Marketplace Take-Rate Revenue Calculator
Turn a marketplace’s gross merchandise value and take rate into platform revenue, net revenue after payment fees, and revenue per order.
How it works
Platform revenue = GMV × take rate · Net revenue = platform revenue − GMV × processing fee · Revenue per order = platform revenue ÷ orders
A marketplace does not keep the gross merchandise value flowing across it — it keeps its take rate, the commission charged on each transaction. Payment processing, though, is levied on the full amount collected, so it eats into the take rather than the GMV. The gap between the two is why take rate and net revenue diverge: a 15% take with a 2.9% processing fee nets closer to 12.1% of GMV. Watching net revenue per order, not just headline GMV, is what separates a marketplace that scales profitably from one that grows its way into losses.
Worked example
On $500,000 of monthly GMV, a 15% take rate produces $75,000 in platform revenue. Payment processing of 2.9% on the full GMV costs $14,500, leaving $60,500 in net revenue — about 80.7% of the take. Across 8,000 orders that is roughly $9.38 of take revenue per order on a $62.50 average order value.
Frequently asked questions
What is a typical marketplace take rate?
Take rates vary widely by category: many product marketplaces sit around 10–20%, services and gig platforms often 20–30%, while high-volume, low-margin categories can be under 5%. The right rate balances platform revenue against keeping sellers and buyers on the platform rather than transacting around it.
Why is processing charged on GMV, not on my take?
When the marketplace collects the full payment and pays out sellers, the processor charges its fee on the entire amount that moves, not just your commission. That is why a 2.9% processing fee can consume a fifth or more of a modest take rate — it is calculated on a much larger base.
Is platform revenue the same as profit?
No. Platform revenue is the take; net revenue subtracts payment processing. True profit also has to cover engineering, support, trust-and-safety, marketing and seller incentives. Net revenue per order is the figure to grow, because it is what remains to fund everything else.
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Educational estimate, not financial advice.