Question 1

Why is my actual profit lower than I expected?

Accepted Answer

Most sellers underestimate the cumulative effect of marketplace commission, fixed/closing fees, weight handling charges, payment gateway, GST-on-fees (18% on every fee marketplaces charge you), and especially return costs. A 10% sale-price commission on Amazon India ends up costing about 15% effective once you add GST on the fee plus the weight handling. The calculator surfaces every line so nothing hides.

Question 2

Are these fee numbers exact?

Accepted Answer

They're realistic averages. Actual fees vary by category (Amazon apparel ~12%, electronics ~6%, books ~15%), seller tier (Flipkart Plus members get reduced rates), and size band (heavier items pay higher weight fees). Override any value in "Override marketplace fees" to match your actual contracted rates — your seller dashboard shows the exact percentages.

Question 3

How is GST handled in the calculation?

Accepted Answer

The sale price you enter includes GST that the buyer pays. The marketplace computes commission on the taxable value (sale price ÷ 1.18 for 18% GST), not the gross. Then there's a second GST hit: marketplaces charge 18% GST on the fees you pay them (commission, shipping, payment processing). Both are shown separately in the breakdown.

Question 4

What's the "return cost" number?

Accepted Answer

Forward shipping you already paid + reverse pickup + packaging waste + sometimes restocking fee. The calculator estimates roughly ₹30 + your shipping cost per returned item, scaled by the return rate %. Apparel averages 25-40% returns; electronics 5-10%; FMCG 1-3%.

Question 5

Does this work for FBA / Easy Ship vs self-ship?

Accepted Answer

For FBA the "weight fee" represents Amazon's pick-pack-fulfillment fee, which is built into the calculator. Set "your shipping cost" to 0 if Amazon handles fulfillment. For self-ship, set the weight fee to 0 and put your actual shipping cost in.

Question 6

Why does Meesho show 0% commission?

Accepted Answer

Meesho's public messaging is "0% commission for sellers." It's not the full picture — Meesho still charges shipping fees, return-shipping fees, and 18% GST on those services. The calculator reflects this honestly.

Question 7

Can I save my settings?

Accepted Answer

Sign up free to save calculator presets per product/category — useful when you're running multiple SKUs at different price points. Anonymous use is unlimited but doesn't persist between sessions.

Question 8

What about customs / international shipping for Amazon Global Selling?

Accepted Answer

Not modelled in v1. International selling adds customs duty (varies by HS code), foreign exchange spread, and VAT in destination country. Coming in a future update.

Question 9

How do I find my actual category commission rate?

Accepted Answer

Amazon Seller Central → Reports → Fee Preview. Flipkart → Listings → Manage → Pricing. Both show category-level commission percentages. Plug those into the override panel for an exact calculation.

Question 10

Is the result accurate enough to base business decisions on?

Accepted Answer

For first-pass viability checks (will this product break even?), yes — but always reconcile against your actual seller dashboard payout report monthly. Marketplaces change fee schedules quarterly, and edge cases (lightning deals, sponsored ads, returns) move the real number.

Marketplace profit calculator.

Inputs

Profit breakdown

What the calculator factors in

Frequently asked questions

Stop writing listings.
Start scaling.