Reverb Seller Fees Guide 2026 — Complete Fee Breakdown

Selling Fee

Reverb charges a flat 5% selling fee on the total sale amount — item price plus shipping.

• Rate: 5% of total sale (item + shipping)
• Minimum fee: $0.50 per transaction
• Maximum fee: capped at $500 per sale — a major advantage for high-value instruments
• The cap means sellers of expensive gear (vintage guitars, high-end synths, studio equipment) pay a much lower effective rate than on other platforms

Payment Processing

Reverb Payments is mandatory for most sellers and handles all buyer transactions.

• Standard rate (US): 3.19% + $0.49 per transaction
• Reverb Preferred Sellers: reduced rate of 2.99% + $0.49
• Reverb Payments supports credit cards, PayPal, Affirm financing, and Apple Pay
• Funds are deposited directly to your bank account after the order is confirmed

Cross-Border Fee

A 1% cross-border fee applies to the transaction total when the buyer and seller are in different countries. This fee does not apply to transactions within the European Economic Area.

Currency Conversion

If your listing currency differs from your payout currency, Reverb charges a 2.5% currency conversion fee. To avoid this, list and receive payouts in the same currency.

Reverb Bump (Optional Ads)

Reverb Bump is an optional advertising feature that boosts your listing's visibility in search results.

• Sellers set a bid percentage — the fee is only charged if the boosted listing sells
• Minimum bid: 1%
• Bump fee is charged on top of the selling fee and payment processing fee
• Most useful for competitive categories like popular guitar pedals, synthesizers, and in-demand amp models
• Since you only pay when the item sells, Bump carries less risk than click-based ad platforms

No Listing Fees

Reverb has unlimited free listings with no insertion fees, no subscription plans, and no monthly costs. You pay nothing until an item sells.

Shipping

• Sellers can use Reverb's discounted shipping labels (USPS, UPS, FedEx) or ship independently
• The 5% selling fee applies to the shipping amount as well as the item price
• Reverb's negotiated carrier rates are often cheaper than retail shipping prices, especially for heavy instruments

Returns & Refunds

• Buyer and seller disputes are covered by Reverb Protection
• Selling fees are refunded in full if an order is canceled or fully refunded
• Partial refunds may result in partial fee refunds proportional to the refunded amount

Fee Calculation Example

Here's a worked example for a $500 electric guitar with $30 shipping:

This example assumes no Bump fee, no cross-border fee, and standard Reverb Payments rate. Actual fees may vary.

How Reverb Compares to eBay for Instruments

At an ~8.2% effective fee, Reverb is significantly cheaper than eBay (13.6%+ for most instrument categories). For high-value items, the $500 fee cap is a decisive advantage.

• $10,000 vintage guitar on Reverb: $500 selling fee + ~$320 processing = ~$820 total (8.2%)
• Same guitar on eBay: $1,360+ in final value fees alone (13.6%)
• The savings grow with the item price — a $20,000 instrument saves over $1,700 in fees on Reverb vs eBay
• Reverb's audience is also more targeted — buyers are specifically shopping for music gear, improving conversion rates

Tips to Reduce Reverb Fees

• Sell high-value gear on Reverb instead of eBay — the $500 fee cap makes Reverb dramatically cheaper for instruments over ~$3,500
• Use Reverb's Price Guide — pricing competitively reduces time to sell and the need for Bump advertising
• Use Reverb Bump sparingly — focus ad spend on competitive categories where visibility actually drives sales
• Become a Preferred Seller — qualifying for the Preferred Seller program reduces your processing fee from 3.19% to 2.99%
• Use Reverb's shipping labels — discounted carrier rates reduce your shipping costs, and lower shipping means a slightly lower 5% selling fee base
• List in your payout currency — avoid the 2.5% currency conversion fee by keeping listing and payout currencies the same

Recent Changes (2024–2026)

• 2025–2026: No major fee changes. Reverb's fee structure has remained stable since the Etsy acquisition
• Ongoing: Reverb continues to expand Affirm financing options, allowing buyers to pay in installments — which can increase conversion on high-value listings

Calculate Your Reverb Fees

Use the FeePilot calculator to instantly estimate your Reverb payout. Enter your sale price, shipping, and cost of goods — then compare across all 15 platforms side by side.

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