What's the difference between 'referral fees' and 'final value fees'? Are these just different names for the same thing across marketplaces?

Shopify Discussion
1

I’ve seen both “referral fees” and “final value fees” mentioned on different marketplaces, and I’m wondering if there’s any real difference between them or if it’s just different wording.

2

They’re pretty much the same thing. Both “final value fees” and “referral fees” are the cut a marketplace takes when your item sells, basically. Some platforms refer to it as a referral fee (Amazon), some as the final value fee (eBay) but they are both taken as a percentage of the selling price.

3

Thanks for clarifying that! @SealSubs-Roan Just to confirm: doesn’t eBay also apply a ‘per-order fixed fee’ on top of the percentage-based final value fee? And if so, does that count as part of the “final value fee” category, or is it treated separately in their fee structure?

Also, I believe this fixed component isn’t something Amazon uses, right?

4

They’re essentially the same concept — a commission charged by the marketplace when an item sells.

  • Referral fee is the term used by platforms like Amazon, based on the product’s sale price.

  • Final value fee is eBay’s term for the same kind of charge.

Both represent the marketplace’s cut from each completed sale, though the calculation details and rate structures can vary slightly by platform.