Why We Do Not Charge Commission
Most marketplaces take a percentage of every sale. We do not, and it is worth explaining why — both because the reasoning matters and because “free” is a word that has been stretched thin across this industry.
What this covers
Key takeaways
- No listing fee, no commission, no subscription, no compulsory promotion.
- Commission marketplaces typically take 5–20% of the final sale price.
- Commission is charged on the sale price, not your profit — you can lose money on an item and still pay a fee.
- We do not process payments, which is precisely why we do not need to charge.
- You deal with your buyer directly and settle between yourselves.
What “free” means here
Plainly: it costs nothing to create an account, nothing to publish an advertisement, nothing when your item sells, and there is no monthly fee. There is no premium tier you need in order to be visible, and no paid boost quietly deciding whether anyone sees your listing.
- Creating an account — free
- Publishing an advertisement — free
- Adding photographs — free
- Messaging buyers and sellers — free
- Selling your item — free, at any value
- Renewing an ad after 60 days — free
“Free to list” is often used by platforms that charge on the sale instead. Both are legitimate models, but they are very different for the seller — and the difference only becomes visible when the money lands.
How commission works elsewhere
Marketplaces that process payments take a percentage for doing so. That is a real service — they handle the transaction, hold funds, and mediate disputes. The trade-off is that the fee scales with the value of what you sell, not with the work involved.
Selling a $50 lamp and a $5,000 motorcycle takes the platform the same effort. The fee on the second is a hundred times larger.
Illustrative, based on the 5–20% commission range typical of marketplaces that process payments. Rates vary by category and platform — always check current fees before listing.
The part sellers underestimate
Commission is charged on the sale price, not on your margin. Buy a camera for $1,800, sell it two years later for $1,200, and a 13% commission takes $156 — on a transaction where you already lost $600.
And the fees beneath the fee
Headline commission is rarely the full picture. Depending on the platform you may also meet:
- Payment processing — often around 2.9% plus a fixed amount, sometimes charged on top
- Currency conversion — a spread when the buyer pays in another currency
- Withdrawal fees — to move your own money to your own bank
- Promoted listings — optional in theory, near-essential in crowded categories
- Shipping subsidies — “free delivery” funded from your margin
Stack those and an advertised 10% can arrive closer to 15%.
Keep the full amount
Whatever you agree with your buyer is what you keep — whether that is $20 or $20,000.
What that costs a real seller
Consider someone clearing a garage over a year: an old motorbike, a set of power tools, a sofa, a games console and assorted smaller items. Perhaps $6,000 of goods in total.
| Item | Sale price | At 13% commission | List It Global |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorcycle | $3,200 | $416 | $0 |
| Power tool set | $850 | $111 | $0 |
| Sofa | $400 | $52 | $0 |
| Games console | $280 | $36 | $0 |
| Assorted smaller items | $1,270 | $165 | $0 |
| Total | $6,000 | $780 | $0 |
$780 is not a rounding error. For most people it is the next thing they were saving for.
Why we chose a different model
The honest answer is structural rather than altruistic: we do not process your payment, so we have no transaction to charge against.
A commission marketplace has to take a percentage because it is carrying real cost and risk — payment processing, chargebacks, fraud liability, dispute resolution, holding funds in escrow. That is expensive, and the fee funds it.
We do none of those things. You and your buyer agree a price and settle it between yourselves, exactly as you would if you had met through a noticeboard or a newspaper column. Our job is discovery: putting your item in front of people already looking for it.
Because we do not hold funds, we cannot offer buyer protection or refunds on a transaction. That is the genuine cost of this model, and it is why the safety guidance on this site matters. Inspect before paying, use traceable payment, and meet in public.
So where is the catch?
A fair question, and the honest answers are these:
You handle the transaction yourself
No escrow, no payment holding, no platform-mediated refunds. You agree terms with your buyer directly, which means you carry the judgement.
You arrange delivery or collection
We do not ship, store or handle goods. That is between you and the buyer.
Your ad waits for moderation
Every listing is reviewed before publication. It is a short wait, and it is what keeps the platform usable.
Ads expire after 60 days
Renewal is free and you are emailed beforehand, but an unattended listing will lapse.
What there is not: a fee that appears at the end, a subscription that renews quietly, or a visibility tier you have to buy into.
How the models compare
| Classified (this site) | Commission marketplace | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to list | Free | Usually free |
| Cost when it sells | Free | 5–20% |
| Who handles payment | You and the buyer | The platform |
| Buyer protection | None | Usually included |
| Best for | Local, high-value, specialist items | Shipped goods, cautious buyers |
Neither column is universally better. If you are shipping a $40 item to a stranger who wants recourse if it never arrives, a commission platform earns its fee. If you are selling a car, a piece of machinery or anything a buyer will inspect in person, paying a percentage for a service you are not using makes little sense.
Frequently asked questions
Will you start charging later?
Posting and selling are free, and that is the basis on which the platform is built. If paid options are ever introduced, they would be optional extras alongside free listing — not a fee on your sale.
Do you take a cut if I sell something expensive?
No. The fee is zero at every price point. A $20,000 sale costs exactly what a $20 sale costs.
Is there a limit on how many ads I can post?
No cap. Individuals and businesses can list as many items as they have.
Do I need to pay to appear higher in results?
No. There is no paid ranking. Results are driven by relevance and recency.
How do you cover costs then?
Operating a listings platform costs far less than operating a payments business. There is no fraud liability, no chargeback exposure and no escrow to fund, which is exactly why the model works without a transaction fee.
Is there buyer protection?
No — and we would rather say so directly. Because we do not process payments, we cannot refund or mediate a transaction. Follow the safety guidance: inspect before paying, use traceable payment, meet in public.
The short version
You keep what you sell it for. We connect you to the buyer and stay out of the transaction. That is the whole arrangement.
List something today
Free to post. Free to sell. No commission at any value. Buyers across 238 countries and 3,047 regions.
Take a look at List It Global to see what similar items are fetching.
