Redbubble Profit Calculator

Guide

About the Redbubble Profit calculator

A Redbubble profit calculator is the essential tool for any artist selling on Redbubble who wants to understand exactly how much they earn per sale — and how Redbubble's markup model and account tier fees affect their bottom line. Redbubble is one of the world's leading print-on-demand art marketplaces, but its earnings structure is unique and can be confusing. This free calculator models the complete picture: gross earnings from your markup, minus the platform fee for your account tier, minus any excess markup fee — so you see your true net profit per sale.

How Redbubble's earnings model works.

Redbubble's earnings structure is fundamentally different from POD fulfilment services like Printful or Printify. Instead of paying a production cost per order and keeping the retail price minus that cost, on Redbubble the math works as follows:

- Redbubble sets a **base price** for every product (a T-shirt, sticker, mug, print, etc.). This covers Redbubble's production and fulfilment costs. - You set a **markup percentage** on top of that base price. Redbubble's default — and the threshold that avoids the excess markup fee — is **20%**. - The **retail price** your customer pays = base price × (1 + markup %). - Your **gross earnings** = base price × markup % — i.e. exactly the markup amount.

So at a $20 base price with a 20% markup: retail price = $24, gross earnings = $4. The base price always belongs to Redbubble; only the markup amount is yours (before platform fees).

Where to find the base price.

When you add or edit a product in your Redbubble shop, the pricing page shows you the current base price for that item. Because Redbubble's base prices vary by product type, this calculator asks you to enter it directly rather than relying on a fixed product catalogue. Common examples (illustrative, verify in your dashboard):

- Classic T-shirt: approximately $18–$22 base - Sticker (small): approximately $1.40–$2.50 base - Art print (A4): approximately $8–$14 base - Throw pillow cover: approximately $16–$22 base

Always enter the exact base price shown in your Redbubble pricing dashboard, as Redbubble adjusts these periodically.

Account tier fees (from September 2025).

Redbubble introduced a three-tier account system on September 1, 2025. Your account tier determines what percentage of your gross monthly earnings Redbubble takes as a platform fee:

**Standard tier** — 50% of your gross earnings. This is the default for new or low-activity accounts. At 20% markup and a $20 base, your $4 gross earnings become $2 net. This is a significant deduction and is widely considered the least favourable tier for profitability.

**Premium tier** — 20% of your gross earnings. A better outcome for active sellers. At 20% markup and a $20 base, your $4 gross earnings become $3.20 net after the 20% platform fee.

**Pro tier** — 0% platform fees. Pro status is awarded to artists with consistently high sales and strong engagement on Redbubble. Pro artists keep their full gross earnings and are also exempt from the excess markup fee.

The monthly fee cap means Standard and Premium accounts are never charged more than $150 in combined platform fees per payment period. This cap cannot be modelled per-sale and is not shown in this calculator — the calculator shows the fee as if you are below the cap.

The excess markup fee explained.

Standard and Premium account artists who set a markup above 20% face an additional deduction: the **Excess Markup Fee**. This is 50% of any earnings generated by markup above the 20% threshold.

For example, if you set a 30% markup on a $20 base product: - Gross earnings = $20 × 30% = $6.00 - Earnings at the 20% threshold = $20 × 20% = $4.00 (no excess fee here) - Earnings above the threshold = $20 × 10% = $2.00 → excess markup fee = 50% × $2.00 = $1.00 - Platform fee (Standard) = 50% × $6.00 = $3.00 - Net earnings = $6.00 − $3.00 − $1.00 = **$2.00**

Importantly, **if you keep your markup at or below 20%, the excess markup fee does not apply.** The calculator models both fees so you can see exactly how different markup levels affect your net earnings for your account tier.

Pro tier artists are exempt from the excess markup fee entirely — they can set any markup without the 50% penalty.

Should you raise or lower your markup?

The optimal markup depends on your account tier and competitive pricing on Redbubble:

For **Standard** accounts, raising markup above 20% is often counterproductive — the combined 50% platform fee plus 50% excess markup fee means only 25% of the excess earnings reach you. At 20% markup, you keep 50% of gross (the platform fee only applies). Staying at 20% and focusing on volume may be more effective.

For **Premium** accounts, exceeding 20% markup is slightly more viable — you keep 50% of the excess earnings after the excess fee, and 80% of earnings within the 20% threshold. But the excess markup fee still reduces the benefit significantly.

**Pro** accounts face no such constraints — artists in this tier can set higher markups and keep all earnings, giving them a major competitive and profitability advantage.

The default 20% markup is Redbubble's recommended starting point. Many artists price at exactly 20% to avoid the excess markup fee, relying on Redbubble's own promotional traffic rather than pricing competitively above the base.

Comparing Redbubble to Printful and Printify.

The key difference between Redbubble and fulfilment-first POD platforms:

- **Printful / Printify**: You set any retail price, pay a base cost per order, and keep the difference. No platform percentage of your earnings. Your pricing and marketing drive all sales. - **Redbubble**: You set a markup % (not a free retail price), and Redbubble handles marketing, customer acquisition, and fulfilment. In return, Redbubble takes a significant share of your earnings via the account tier fee. You trade higher margin control for marketplace exposure.

For many artists, Redbubble is attractive because Redbubble brings the buyers — you upload designs and Redbubble's organic traffic sells them. For higher-volume sellers, the tier fee can be substantial. The calculator above lets you model which scenario gives you the best net outcome.

Accuracy and what this calculator does not cover.

This calculator models the per-sale Redbubble earnings calculation: gross markup earnings, minus account-tier platform fee, minus excess markup fee (if applicable). It does not account for: the $150/month fee cap (a monthly aggregate benefit that reduces fees above the cap); Redbubble's promotional discounts on product prices that may temporarily reduce earnings; currency conversion if you are based outside the US (Redbubble pays in your local currency); or any taxes on your Redbubble income (consult a local tax adviser). For the most complete view of your Redbubble income, multiply your per-sale net earnings by your expected monthly sale volume.