How we check our numbers
Where the fee data comes from, how often it's reviewed, and what happens when something's wrong.
Where the data comes from
Every fee rate on this site comes from the platform that charges it:
- eBay: eBay's published selling fees pages for US sellers.
- Amazon: Amazon's US referral fee schedule and FBA rate cards in Seller Central, plus Amazon's fee change announcements.
- Walmart: Walmart Marketplace referral fee schedule and WFS fee pages in Seller Center and Marketplace Learn.
- Sales tax: averages of combined state and local rates, compared against state revenue department publications.
Where possible, rates are also compared against real settlement reports and invoices from ML Necessities' own seller accounts. When a published rate and a real invoice disagree, we dig in before publishing either.
How often numbers are reviewed
All fee data is reviewed at least once a quarter and whenever a platform announces a change. Amazon typically announces annual changes in the fall or winter for January, and adds mid-year changes like the 3.5% surcharge in April 2026. Walmart's June 2026 referral cuts are an example of a change that showed up as a quiet policy update, which is why we also re-check on a schedule instead of only waiting for announcements. Each page shows the month it was last checked.
How guides are written
Guides are written by the founder of ML Necessities based on running ML Necessities across Amazon, Walmart, eBay, TikTok Shop, and Shopify. When a guide describes something we did, like a first WFS shipment or a GTIN exemption request, it describes what actually happened. When a guide uses an example, the numbers are worked out in full so you can check them against the matching calculator. AI writing tools may be used to help edit and check drafts, but every guide is reviewed and fact-checked by a person before publishing, and the experiences in them are our own.
What these tools are and aren't
The calculators are planning tools. They use the standard rates for broad categories and can't account for every subcategory, promotion, account-specific rate, or dimensional weight quirk. They're not accounting, tax, or legal advice. Before pricing a tight-margin item, confirm the exact fee in your seller dashboard.
Independence
ML Tools isn't affiliated with or endorsed by eBay, Amazon, Walmart, Etsy, Shopify, or TikTok. We don't accept payment to change rankings, recommendations, or conclusions. The site is supported by display ads served by Google AdSense, which are clearly separate from the content.
Corrections
If you find an error, email mlnecessities@outlook.com. Confirmed errors are fixed and the page's review date is updated. Significant corrections to a guide's conclusions are noted in the guide.