a $500 sale with free shipping, the fee on $500.00 is $41.44 ($25.00 selling fee plus $16.44 payment processing fee — standard) and you keep $458.56, an effective rate of 8.29%.

Both fees are charged on the whole order

Reverb assesses the selling fee "off of the total sale amount (including shipping)", and the processing fee on the full order amount. Shipping the buyer pays therefore enlarges both fees without enlarging what you keep — that money goes to the carrier.

On the same $500 amp with $40 of buyer-paid shipping, the fee on $500.00 is $44.72 ($27.00 selling fee plus $17.72 payment processing fee — standard) and you keep $455.28, an effective rate of 8.94%.

Tax works the same way for the processing fee, but Reverb publishes no tax rate, so this calculator stops at price plus shipping: a taxed order costs slightly more than shown.

Preferred Sellers pay less processing

Preferred Seller status lowers the processing percentage by two tenths of a point and leaves the 5% selling fee alone.

The same $500 sale as a Preferred Seller, the fee on $500.00 is $40.44 ($25.00 selling fee plus $15.44 payment processing fee — Preferred Seller) and you keep $459.56, an effective rate of 8.09%.

On a $500 sale that is a dollar. It is a bigger number on a shop's monthly volume than on any one instrument.

The floor and the ceiling

The selling fee is bracketed at both ends. It never falls below $0.50, which matters on cheap pedals and cables:

On a $5 sale, where the $0.50 minimum applies, the fee on $5.00 is $1.15 ($0.50 selling fee plus $0.65 payment processing fee — standard) and you keep $3.85, an effective rate of 23%.

And it stops at $500, reached on a $10,000 order. Above that the selling fee is frozen while the processing fee keeps growing, so the effective rate falls:

On a $12,000 sale, where the $500 cap applies, the fee on $12,000.00 is $883.29 ($500.00 selling fee plus $383.29 payment processing fee — standard) and you keep $11,116.71, an effective rate of 7.36%.

Pricing to a target payout

Both fees are charged on the price you set, so adding them to your target lands short.

To keep $500.00 you charge $545.14, and the fee is $45.14.

If the buyer pays for shipping, put that figure in the shipping field first: it raises the fee base and therefore the price you need.

What this guide leaves out

Only the United States is modelled. Reverb's 1% cross-border fee on international transactions and its 2.5% currency-conversion fee when the listing currency differs from the payout currency have no rules here, and neither does sales tax. On a PayPal order, PayPal's own fee is charged separately and does not appear on the Reverb earnings page or in this calculator.

When these rates last changed

Reverb states no effective date for these rates, so the schedule is dated from its first verification here, on 4 September 2026, against the selling fees page and the help-centre articles on fees and on payment processing. The help-centre pages restate the 5% selling fee and the 3.19% + $0.49 standard rate identically and add the $500 cap, the $0.50 floor and the Preferred Seller rate that the marketing page only summarises as "8.19% + $0.49 Total Fees"; confidence is high. The Reverb fee changelog holds that entry.

Frequently asked questions

Does Reverb charge to list an instrument?

No. There is no listing fee — the 5% selling fee and the payment processing fee are charged only when the item sells.

Is the 5% charged on shipping?

Yes. Reverb assesses it on the total sale amount including shipping, and the processing fee covers the full order including tax, so a $500 amp with $40 of postage costs more in fees than a $500 amp shipped free.

What is the most Reverb will charge on one sale?

The selling fee is capped at $500, which it reaches on a $10,000 order. The payment processing fee is not capped, so total fees keep rising slowly above that.

How does Reverb compare with general marketplaces?

The Mercari fee calculator and the eBay fees guide cover the two most common alternatives for used gear. Both charge a single commission; Reverb splits its bill into a capped selling fee and a processing fee.

Where do these numbers come from?

Each rate is quoted verbatim from Reverb's own pages, stored as a dated snapshot and checked line by line; the methodology explains how. If a figure here no longer matches what Reverb charges you, report a wrong fee and it will be re-checked.