Offsite Ads is the most misunderstood fee on Etsy. It's optional for some sellers, mandatory for others, has a $100 cap most people don't know about, and can push your total fee load above 25% on a single order. Here's exactly how it works — and how to calculate its real impact on your profit.
The two rates
You can opt into Offsite Ads — and pay 15% on any sale Etsy attributes to an external ad. You can also opt out at any time and pay nothing. Once opted in, each attributed sale carries the fee but you are not locked in.
Once your shop crosses the $10,000 threshold, Etsy permanently enrolls you in Offsite Ads. You cannot opt out for the lifetime of your shop. In exchange, your rate drops from 15% to 12%. The fee still only applies on sales attributed to an external Etsy ad.
The $100 cap
Regardless of how large the order is, the Offsite Ads fee cannot exceed $100 per transaction. On a $700 sale with the 15% rate, the uncapped fee would be $105 — but you only pay $100. This cap matters significantly for sellers of higher-value items like jewelry, art, or furniture.
The cap is per individual order — not per day, per month, or per customer. Multiple orders from the same buyer each have their own $100 limit.
| Sale price | 15% fee | Actual (capped) | Saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | $15.00 | $15.00 | — |
| $200 | $30.00 | $30.00 | — |
| $400 | $60.00 | $60.00 | — |
| $500 | $75.00 | $75.00 | — |
| $667+ | $100+ | $100.00 | Cap kicks in |
| $1,000 | $150.00 | $100.00 | $50 |
| $2,000 | $300.00 | $100.00 | $200 |
At 15% rate. Cap threshold at 12% = $833+.
Try it on your own order
See exactly what Offsite Ads costs on a single order — with the $100 cap applied automatically. 100% in your browser, nothing sent anywhere.
Enter a sale price to see the Offsite Ads cost.
Offsite Ads only applies to sales that came from an Etsy ad (30-day attribution window). The $100 cap is per order.
This free calculator does one order at a time. The full Etsy Profit Calculator runs your entire shop from a CSV, compares pricing scenarios side by side, factors in your material and labor costs, and exports everything to Excel.
✓ This Offsite Ads calculator stays free, right here in your browser.
Should you opt in?
The fastest way to model both scenarios for your specific products: use the offline calculator to toggle Offsite Ads on and off and see the exact margin impact per listing. Get the calculator →
Common questions
Yes — but only if your shop has earned less than $10,000 USD in the past 365 days. To opt out, go to your Etsy Shop Manager → Settings → Offsite Ads, and toggle off. Once your shop earns $10,000 or more in any 365-day window, you are permanently enrolled at 12% and cannot opt out.
No. The Offsite Ads fee only applies when Etsy can attribute a specific sale to a buyer who clicked an Etsy-placed ad on an external platform (Google, Facebook, Pinterest, Bing, etc.) within a 30-day window before purchasing. Sales that come from organic Etsy search, direct traffic, or your own marketing are not subject to this fee.
The cap applies per individual order. At the 15% rate, orders above $667 hit the cap. At the 12% rate, orders above $833 hit the cap. For example, a seller of handmade furniture with a $1,200 order would pay $100 in Offsite Ads fees instead of $144 at 12% or $180 at 15%.
It depends on your pricing and costs. On a well-priced product with a 35%+ margin, a 15% Offsite Ads fee still leaves you profitable. On a borderline product at 18% margin, a 15% fee flips the sale negative. The only way to know for certain is to model it — the offline calculator lets you toggle the Offsite Ads rate on and off and see the exact impact per product.
Etsy monitors your rolling 365-day revenue. When you cross the $10,000 threshold, you receive a notification and are automatically enrolled in mandatory Offsite Ads at 12%. This change is permanent — you cannot opt out even if your revenue drops back below $10,000 in a later period. Plan your pricing accordingly before you approach this threshold.
Complete Etsy toolkit
The offline calculator lets you toggle the 12% and 15% rates — and the $100 cap — against your real costs and see your actual margin instantly.
Get the Etsy Profit Calculator →Disclaimer: The information and fee calculations on this page are provided as a decision-support resource only. All figures reflect Etsy's published Offsite Ads policy as of February 2026. Etsy may change its Offsite Ads program, rates, or eligibility criteria at any time. Whether or not to participate in Offsite Ads is a business decision that depends on individual circumstances, pricing, and margins. The user bears sole responsibility for all participation decisions and resulting financial outcomes. Smart Local Tools accepts no liability for decisions made based on this content. Always verify the current Offsite Ads policy at etsy.com/legal/fees.