Car Auction Fee Calculator
How much do Bring a Trailer, Cars & Bids, eBay Motors, and other online car auctions actually charge? Buyer premiums, seller fees, and listing costs for every major platform — with a calculator that shows your net at any sale price.
Standard U.S. vehicle fees verified August 26, 2026. Taxes, optional services, promotions, and special categories are not included.
Need the policy details and worked examples? Read our editorial guide to Bring a Trailer, Cars & Bids, and online auction fees.
Fee calculator
Enter a winning bid to estimate what buyers pay and sellers net on each platform.
Estimates cover standard U.S. vehicle auctions and exclude taxes, shipping, optional services, and promotions. eBay uses this amount as a proxy; its actual fee tier is based on the listing price.
eBay Motors
eBayBring a Trailer
Bring a TrailerCars & Bids
Cars & BidsPCARMARKET
PCARMARKETACC Auctions
ACC AuctionsHemmings Auctions
HemmingsCollecting Cars
Collecting CarsHagerty Marketplace
HagertyFee structure by platform
Swipe to compare platforms →
| Platform | Buyer premium | Seller commission | Listing fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bring a Trailer | 5% ($250 min) ($7,500 max) | Free | $99 | Standard vehicle auction: 5% buyer's premium, $250 min / $7,500 max. $99 Classic listing; optional services and other categories differ. |
| Cars & Bids | 5% ($250 min) ($7,500 max) | Free | Free | 5% buyer's premium, $250 min / $7,500 max. Standard seller use is free. |
| eBay Motors | Free | Free | $34 at $15,000 or less; $79 above | $34 listing fee at $15,000 or less; $79 above $15,000. eBay bases the tier on listing price, not the final winning bid. Optional deposit processing is excluded. |
| PCARMARKET | 5% ($500 min) ($7,500 max) | Free | $99 | 5% buyer's premium, $500 min / $7,500 max. $99 standard vehicle listing; race-car seller fees differ. |
| Collecting Cars | 6% ($1,000 min) ($10,000 max) | Free | Free | Standard U.S. buyer: 6% on USD car auctions, $1,000 min / $10,000 max. Standard seller use is free; buyer location and special formats can change fees. |
| ACC Auctions | 5% ($5,000 max) | Free | $99.99 | 5% buyer's premium, $5,000 max. No seller premium; $99.99 listing fee. |
| Hemmings Auctions | 5% ($500 min) ($10,000 max) | Free | $99.95 | 5% buyer's premium, $500 min / $10,000 max. No seller premium; $99.95 listing fee. |
| Hagerty Marketplace | 7% ($500 min) | Free | Free | Standard auction buyer's premium is 7%, $500 minimum. Standard auction listings are free; lot-specific terms can differ. |
No Reserve vs Reserve Auctions
A no reserve auction means the car sells to the highest bidder regardless of price. There is no minimum the seller will accept. This creates urgency and competitive bidding. For sellers, it also carries the risk that the final bid is below expectations.
A reserve price auction sets a hidden minimum price the bidding must reach before the car can sell. If bidding doesn't meet the reserve, the car goes unsold. Reserves protect sellers from selling too low but can result in an unsold auction when bidding stops below the threshold. A no-reserve auction has no seller-set minimum, but a completed sale still depends on a valid accepted bid and the auction proceeding as listed. Neither format guarantees a particular price. Compare current outcomes for similar vehicles rather than relying on a generalized failure-rate percentage.
Some platforms publish the same standard fee schedule for reserve and no-reserve listings, while vehicle, service, or lot-specific terms can differ. Use the calculator above to estimate standard fees at different sale prices, then check platform sell-through rates for your specific car.
Bring a Trailer Fees Explained
Bring a Trailer's fee structure has two components: a seller listing fee and a buyer's premium. Its published Classic vehicle terms include a $99 listing fee that does not vary with the final sale price.
For Classic vehicle auctions, the buyer's premium is 5% of the winning bid, with a minimum of $250 and a maximum cap of $7,500. This means on cars selling above $150,000, the buyer's premium stays flat at $7,500, making the effective fee percentage decrease as sale prices rise. On a $300,000 car, the buyer pays just 2.5% in fees.
