eBay Promoted Listings Break-even Calculator.
Find the General campaign ad-rate ceiling for a sale. The main result tells you how much advertising the item can absorb before modeled profit reaches zero.
Ad-rate limit
See the highest General campaign ad rate this sale can absorb before profit reaches zero.
Ad fees and final value fees use the total sale amount, including applicable tax.
Optional. eBay General fixed ad rates are currently 2%–100%.
Break-even ad rate
Enter the sale price and your costs to see the maximum sustainable ad rate.
Rates last verified: August 14, 2026. Models eBay General campaign ad fees and basic eBay.com final value fees for standard US sellers; Priority campaigns use cost-per-click and are outside this calculator. Gencyh is not affiliated with eBay.
Why break-even ad rate is useful
A promoted sale can look profitable until the advertising fee is added. This tool starts with profit before ads, then calculates the maximum percentage of the total sale amount that could be paid as a General campaign ad fee before that profit is fully consumed.
You can also enter a fixed ad rate you are considering. The calculator then shows the estimated ad fee and profit at that rate, so the decision is about affordability rather than a generic suggested percentage.
General campaigns only
eBay's current General campaign strategy charges an ad fee when an attributed promoted item sells, and the ad rate is a percentage of the item's total sale amount. Fixed General ad rates currently run from 2% to 100%.
Priority campaigns use cost-per-click pricing, so a sale-level percentage break-even calculation is not the correct model for that campaign type. This page deliberately does not mix the two systems.
Frequently asked questions
What is a break-even Promoted Listings ad rate?
It is the ad-fee percentage at which the modeled profit on the sale reaches zero after the standard eBay final value fee and the seller costs you entered.
What fee base does eBay use for General campaign ads?
eBay states that General campaign ad fees are based on the ad rate and the total sale amount, including item price, shipping, applicable taxes and other applicable fees.
Can I test a specific ad rate?
Yes. Enter a fixed ad rate between the current 2% and 100% General campaign range to see the modeled ad fee and profit at that rate.
Does this work for eBay Priority campaigns?
No. Priority campaigns are cost-per-click, so they require click cost and conversion data rather than a sale-attributed percentage fee model.
Related tools
Official sources
Rates and rules used by this calculator are checked against the current official platform documentation linked below.