Break-Even Price Calculator 2026: Cover Costs & Labor

Calculate the minimum resale price that covers buy cost, seller-paid shipping, supplies, risk reserve, platform fees, labor value, and offer buffer across eBay, Mercari, Poshmark, Depop, Facebook local and shipped checkout, Whatnot, Etsy, and Vinted.

Buy Cost

Shipping

Supplies

Risk Reserve

Labor (Hours)

Min $/hr

Offer Buffer

Minimum To Cover Costs + Time (eBay)

$72.22

Net Zero

$43.28

Suggested List Price

$84.96

(15% below list still clears the floor)

"To cover costs, risk reserve, supplies, and $50/hr for your time, you must sell for at least this amount."

Platform Breakdown

Facebook local

local pickup no platform fee

Net Zero

$37.00

Wages+BE

$61.99

List At

$72.94

Vinted

seller fee free

Net Zero

$37.00

Wages+BE

$61.99

List At

$72.94

Depop US

3.3% + $0.45 processing

Net Zero

$38.73

Wages+BE

$64.58

List At

$75.97

Mercari

10% of item + buyer shipping

Net Zero

$41.10

Wages+BE

$68.89

List At

$81.04

Facebook shipped

10% / $0.80 min shipped checkout

Net Zero

$41.10

Wages+BE

$68.89

List At

$81.04

Etsy

$0.20 + 6.5% + 3%/$0.25

Net Zero

$41.38

Wages+BE

$69.00

List At

$81.18

Whatnot

commission + processing

Net Zero

$41.85

Wages+BE

$69.92

List At

$82.25

eBay

category fee + order fee

Net Zero

$43.28

Wages+BE

$72.22

List At

$84.96

Poshmark

20% / $2.95

Net Zero

$46.24

Wages+BE

$77.50

List At

$91.17

How to Use This Tool

Buy Cost is what you paid for the item.
Shipping is seller-paid acquisition or outbound shipping you need the deal to cover.
Supplies covers mailers, boxes, labels, tape, cleaning materials, and other per-item prep costs.
Risk Reserve is the dollar cushion you want for returns, partial refunds, defects, shrink, or unexpected relisting friction.
Labor Hours values sourcing, cleaning, testing, photography, listing, and packing time.
Min $/hr sets the wage floor you want the flip to clear.
Offer Buffer adds room for offers, markdowns, and negotiation without falling below your efficiency floor.

The Net Zero column covers monetary costs, supplies, reserve, and platform fees. The Wages+BE column adds your labor value, and List At is solved so the selected percentage below list still clears that floor.

What This Calculator Includes

Financial Break-Even

The sale price that covers buy cost, seller-paid shipping, supplies, risk reserve, and canonical platform fees.

Efficiency Break-Even

Financial break-even plus the dollar value of your labor hours at your target hourly rate.

Suggested List Price

A list price where a markdown or offer equal to your chosen buffer still reaches efficiency break-even.

Canonical Platform Scope

Platform rows use the same US economics policy reviewed 2026-10-01; buyer shipping, buyer tax, promotions, and account-specific programs are not guessed.

Common Mistakes

Using gross revenue instead of net profit

A sale has to clear platform fees, shipping, and sourcing cost before it pays you anything.

Not counting labor

A profitable-looking flip can still pay a weak hourly rate if testing, cleaning, and listing take too long.

Leaving no room for returns or partial refunds

A small fixed reserve keeps one issue from turning a thin-margin item into a loss.

Mixing transaction scopes

Local pickup, buyer-paid shipping, shipped checkout, and international orders can produce different fee bases.

Treating Vinted as a business outlet

Vinted can have no standard seller fee, but this calculation covers compliant personal closet sales only.

Related Planning

For offer floors after an item is already listed, use the Negotiation Range Calculator. For complete profit after shipping income and other costs, use the Flip Profit Calculator.