Live auction houses use event- and category-specific buyer premiums and seller terms, so they are not mixed into this online-platform calculator. To see how the published online fees play out at your car's value, use the calculator above or check what your car is worth first.
Cars & Bids Fees vs Bring a Trailer
The standard fee difference between Cars & Bids and Bring a Trailer is now on the seller side. Both charge vehicle buyers 5%, with a $250 minimum and $7,500 maximum. Cars & Bids is free for standard sellers, while BaT's Classic listing costs $99. On a $100,000 car, buyers pay $5,000 on either platform, while the C&B seller saves $99 in platform fees.
At a $200,000 winning bid, both platforms hit their $7,500 buyer-premium caps. Audience fit and likely winning bid therefore matter much more than the $99 standard seller-fee difference. For a detailed side-by-side including sell-through rates and audience differences, see our platform comparison tool.
Fees Are One Part of the Venue Decision
Published fees tell you what a transaction would cost at a given winning bid. They do not establish which venue will accept a vehicle or produce the strongest result. Buyer-premium caps can reduce the effective percentage on higher winning bids, while minimums can increase it on lower winning bids.
After comparing costs here, use the Where to Sell comparison to review vehicle-specific sample sizes, sell-through, and median sold prices. For in-person venues, compare the separately verified live-auction fee terms.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Bring a Trailer charge?
Bring a Trailer charges a 5% buyer's premium ($250 minimum, $7,500 maximum) and a $99 seller listing fee. On a $50,000 car, the buyer pays $2,500 in fees and the seller pays $99.
How much does Cars & Bids charge?
Cars & Bids charges a 5% buyer's premium ($250 minimum, $7,500 maximum). Standard seller use is free. On a $50,000 car, the buyer pays $2,500 and the seller pays no standard platform fee.
How much does ACC Auctions charge?
ACC Auctions charges a 5% buyer's premium ($5,000 maximum), no seller commission, and a $99.99 listing fee. On a $50,000 car, the buyer pays $2,500 in fees and the seller pays $99.99.
Which online car auction has the lowest fees?
For buyers, eBay Motors has no buyer's premium. Several curated platforms publish no standard seller fee, including Cars & Bids, Collecting Cars, and Hagerty Marketplace. The best venue still depends on vehicle fit and likely winning bid, not fees alone.
Are auction fees negotiable?
Standard online-auction fees are usually published, but optional services, promotions, taxes, special vehicle categories, and lot-specific terms can change the total. Traditional live-auction seller commissions may also be negotiated.
How much does it cost to sell on Bring a Trailer?
Bring a Trailer's published Classic vehicle terms include a $99 seller listing fee and no standard seller commission. The buyer pays a separate 5% buyer's premium, capped at $7,500. On a $50,000 sale under those terms, the seller nets $49,901 after the listing fee and the buyer pays $52,500 before taxes and other costs.
Does Bring a Trailer charge a seller commission?
Bring a Trailer's Classic vehicle listing costs $99 and has no additional standard seller commission. Optional photography and White Glove services cost more. The winning buyer pays the category-specific buyer's premium.
What is a no reserve auction?
A no-reserve auction means the car sells to the highest bidder without a seller-set minimum. It can encourage participation but also exposes the seller to the final market result. Reserve and no-reserve outcomes vary by vehicle, venue, presentation, and period.
Do I pay sales tax on top of auction fees?
Applicable sales tax may be charged separately from auction fees and varies by jurisdiction and transaction. Consult the relevant motor-vehicle or tax authority for your situation.
What is a buyer's premium?
A buyer's premium is an additional fee charged to the winning bidder on top of the winning bid. For example, a 5% buyer's premium on a $100,000 winning bid means the buyer pays $105,000 total before taxes and other costs.
What does winning bid mean?
The winning bid is the final accepted bid before the buyer's premium, sales tax, shipping, registration, and other costs. It is also the seller's gross sale price before seller-side fees and expenses.
Does this calculator include live auction venues?
No. It compares standard fees for online vehicle-auction platforms. Live and in-person auction fees often vary by event, bidder method, vehicle category, and negotiated consignment terms, so they require a separate event-specific comparison.