Does Etsy refund the Offsite Ads fee when you refund an order?
If I refund an Etsy order, do I get the Offsite Ads fee back?
When you refund through Etsy, the fees are recalculated. Etsy's Payments Policy says that on a partial or full refund the processing fee and other applicable fees are recalculated on the adjusted sale price, and the other applicable fees are refunded to your payment account. The policy names the Offsite Ads fee in one place: for full refunds that Etsy covers itself (for example through its Purchase Protection program), the processing, transaction and Offsite Ads fees are not credited back. Etsy Help's refund article only names transaction and processing fees, so check the Offsite Ads line on the order in your Payment account after refunding.
Last verified October 30, 2026 against Etsy Payments Policy (last updated Jul 31, 2026), Etsy Fees & Payments Policy (last updated Oct 5, 2026), Etsy Help: How Etsy's Offsite Ads work, Etsy Help: How to issue a full or partial refund for an order, Etsy Help: How to cancel a sale. Fee change tracker · How we verify
What happens to each fee on a refund
| Situation | Offsite Ads fee | Other fees |
|---|---|---|
| You refund in full or in part through Shop Manager | Covered by "other applicable fees": recalculated on the adjusted sale price and the difference refunded to your payment account (Payments Policy). Not named in the Help article, so confirm on the order. | Transaction and processing fees for the refunded transactions are refunded automatically (Help Center); processing is credited proportionally on partial refunds. |
| You also cancel the order | As above | Etsy also credits the listing fee; cancelling adds no fees. |
| Full refund covered by Etsy (e.g. Purchase Protection) | Not credited back | Processing and transaction fees are not credited back either. |
| Refund made outside Etsy (e.g. via PayPal after the 180-day window) | Etsy says it won't be able to refund your seller fees. | |
Sources: Etsy Payments Policy section 9 (last updated July 31, 2026), Etsy Help "How to Issue a Full or Partial Refund" and "How to Cancel a Sale". etsy.com/legal pages block automated checks, so we verify the policy wording against the latest Internet Archive copy of the official page; the link above goes to Etsy.
How the Offsite Ads fee works
- Rate: 15% of the order if your shop has always made under $10,000 in any consecutive 365-day period; 12% once it has made $10,000 or more.
- Cap: never more than $100 per order.
- What it's charged on: item price + shipping + gift wrap. For US sellers it is not charged on US sales tax.
- When it applies: a buyer clicks an Etsy offsite ad for your listing and buys from your shop within 30 days. One click can lead to several orders in that window, and each order in the 30 days may be charged. If the buyer's last click was an Etsy Ad, only the Etsy Ads fee applies.
- Opting out: allowed only while your shop has never made $10,000 or more in any consecutive 365-day period (Shop Manager > Settings > Offsite Ads). Once a shop reaches $10,000 in a 365-day period, it must take part for the lifetime of the shop, even if sales later drop.
Worked examples
| Attributed order (item + shipping) | At 15% | At 12% |
|---|---|---|
| $30.00 | $4.50 | $3.60 |
| $80.00 | $12.00 | $9.60 |
| $250.00 | $37.50 | $30.00 |
| $1000.00 | $100.00 | $100.00 |
Arithmetic with Etsy's published rates and the $100 cap. Partial refund illustration: on a $30 order at 15% ($4.50), a $10 refund leaves a $20 sale; recalculated on that, the fee would be $3.00, so $1.50 would come back if Etsy recalculates the Offsite Ads fee as the policy describes. This is an example of the policy wording, not a figure Etsy publishes, so check the order in your Payment account. For the other fees on the same order, see how much Etsy takes per sale.
Before you refund an Offsite Ads order
- Refund inside Etsy, in Shop Manager, within 180 days of the payment. That is the route where Etsy credits fees.
- If the order won't ship, cancel it as well so the listing fee comes back, and refund any unused shipping label first (see Etsy fees on shipping and labels).
- Find the Offsite Ads charge for the order in your Payment account and note it. After the refund posts, check for the matching credit.
- In your books, record the refund against sales and any fee credit against the matching fee expense, so your Offsite Ads cost reflects only orders you kept.
Questions
Does Etsy refund Offsite Ads fees if I refund the buyer?
Etsy's Payments Policy says that on partial or full refunds, the processing fee and other applicable fees are recalculated on the adjusted sale price and other applicable fees are refunded to your payment account. The Offsite Ads fee is named only in the exception for refunds Etsy covers itself, where it is not credited back. Check the Offsite Ads line on the order in your Payment account after refunding.
Do I get the Offsite Ads fee back if Etsy refunds the buyer through Purchase Protection?
No. The Payments Policy says that for full refunds credited to a buyer and covered by Etsy (for example through Etsy's Protection Program), the processing fee and other fees, including the transaction fee and Offsite Ads fee, are not credited back to the seller.
How much is the Etsy Offsite Ads fee?
15% of the order total for shops that have always made under $10,000 in any 365-day period, 12% for shops that have made $10,000 or more, never more than $100 per order. On a $30 order that is $4.50 or $3.60.
Is the Offsite Ads fee charged on shipping?
Yes. Etsy's Fees & Payments Policy says it's a percentage of the total order amount: the listing price plus shipping and gift wrap. For US sellers it is not charged on US sales tax.
Can I opt out of Etsy Offsite Ads?
Only if your shop has never made $10,000 or more in any consecutive 365-day period. Go to Shop Manager > Settings > Offsite Ads > Opt out. Once you reach $10,000, participation is required for the lifetime of the shop at the 12% rate.
Why was I charged Offsite Ads fees on two orders from one buyer?
A single ad click can lead to several purchases within the 30-day attribution window, and each order in that window may incur an Offsite Ads fee. Each fee is still capped at $100 per order.
General information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Rates change: check the linked official source before you rely on a number. Not yet reviewed by a CPA or EA.
Related: How much Etsy takes per sale · Etsy fees on shipping · Etsy fee calculator · Bookkeeping for Etsy sellers · All answer guides