📖 Overview
This calculator approximates ecommerce order profitability after marketplace fees and shipping drag.
It helps sellers stress test margins across destinations and item weights.
🧪 Example Scenarios
Use these default and higher-pressure example inputs to explore how sensitive this calculator is before using your real numbers.
| Input | Base Case | Higher Pressure Case |
|---|---|---|
| Sale Price ($) | 42 | 50.4 |
| Item Weight (lb) | 1.6 | 1.84 |
| Destination ZIP Code (US) | 90,210 | 103,741 |
| Product Cost ($) | 14 | 16.8 |
| Packaging Cost ($) | 2.5 | 3 |
⚙️ How It Works
Estimates order margin by combining platform and payment fees with shipping drag inferred from weight and destination zone.
The Formula
| Sale Price | Customer paid price before costs |
| Weight | Packed shipment weight used for billable estimate |
| Destination ZIP | Used for heuristic shipping zone estimate |
| Product Cost | COGS per item |
| Packaging Cost | Per-order packaging expense |
Quick Reference
| Order Value | Weight | Fee+Ship Drag | Typical Margin Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25 | 1 lb | $6-$10 | High pressure |
| $40 | 2 lb | $8-$14 | Moderate pressure |
| $70 | 2 lb | $10-$16 | More manageable |
When To Use This
- Use this tool when you need a fast decision during active planning or execution.
- Use this before committing money, time, or tradeoffs that are hard to reverse.
- Use this to compare options using the same assumptions across scenarios.
Edge Cases To Watch
- Results can be misleading if key inputs are missing, stale, or unrealistic.
- Very small or very large values may amplify rounding effects and interpretation risk.
- If assumptions change mid-decision, recalculate before acting.
Practical Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Why is destination ZIP included?
Zone distance strongly affects postage and therefore net profit.
❓ Is this Etsy only or Shopify only?
It uses a blended fee model for quick planning and should be adjusted to your exact platform stack.