What is a take rate? How marketplaces and payment platforms make money
By SendPay Business · · 2 min read
A take rate is the share of each sale that a platform keeps as its revenue. If buyers spend £100 through a marketplace and the marketplace keeps £12, its take rate is 12%.
How to work it out
- Add up the total value of everything sold through the platform in a period (often called GMV).
- Add up what the platform earned from those sales: commissions, fees and charges.
- Divide what the platform earned by the total value sold, and multiply by 100.
Why take rates vary
A platform that brings in customers, handles payments and guarantees the work can charge more than one that only lists sellers. Take rates are also shaped by how easily sellers could go elsewhere, and by what the platform pays out in its own costs, such as payment processing.
Setting your own
Start from the value you add, check what similar platforms charge, and remember that sellers compare what they keep, not just the headline percentage. A clear, simple fee is easier to sell than a stack of small charges.
Where SendPay fits
With a SendPay Services Marketplace, buyers hire sellers, you take a fee on every order, and sellers are paid out automatically. With a Creator & Membership platform, you keep a share of every subscription.
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How do I work out my take rate?
Enter your total sales and what you earned from them, and the free calculator shows your take rate, your net take rate after processing and what sellers keep.
Take rate calculator →Read next
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank, and does not take deposits; regulated services on the platforms are provided by licensed partners. PayPal, Patreon and Substack are named as reference points only and are not affiliated with SendPay Business.