Selling Internationally: Fees, Currency & Getting Paid (2026)

By the Profitvana Editorial Team · Updated September 2026

Selling to buyers abroad opens a much bigger market, but three costs quietly stack up: the marketplace fee, currency conversion, and getting the money to your bank. Here is how to keep more of each international sale.

Marketplace fees still apply, sometimes with a surcharge

Selling cross-border does not lower the platform's cut: eBay, Etsy and Amazon take the same percentage on international orders. Some add an explicit international fee — eBay charges a 1.65% international fee on sales to buyers outside the US, Reverb adds 1% for cross-border orders, and Amazon's fees vary by marketplace rather than by buyer. Etsy charges no surcharge but its payment-processing rate depends on the seller's country. Start by knowing the base fee for your platform and category in our calculators, then add any surcharge.

Currency conversion eats margin

When a sale is settled in another currency, someone converts it, and whoever does takes a spread over the mid-market rate. Amazon's currency converter for sellers costs a few percent; PayPal converts at 3–4% depending on region; Etsy charges 2.5% if your listing currency differs from your payout bank's currency; Payoneer up to 2% at withdrawal; Wise 0.3–1%. The spread is invisible because it is built into the rate, so compare the rate you were given with the live mid-market rate in our currency converter. On $50,000 of annual international sales, the difference between a 4% and a 0.5% conversion is $1,750.

Who converts	Typical spread	On $10,000 of payouts
Wise multi-currency account	0.3–1%	$30–100
Payoneer withdrawal	up to 2%	up to $200
Etsy currency conversion	2.5%	$250
Amazon currency converter	≈ 3%	≈ $300
PayPal conversion	3–4%	$300–400

Payout and withdrawal fees

Getting money into your local bank has its own cost, and it depends on the route. A marketplace paying into a local-currency bank account usually charges nothing but converts at its own rate. Paying into a Wise or Payoneer receiving account in the marketplace's currency avoids the marketplace's conversion and lets you convert on your own terms; Wise then charges about 0.5–1% all-in and Payoneer $1.50 for a same-currency withdrawal or up to 2% if it converts. PayPal is typically the most expensive route at 3–4% once conversion is included. If you freelance or sell abroad, compare what each route leaves you with our freelance rate calculator.

Price for the swings

Exchange rates move, and a 5% move against you erases a typical net margin on a product priced at the edge. Build a buffer of a few percent into international prices, review them when the rate moves more than that, and where the platform allows, price each marketplace in its own currency rather than letting one converted price float. Stack the marketplace fee, any surcharge, conversion and payout cost into the divisor formula from our pricing guide and every cross-border sale stays profitable.

Taxes at the border

Since 2021 the EU and UK charge VAT on all imported goods with no low-value exemption, collected by the marketplace on orders up to €150 or £135 and by the carrier on larger ones; the US removed its $800 de minimis exemption for most imports in 2025, so American buyers of foreign goods now face duties on small parcels too. Buyers who are surprised by a customs bill refuse delivery and open cases, so state clearly who pays duties, use delivered-duty-paid shipping where the platform supports it, and price for it.

From the trenches: it's more than fees

In practice, the fees are the easy part. The real work is operational. Registering to sell in a new market takes setup — the UK and EU each have their own VAT and business-entity requirements, and getting those right before you scale saves painful corrections later.

Then there is the physical side: cross-border shipping means customs, duties, longer transit times, and returns from another country. Storage is the quiet cost — holding stock closer to overseas buyers speeds delivery but adds warehousing fees and complexity. Build these realities into your pricing, not just the platform's cut.

Frequently asked questions

What extra costs come with selling internationally?

Three stack on top of the normal marketplace fee: currency conversion (1–4% depending on who converts), payout costs to your local bank (PayPal ~3–4%, Payoneer ~2%, Wise ~0.5–1%), and sometimes a small cross-border surcharge from the platform.

What is the cheapest way to receive international payouts?

Wise is usually cheapest at roughly 0.5–1% total, Payoneer around 2%, and PayPal typically 3–4% on cross-border payouts once conversion is included.

Do marketplace fees change for international orders?

The base commission usually stays the same — eBay, Etsy, and Amazon take their normal percentage. Some platforms add a small international fee, so check your category, and remember conversion and payout costs come on top.

Who pays customs duties on an international marketplace order?

The buyer, unless you ship delivered-duty-paid. Marketplaces collect EU and UK VAT on orders up to €150/£135; above that, and for US import duties since the de minimis exemption ended in 2025, the carrier collects from the buyer on delivery unless you have prepaid.