Catawiki Fees for Sellers, Explained

Catawiki fees at a glance

The buyer fee is the key difference from fixed-price platforms. On Vinted or Allegro, the buyer pays only the price you set. On Catawiki, the buyer pays the bid plus an extra 9% + €3 — so they factor this into what they can afford to bid.

Seller commission: 12.5% plus a fixed amount

Catawiki's seller success fee is 12.5% of the final sale price, plus an additional fixed amount that varies by category and is shown in your seller dashboard. Both the percentage and the fixed amount are excluding VAT; VAT is added according to your country's rules.

The 12.5% is applied to the winning bid amount only, not to any buyer fees. For example, say you sell an item for €200 — the commission would be 12.5% of €200 = €25, plus the fixed amount.

The buyer protection fee and why it lowers bids

Buyers pay a Buyer Protection fee of 9% of the final bid plus a fixed €3. This fee includes VAT where applicable and is charged even if the sale is cancelled due to non-payment.

This is why auction prices for buyers are effectively higher than the bid amount. If you're selling a rare item, remember that buyers are calculating the total including the fee when they decide how much to bid. The buyer protection fee works differently on different platforms.

Reserve price and starting bid options

When you create a lot, you can choose how bidding starts:

• Starts at €1: no reserve, the item sells to the highest bidder regardless of price.
• Starts at 50% of reserve: bidding opens at half your reserve price — for instance, if your reserve is €100, bidding starts at €50; if no one bids that high, the reserve isn't met.
• Starts at reserve: bidding opens at your full reserve price; the item won't sell below that.

A reserve price is your minimum selling price. If bidding doesn't reach the reserve, the item doesn't sell and you pay no commission. This protects you from selling valuable items too cheaply in a competitive auction.

• Before listing, decide your minimum price (reserve)
• Choose "starts at €1" if you're comfortable with any winning bid
• Choose "starts at 50% of reserve" to attract early bidding while protecting your minimum
• Choose "starts at reserve" for high-value items where every euro matters

Shipping and tracked labels

Catawiki provides tracked shipping labels that you can generate through the platform. The cost depends on the carrier and destination. Catawiki markets these labels as "up to 35% less" — this is Catawiki's marketing claim, not a verified figure.

Most sellers add shipping costs to the final price or offer local pickup. For valuable collectibles, tracked shipping is recommended.

A worked €300 lot

Say your item wins at €300. Here's how the numbers work:

The buyer, meanwhile, pays the €300 bid plus 9% + €3 = €330 total.

This example shows: even on a €300 sale, the seller receives around €262.50 before shipping. Factor this into your pricing expectations.

When an auction beats a fixed-price marketplace

Catawiki works best when:

• The item is rare or collectible — buyers compete, driving prices above fixed-price equivalents.
• There's a thin market — specialized items attract dedicated bidders who value scarcity.
• The item has genuine rarity — limited editions, vintage finds, or unique condition.

For common items with ready comparables, a fixed-price marketplace like Vinted or OLX often yields more — you keep the full price minus a lower commission, without the buyer-fee drag.

If you're selling watches, see how Catawiki compares to Chrono24 fees for that category.

To price rare items properly, check how to evaluate whether an item is actually rare. For collectibles like trading cards, see our trading cards resale guide.

For a broader view of consignment models, see our consignment glossary.

reva does not cover Catawiki. For items on Vinted, OLX and Allegro Lokalnie, Scout shows price confidence based on how many comparable listings have left the market — helping you decide whether to auction or set a fixed price.