How Swappa fees work in 2026
Swappa splits its fee between both sides of the sale, which is why the numbers look lower than eBay's. As the seller you pay 3% of your Ask Price to Swappa. The buyer pays their own 3% buyer fee, already built into the listing price they see, so a $100 Ask Price shows to buyers as $103. Listing your item costs nothing; fees only apply when it sells.
Payment processing is separate and goes to PayPal or Stripe, not Swappa. Through PayPal it costs 3.49% + $0.49, calculated on the full amount the buyer pays (the $103 listing price, not your $100 Ask Price). Through Stripe it costs 2.9% + $0.30, but Stripe is only available to select business sellers. Shipping is included in every listing price, so there is no separate shipping fee for buyers, and sellers ship within two business days with tracking.
The formulas
- Swappa seller fee = Ask Price × 3%.
- Processing fee = (Ask Price × 103%) × rate + fixed fee.
- You keep = Ask Price − seller fee − processing fee.
- What to list at to keep a target = (target + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − 3% − 103% × rate).
Worked examples
You sell a phone at a $300 Ask Price, paid through PayPal. The Swappa fee is $9.00, the buyer pays $309, and PayPal takes $309 × 3.49% + $0.49 = $11.28. You keep $279.73, an effective fee rate of 6.8%.
The same $300 sale through Stripe: Swappa fee $9.00, Stripe takes $309 × 2.9% + $0.30 = $9.26, and you keep $281.74. Stripe saves you about $2 on this sale where it is available.
To keep exactly $500 through PayPal, list at ($500 + $0.49) ÷ (1 − 0.03 − 1.03 × 0.0349) = $535.83.
Ways to pay less
If you are a business seller with Stripe access, use it: 2.9% + $0.30 beats PayPal's 3.49% + $0.49 on every sale. Price in round numbers and remember the buyer's 3% is added on top, so a $300 Ask Price competes against $309 listings, not $300 ones. And because listing is free, there is no penalty for relisting at a better price if your item sits.
Related tools
Swappa payments run through PayPal, so compare with our PayPal fee calculator for the standalone rates. Selling the same phone on eBay instead? The eBay fee calculator covers its tiered final-value fees, which run much higher than Swappa's flat 3%. For quick peer-to-peer sales, Venmo and Cash App have their own fee math.
Limitations
Rates are Swappa's published US fees and can change. Stripe checkout is limited to select business sellers; most sellers pay through PayPal. Swappa's buyer fee means the price a buyer compares is your Ask Price × 1.03, before any state sales tax Swappa collects at checkout. This tool covers US sales only.
Sources
How Swappa works: fees, checked October 11, 2026.