What Marketplace Transaction Fees Are Actually Costing You (And Your Buyers)
Last Reviewed: July 2026. Written and reviewed by the BreederHQ Operations Team.
You list for free. That part is true. But free to list is not the same as free to sell, and the difference is where serious breeders are quietly losing hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars per litter.
Some of the most widely used marketplaces now charge breeders a transaction fee on every sale processed through their platform. On top of that, they also charge the buyer a separate platform fee at checkout. Many buyers have no idea the fee is coming until they are already in the payment flow. Many breeders have no idea their buyers are being charged at all.
This is not a hidden policy. It is a deliberate business model. And once you run the math on a single litter, it is hard to unsee.
How the Double Fee Works
Here is how a typical transaction plays out on a marketplace that charges both sides.
You list a puppy at $2,000. A buyer finds it, applies, gets approved, and goes to pay.
At checkout, the platform adds its own fee on top of your price. Based on breeder reports, that buyer-side fee typically runs around 7%. Your buyer, who budgeted $2,000, now owes $2,140. The extra $140 goes to the platform, not to you. The buyer you worked to build trust with is now confused and frustrated, and may walk away.
When the sale closes, the platform also deducts its own fee from your payout. Also around 7%. On a $2,000 sale, you receive $1,860. The platform keeps $140.
One puppy. One buyer. One transaction.
The platform collected $280 from a $2,000 transaction. Your buyer paid more than they expected. You received less than your listed price.
The Litter Math
Six puppies at $2,000 each. $12,000 in total sales.
Platform takes from you
$840
7% of $12,000
Platform charges your buyers
$840
7% added at checkout × 6 buyers
Total extracted per litter
$1,680
From one litter
You cannot opt out. Platforms that operate this way typically prohibit off-platform payments entirely. Route a transaction outside their system and you risk losing your account, along with every review, every follower, and every inquiry you have built there.
The choice they are offering is not really free. It is: list for free, sell on our terms, and hand over $1,680 per litter every time you do.
Scaled to a Year
Three litters a year. Six puppies each. $2,000 per puppy.
| Fee | Per litter | Per year (3 litters) |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee taken from breeder (7%) | $840 | $2,520 |
| Platform fee charged to buyers (7%) | $840 | $2,520 |
| Total extracted from your program and buyers | $1,680 | $5,040 |
That $5,040 did not go toward your health testing, your stud fees, your whelping supplies, or your buyers. It went to a platform that introduced you to a buyer and then charged both of you for the privilege.
What BreederHQ Charges Instead
Transaction fees
$0
No fee on deposits, sales, or anything else. Not from you, not from your buyers.
Buyer checkout fee
$0
The price you set is the price they pay. No surprise at checkout.
Marketplace listings are included in every subscription tier. You pay one flat monthly fee for the entire platform. Everything you list, every inquiry you receive, every sale you close costs nothing on top of that.
BreederHQ Professional costs $948 for a full year: unlimited listings, Breeding Programs, your Storefront, the Marketplace Embed Widget, and your full Sales Pipeline.
The comparison for three litters of six at $2,000 per puppy
Commission marketplace: $2,520/year in breeder-side fees. More than twice the full BreederHQ annual subscription, plus $2,520 charged to your buyers on top.
BreederHQ Professional: $948/year, flat. No transaction fees. No buyer fees. $1,572 stays in your program. Your buyers save $2,520 that would have gone to the platform.
One year. One switch. $5,040 that stays where it belongs.
The Question Worth Asking
Before you list on any marketplace, ask two questions.
Question 1
What does this platform charge me per sale?
Question 2
What does it charge my buyer on top of that?
If the answer to either question is not zero, run the math on your last litter. Then run it on a full year. The number you get is what that platform is extracting from your program and your buyers combined, every single year.
BreederHQ charges no transaction fees and no buyer fees.
Marketplace listings are included in all subscription tiers. Plans start at $29/month.
See Pricing →How It Works →Run the numbers on your program
Adjust the sliders to match your litter size, price, and the fee rates on the platform you use. Everything updates live.
Per Litter
Per Year (3 litters)
BreederHQ subscription vs. fees avoided
Starter
$348/yr
Net savings
+$2,172
Professional
$948/yr
Net savings
+$1,572
Enterprise
$1,908/yr
Net savings
+$612
No transaction fees. No buyer fees. Plans start at $29/month.
Start free on BreederHQ →Marketplace fees based on publicly reported breeder rates. Actual rates may vary by platform.