What does PlayerLots actually charge?
9% of your lot price, with no membership required. That's it for the platform fee. It includes payment processing - there is no separate Stripe or credit card charge. Your only other deduction is a flat $1 shipping contribution on BMWT lots - the same on every order, regardless of distance. Sellers with a paid Founding Membership pay 8% instead.
What's included in the 9%?
Platform commission and payment processing (Stripe). We absorb the processing cost so you see one clean fee. No separate line items for credit card processing, transaction fees, or payment handling.
Is the 9% calculated on the lot price or the total including shipping?
Lot price only. If you list a $25 lot and the buyer pays $30.50 total ($25 + $5.50 Standard shipping), our fee is $2.25 (9% of $25), not 9% of the total. Your flat $1 shipping contribution is a separate line.
What's the $0.50 minimum fee?
On a $10 lot, our 9% fee would be $0.90. The $0.50 minimum brings it to $0.50 on $10 lots only. Any lot where the natural 9% exceeds $0.50 pays the percentage with no minimum adjustment.
How long does the Founding Member rate last?
The Founding Member rate of 8% requires a paid Founding Membership and is locked through the end of 2027. After that, your rate moves to our published launch rate. We will never raise your rate during the lock period.
What's the launch rate?
9% flat on lot price, with no membership required. It is the rate every seller pays today unless they hold a paid Founding Membership. All-inclusive of payment processing, meaningfully lower than eBay (13.25% of the total sale plus a per-order fee) and comparable to Whatnot's Standard tier (8% commission plus ~3% processing on the total order; commission steps down at higher sales volume), on fixed-price listings with no seller application.
Are there any other fees?
No insertion fees, no listing fees, no relisting fees, no promoted listing fees, no required subscription, no withdrawal fees, no account fees. You pay the 9% platform fee on each sale and your shipping contribution. The Founding Membership, which lowers the fee to 8%, is an optional paid plan.
Who pays for shipping?
Both buyer and seller contribute. For lots $20+, the buyer pays the actual shipping cost at checkout, rounded up to the nearest 50¢ ($5.50 / $5.50 / $6.50 by zone), the seller contributes a flat $1 from their payout, and the platform uses those combined funds to buy a tracked BMWT label through Shippo. For lots under $20, the buyer pays an additional $2 that passes directly to the seller to cover PWE postage.
When do I get paid?
Seller payouts release after a short protection hold once your tracking is recorded - the label is generated for a tracked lot, or a plain-envelope lot is marked shipped. Delivery confirmation is not required. Funds go directly to your connected Stripe account on your normal Stripe payout schedule.
Do I have to ship through PlayerLots?
For BMWT lots ($20+), yes. The platform generates the shipping label and sends it to you. This ensures every package is tracked consistently and protects both buyer and seller. For PWE lots (under $20), you buy your own stamp and mail it yourself.
Is there a minimum or maximum I can list?
Lot prices go from $10 to $100 in $5 increments. You can list as many lots as you want. The 9% rate applies to every sale, or 8% through the end of 2027 with a paid Founding Membership.
Can I still sell on eBay while using PlayerLots?
Yes. There is no exclusivity requirement, so you are free to cross-list. One ask: when a lot sells somewhere else, take it down here right away, so no buyer pays for cards you no longer have.
What if I want to leave after the founding period?
You can stop listing at any time. There is no contract, no cancellation fee, and no minimum commitment. If the 9% launch rate does not work for you after your founding lock ends, no hard feelings.
How do I know the 8% Founding rate is actually locked?
When you buy a Founding Membership, your account is tagged with a 8% rate locked through the end of 2027. That rate is stored in your account settings and visible in your seller dashboard. It cannot change during that period.
Why is your fee lower than eBay?
We are a smaller, focused marketplace. We do not run TV ads, we do not maintain a vault, and we do not support 50 product categories. We do one thing - fixed-price baseball card player lots - and we keep our overhead low enough to charge 9% all-in, or 8% for Founding Members. If that changes as we grow, we will adjust the launch rate, but Founding Members keep their locked rate.