Zero commission vs marketplace fees: what selling handmade really costs

A percentage fee sounds small on one sale. Across a year of orders it becomes one of your biggest expenses — and it grows exactly as your business does.

How percentage fees add up

On a marketplace that takes, say, a commission plus payment and listing fees, a maker doing $2,000 a month can lose several hundred dollars every month before shipping and materials. The more you sell, the more you pay. Your success funds the platform's cut.

How a flat membership works instead

Airehaus charges one flat membership of around $29/month and takes zero commission. Payments go straight to your own Stripe account, so you keep 100% of the item price and the shipping. Sell $2,000 or $20,000 — your platform cost stays the same.

The break-even is lower than you think

Once your monthly sales clear a modest threshold, a flat membership is almost always cheaper than percentage fees. And every dollar above that threshold stays entirely with you.

This is the core of the Airehaus model — you own the business, the platform just provides the marketplace. See the full picture in the best platform to sell handmade products.