Fiverr's fee sounds like the simplest one in freelancing: the platform keeps 20% of every order. That part is true. It's also only the half you can see from the seller's side — the client pays a separate service fee on top, and the two together decide what a gig really costs and what it really earns.
The short version: Fiverr takes 20% of every order from sellers, so you keep $80 of a $100 gig. Buyers pay a 5.5% service fee on top, plus a $3.50 small order fee on purchases under $200, so that same gig costs the client $109. Between the two, Fiverr keeps $29 of the $109 — about 27%, not 20%. Your earnings then clear after 14 days, and withdrawing them costs $0 to $3 depending on the method.
Below: how each side of the fee works, the odd price point where a cheaper gig costs the client more, how long the money takes to reach you, and how Fiverr compares with Upwork. Every figure comes from Fiverr's own payment terms and help center, checked in September 2026.
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How much does Fiverr take from sellers?
Fiverr's terms put it plainly: every order you complete credits your account with 80% of the purchase amount. The 20% doesn't shrink as you level up — a brand-new seller and a Top Rated one pay the same rate — and it applies to the whole order, extras included.
Tips count too. Fiverr treats a tip as earnings like any other payment, so the same 80% applies: a $20 tip puts $16 in your account. Discounts come out of your side as well. Offer a client a coupon and your 80% is worked out on the discounted price, not the list price.
$100 gig → $80
$500 gig → $400
To keep a set amount, price at that amount ÷ 0.8 — keeping $400 needs a $500 gig.
That's a 25% markup on the number you actually want to earn, which is exactly the sum our markup calculator does in one step. Hourly contracts, which run through Fiverr Pro, follow the same rule: you're credited 80% of your hourly rate for the hours on each completed weekly report.
What Fiverr charges buyers
The client side is where most write-ups get vague, and where they contradict each other. Fiverr's current terms set the buyer's service fee at 5.5% of the purchase amount, plus a $3.50 small order fee on purchases under $200. You'll find other thresholds quoted around the web; the terms Fiverr publishes today say $200.
The fee is charged per payment, not per project. Add an extra halfway through and it carries its own service fee. Tip at the end and the tip carries one too.
$100 gig — client pays $109.00 · seller keeps $80.00 · Fiverr keeps $29.00 (27%)
$200 gig — client pays $211.00 · seller keeps $160.00 · Fiverr keeps $51.00 (24%)
$500 gig — client pays $527.50 · seller keeps $400.00 · Fiverr keeps $127.50 (24%)
At $200 and above, Fiverr's combined cut settles at about 24% of what the client pays. Below $200 the flat $3.50 pushes it up, and on small gigs it's substantial: over a third of what a client pays for a $20 gig never reaches the person who did the work.
Hourly contracts swap the small order fee for a one-time $5 order initiation fee, with the same 5.5% added to the hourly rate.
The $200 price point that makes a cheaper gig cost more
Because the small order fee switches off at exactly $200, there's a strange little band just below it. A $199 gig costs the client $213.45: $199, plus $10.95 in service fee, plus $3.50. A $200 gig costs $211.00. The client pays $2.45 more for the cheaper gig, and you keep 80 cents less for the privilege.
The band runs from about $196.69 to $199.99. Anything priced inside it costs the client more than a flat $200 would. Knocking a dollar off a $200 gig is the rare discount that costs your client money.
It's free to fix: if a package lands in that range, round it up to $200. The same logic makes bundling worth suggesting to clients who order often. One $200 package avoids the $3.50 that two $100 orders would each pay.
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When you actually get paid: clearance and withdrawal fees
Completed doesn't mean available. Fiverr holds earnings for a 14-day safety clearance period after an order is marked complete. Top Rated sellers wait 7 days, as do Seller Plus Standard ($25 a month) and Premium ($49 a month) members, and hourly work clears 7 days after each weekly report.
If you're Top Rated or on Seller Plus Premium, Early Payout skips the wait for 1% of the earnings being cleared — $4 on $400. Useful when a bill is due; expensive as a habit.
Withdrawing is where Fiverr steps aside and its payment providers charge instead:
- PayPal — $0 from Fiverr, though PayPal may add its own fees depending on your location and currency.
- Fiverr Revenue Card (run by Payoneer) — $1 within 2 days, or $3 within 2 hours. Not available in India or Russia.
- Local bank transfer (via Payoneer) — $3 per transfer.
- Direct deposit (via Payoneer, US only) — $1 per transfer.
Your balance is held in US dollars. Withdrawing in another currency means a conversion, and the rate includes conversion fees, but you can always withdraw in dollars and convert somewhere cheaper. And because withdrawal fees are flat, patience pays: $3 is 6% of a $50 withdrawal and 0.3% of a $1,000 one.
Fiverr vs Upwork fees
Upwork works the other way round. Instead of a flat 20%, it charges freelancers a variable service fee of 0% to 15% per contract, with most landing around 10%, plus Connects to send proposals. On a $1,000 job at Upwork's typical rate you'd keep about $900; on Fiverr, $800. Our breakdown of what Upwork takes from freelancers covers the rest.
For clients, the two are closer than you'd expect. Upwork's Basic plan adds a 5% marketplace fee plus a $0.99 to $14.99 contract initiation fee; Fiverr adds 5.5%, plus $3.50 below $200. On a $1,000 project that's roughly $1,051 to $1,065 on Upwork against $1,055 on Fiverr. The real difference is which side carries the weight — on Fiverr, it's the seller. Upwork's client fees are broken down separately.
How to keep more of what Fiverr pays you
- Price for the 80%. Decide what you need to earn from a gig, then divide by 0.8. Pricing at your target and hoping is how the 20% ends up coming out of your rent.
- Stay out of the $196.69–$199.99 band. Round those packages up to $200; your client pays less and you earn more.
- Steer repeat clients toward bigger packages. Every purchase under $200 carries its own $3.50, so one larger order is cheaper for them and easier to say yes to.
- Withdraw in fewer, larger amounts. Flat fees shrink as a percentage the more you move at once.
- Save Early Payout for emergencies. 1% each time looks small until you add up a year of it.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Fiverr take from sellers?
20% of every order, including extras and tips. You keep 80%, so a $100 gig pays you $80. The rate is the same at every seller level, from new sellers to Top Rated.
How much does Fiverr charge buyers?
A 5.5% service fee on each purchase, plus a $3.50 small order fee when the purchase is under $200. A $100 gig costs the buyer $109, and a $500 gig costs $527.50.
Does Fiverr take a cut of tips?
Yes, on both sides. The client pays Fiverr's standard service fee on the tip, and the freelancer receives 80% of it, the same as any order. A $20 tip puts $16 in the freelancer's earnings.
How long does it take to get paid on Fiverr?
Earnings clear 14 days after an order is marked complete, or 7 days for Top Rated sellers and Seller Plus members. Top Rated sellers and Seller Plus Premium members can skip the wait with Early Payout for a 1% fee. Once cleared, you withdraw through PayPal or Payoneer for $0 to $3 per withdrawal.
Is Fiverr cheaper than Upwork?
For freelancers, usually not. Fiverr takes a flat 20%, while Upwork charges a service fee of 0% to 15% per contract, typically around 10%. For clients the two are close: Fiverr adds 5.5% plus $3.50 under $200, and Upwork adds 5% plus a $0.99 to $14.99 contract initiation fee.