TradeMe has been the go-to marketplace for Kiwis since 1999. But over the years, the fees have crept up, and most sellers don’t realise how much they’re actually paying. We broke down the current fee structure so you can see exactly where your money goes.
TradeMe’s Current Fee Structure
Listing Fees
Every time you list an item on TradeMe, you pay a listing fee before it even sells:
- Standard listing: $3.99
- Featured listing: $9.95
- Super Feature: $39.95
- Homepage Gallery: $59.95
- Bold title: $3.95 extra
- Subtitle: $2.95 extra
Most casual sellers pay $3.99 per listing. But if you want your item to actually be seen, you’re often pressured into paying more.
Success Fees
This is where TradeMe really makes its money. When your item sells, TradeMe takes a percentage:
- 7.9% on the first $200 of the sale price
- 4.9% on the portion from $200 to $1,500
- 1.9% on the portion over $1,500
These rates apply to the final sale price, and there’s a minimum success fee of $0.50.
What This Actually Costs You
Let’s run the numbers on items Kiwis commonly sell:
Selling a $100 Item
- Listing fee: $3.99
- Success fee: $7.90 (7.9% of $100)
- Total fees: $11.89
- You keep: $88.11 (88.1% of sale price)
Selling a $300 Item
- Listing fee: $3.99
- Success fee: $15.80 + $4.90 = $20.70
- Total fees: $24.69
- You keep: $275.31 (91.8% of sale price)
Selling a $500 Item
- Listing fee: $3.99
- Success fee: $15.80 + $14.70 = $30.50
- Total fees: $34.49
- You keep: $465.51 (93.1% of sale price)
Selling a $1,000 Item
- Listing fee: $3.99
- Success fee: $15.80 + $39.20 = $55.00
- Total fees: $58.99
- You keep: $941.01 (94.1% of sale price)
Selling a $5,000 Item
- Listing fee: $3.99
- Success fee: $15.80 + $63.70 + $66.50 = $146.00
- Total fees: $149.99
- You keep: $4,850.01 (97.0% of sale price)
The Annual Picture
Most sellers don’t look at the annual total. Here’s what a typical year of TradeMe selling looks like:
Occasional seller (10 items, $2,000 total sales):
– Listing fees: ~$40
– Success fees: ~$140
– Annual total: ~$180
Regular seller (30 items, $8,000 total sales):
– Listing fees: ~$120
– Success fees: ~$480
– Annual total: ~$600
Side hustle seller (100 items, $25,000 total sales):
– Listing fees: ~$400
– Success fees: ~$1,350
– Annual total: ~$1,750
That last number is worth sitting with. $1,750 a year in platform fees for the privilege of listing your own items on a website.
What About Unsold Items?
Here’s the part that really stings: you pay the listing fee whether your item sells or not. If you list 10 items and only 5 sell, you’ve still paid $39.90 in listing fees. The items that didn’t sell cost you $19.95 for nothing.
TradeMe benefits from relisting. Every relist is another $3.99. That failed listing is revenue for them.
The Free Alternative Kiwis Are Discovering
A growing number of New Zealand sellers are moving to platforms that charge zero fees. Not reduced fees. Not “free for the first month.” Zero.
Platforms built specifically for NZ are offering free marketplace listings with no success fees, no listing fees, and no monthly subscriptions. The pitch is simple: you list it, you sell it, you keep every dollar.
For the side hustle seller losing $1,750 a year to TradeMe, the maths is straightforward. That’s $1,750 back in your pocket, every year, for doing exactly the same thing you’re already doing.
Should You Switch?
TradeMe still has the biggest audience in NZ. That matters. But the fee structure means you’re paying a significant premium for that audience.
Consider running your listings on both platforms to start. List on TradeMe if you want the established audience, but also list on zero-fee alternatives to test the waters. If your items sell without the fees, you might find the switch easier than expected.
The days of TradeMe being the only option for selling online in NZ are over. The question is just how quickly Kiwi sellers do the maths and make the move.
