eBay fee calculator
eBay takes its final value fee on the whole amount the buyer pays, shipping included. That is why "free shipping with the cost built into the price" and "low price plus shipping" cost you exactly the same in fees; there is no arbitrage there. What does change is search placement and conversion, which is a marketing decision rather than a fee one.
Fee rates vary by category, seller level and country, and eBay changes them. Take your actual rate from your account rather than the default here.
eBay charges a final value fee on the full amount the buyer pays, shipping included, plus a fixed per-order fee. On a 100 item with 5 shipping at 13.25% plus 0.30, fees are 14.21 and you keep 90.79 before your own costs.
How to work out eBay fees
Three things are easy to leave out and all of them bite. Promoted listings are an additional percentage on top of the final value fee, and at competitive ad rates they can double the effective commission. International sales carry a cross-border fee. And returns cost you the outbound postage plus, often, the inbound too, while the fee refund is not always complete. A margin that looks healthy at a 13% fee can be thin at an effective 20% once promotion and returns are counted.
Questions
Typically around 13% of the total including shipping, plus a small per-order fee. It varies by category and country.
Yes. The final value fee is charged on the whole amount the buyer pays, postage included.
The price at which what you keep equals your costs. It is shown above and is the floor for any negotiation.
Yes, an additional percentage on top. At competitive ad rates it can rival the base fee.
Usually the variable part, but not always the fixed fee, and never your outbound postage. Returns are more expensive than the fee table suggests.