Quick Answer
eBay is the primary marketplace for selling TCG cards in Australia. But the platform fee structure is more complex than a simple percentage, and most sellers underestimate how much they're paying until they add it all up. See current prices at /cards/mtg.
eBay is the primary marketplace for selling TCG cards in Australia. But the platform fee structure is more complex than a simple percentage, and most sellers underestimate how much they're paying until they add it all up.
This guide breaks down exactly what you keep when selling cards on eBay AU.
eBay AU Fee Structure for TCG Cards (2026)
TCG singles sell in the "Collectible Card Games" category. The current fee structure for this category:
Final Value Fee: 12.9% of the sale price including postage.
Insertion Fee: AU$0 for the first 40 listings per month for basic accounts. AU$0.60 per listing after that for standard listings.
Promoted Listings: optional. You set a percentage of the sale price to "promote" your listing. Typical effective rate for TCG is 3% to 7% of sale. This is optional but significantly affects visibility.
PayPal/Payment Processing: eBay processes payments directly. This is already included in the Final Value Fee structure as of 2023. no additional PayPal fee.
The Real Numbers
Example 1: Selling a card for AU$20 (no promoted listings)
| Sale price | AU$20.00 |
| Postage collected (if charged) | AU$4.00 |
| Final Value Fee (12.9% of AU$24) | -AU$3.10 |
| Postage cost (envelope, stamp) | -AU$4.00 |
| Net received | ~AU$16.90 |
Effective take rate: approximately 84% of sale price before your time.
Example 2: Selling a card for AU$20 with 5% promoted listing
| Sale price | AU$20.00 |
| Postage collected | AU$4.00 |
| Final Value Fee (12.9%) | -AU$3.10 |
| Promoted Listing fee (5%) | -AU$1.00 |
| Postage cost | -AU$4.00 |
| Net received | ~AU$15.90 |
Effective take rate: approximately 79.5% of sale price.
Hidden Costs Most Sellers Forget
Packaging materials: A card mailer (toploader, penny sleeve, team bag, bubble mailer) typically costs AU$0.40 to AU$0.80 per order. At scale this adds up significantly.
Postage rate increases: Australia Post regularly increases postage rates. Standard letter is approximately AU$1.20 for cards under 20g (which covers most singles in a PWE). Registered or tracked post for higher-value singles is AU$4.00 to AU$6.50.
Returns and disputes: eBay's Money Back Guarantee means buyers can initiate returns for "item not as described" with relatively low friction. Factoring in occasional refunds (typically 1% to 3% of transactions for established sellers) is realistic.
Time: Listing a card takes 3 to 7 minutes. Photographing, writing a description, setting a price, monitoring the listing, packaging, posting, handling messages. At any reasonable valuation of your time, the per-card labour cost is significant for low-value cards.
At What Price Does eBay Make Sense?
The break-even for eBay selling depends on your alternatives. If the alternative is keeping the card (value: the card's current price), eBay makes sense at almost any price point. If the alternative is selling to a buylist, compare eBay net (approximately 80% to 84% of sell price) against buylist offer.
Cards under AU$5: eBay is often not worth the effort. Postage alone eats a significant portion. Bulk-selling as a lot, or selling to a local buyer, usually nets more per card after time consideration.
Cards AU$5 to AU$15: eBay can work but margins are tight. Promoted listings at high rates reduce this further. Worth listing if you have time and can batch efficiently.
Cards AU$15 and above: eBay becomes clearly viable. Fee structure is fixed percentage so margins hold better on higher values.
Comparing eBay to a Buylist
A buylist offer of 60% of market price competes with eBay's approximate 80% net, but:
- Buylist pays instantly; eBay has a variable time-to-sale
- Buylist has no packing, shipping, or message handling
- Buylist removes the risk of a card declining in price while listed
The 20% gap between buylist and eBay net is the price of your time and risk.
The Seller Fee Calculator
The C3 Seller Fee Calculator on Etsy calculates exact take-home for eBay AU, TCGplayer, and other platforms simultaneously. Enter your sale price and postage and it shows the net across platforms side by side.
Alternatively, use the free C3 collection tracker to track your sales and net profit over time.
The C3 Take
The decisions you make with your TCG collection matter more than most guides suggest. Whether you are buying, selling, or holding, the difference between a good outcome and a poor one almost always comes down to checking current AUD prices before you act. Use the live data at /cards/mtg to make price-informed decisions every time.
What to Read Next
- Compare TCG options at /quizzes/which-tcg
- Browse TCG card prices at /cards/mtg
- Calculate booster box expected value at /tools
Frequently Asked Questions
Is eBay or a buylist better for selling TCG cards in Australia?
eBay returns more money per card but takes more time and has fees of roughly 13-15% all-in. Buylists pay less (typically 30-50% of market value in cash) but are instant. Use eBay for individual valuable cards. Use buylists for bulk lots where eBay effort is not worthwhile.
What fees does eBay charge for selling TCG cards in Australia?
eBay Australia charges approximately 13.5% final value fee on the total sale price including postage. Factor in postage costs and packaging before pricing your cards. See our full eBay fee breakdown.
How do I know what my TCG cards are worth in Australia?
Check eBay AU completed listings (filter to sold listings) for the most accurate local pricing. The C3 Card Vault also shows live pricing from eBay AU sold data across multiple TCGs.