Commission & Fees
Understanding the gallery fee structure helps you price products profitably and maximize your earnings. This guide breaks down all costs and shows you how to calculate your actual take-home pay.
Commission Structure
Gallery Commission
Artbase Gallery charges a 12% commission on all gallery sales:
| Sale Type | You Keep | Gallery Commission |
|---|---|---|
| Gallery Sale | 88% | 12% |
| Attributed Store Sale | 100%* | 0% |
| Direct Store Sale | 100%* | 0% |
*Minus Stripe payment processing fees
Most online art marketplaces charge 15-50% commission. We keep ours at 12% to ensure artists earn a fair wage while maintaining a sustainable gallery model.
What the Commission Covers
Your 12% gallery commission pays for:
- ✅ Curation Team: Hand-selection of quality products
- ✅ Marketing: Gallery promotion and advertising
- ✅ Platform Costs: Hosting, servers, development
- ✅ Customer Support: Gallery buyer assistance
- ✅ Payment Processing: We cover Stripe fees for gallery sales
- ✅ Fraud Prevention: Chargeback protection
Payment Processing Fees
Stripe Fees
All payments are processed by Stripe with standard fees:
Stripe Rate: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
Who Pays:
- Gallery Sales: We add Stripe fees to customer total (you get full 88%)
- Store Sales: Stripe fees deducted from your payout
Fee Examples
Gallery Sale
Product Price: $100.00
Gallery Commission (12%): $12.00
Your Earnings: $88.00
Customer Pays:
Product: $100.00
Shipping: $10.00
Stripe Fee: $3.49
Total: $113.49
You Receive:
Product (88%): $88.00
Shipping (100%): $10.00
Total Payout: $98.00
Attributed Store Sale
Product Price: $100.00
Gallery Commission: $0.00 (no commission!)
Your Earnings: $100.00
Customer Pays:
Product: $100.00
Shipping: $10.00
Total: $110.00
Stripe Fee: $3.49
You Receive: $106.51
On gallery sales, we add Stripe fees to the customer's total. This means you receive the full 88% of the product price plus 100% of shipping.
Interactive Fee Calculator
Use our calculator to determine profitable pricing:
Calculate Your Take-Home Pay
Results
| Product (your cut): | $88.00 |
| Shipping (you keep): | $10.00 |
| Gallery Commission: | -$12.00 |
| Your Total Payout: | $98.00 |
Customer pays: $113.49
(includes Stripe fees)
Pricing Strategy
Calculating Profitable Prices
To ensure you earn what you want after commission:
Formula:
Desired Earnings ÷ 0.88 = Gallery Price
Examples:
| You Want | Gallery Price | You Receive | Gallery Gets |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50 | $57 | $50.16 | $6.84 |
| $100 | $114 | $100.32 | $13.68 |
| $200 | $227 | $199.76 | $27.24 |
| $500 | $568 | $499.84 | $68.16 |
Competitive Pricing
Research comparable art to price competitively:
Research Sources:
- Artbase Gallery: Browse similar work on gallery.artbase.studio
- Etsy: Search your medium + style
- Saatchi Art: Compare similar pieces
- Local Galleries: Check brick-and-mortar pricing
Pricing Considerations:
- Materials cost
- Time invested
- Skill level
- Size of piece
- Original vs. print
- Limited edition status
- Your experience/credentials
Artists often underprice work to compete. Remember: collectors value quality. Pricing too low can signal lower quality. Price for sustainability.
Price Tiers
Consider offering products at different price points:
Suggested Tiers:
- Entry Level ($25-75): Prints, small pieces, accessories
- Mid-Range ($100-300): Original small works, limited prints
- Investment ($300-1000): Larger originals, premium pieces
- Collector ($1000+): Large originals, commissioned work
Why Tiers Matter:
- Different buyers have different budgets
- Entry pieces build relationships
- High-end pieces improve brand perception
- Mix maximizes total revenue
Attribution Window
30-Day Attribution
When someone discovers you on the gallery, we track their journey:
graph LR
A[Day 0: Browse Gallery] --> B[See Your Work]
B --> C[Visit Your Store]
C --> D[Day 1-30: Purchase]
D --> E[You Keep 100%]
How It Works:
- Visitor browses gallery.artbase.studio
- Clicks on your product or "Visit Artist Store"
- Cookie tracks them for 30 days
- Any purchase on your store within 30 days is "attributed"
- Attributed sales = 0% commission
Attribution Value
Example Scenario:
Gallery Product Views: 1,000
Store Visits (10%): 100
Attributed Purchases (15%): 15 orders @ $100 avg
Attribution Revenue:
15 orders × $100 = $1,500
You keep: $1,500 (minus Stripe: ~$50)
Net: $1,450
If Purchased on Gallery:
15 orders × $100 = $1,500
You keep (88%): $1,320
Attribution Bonus: $130 (10% more revenue)
Use gallery as a discovery tool. Encourage visitors to explore your full store catalog. The more attributed sales, the more you earn.
Checking Attribution
View attributed sales in your analytics:
- Go to Gallery → Analytics
- Click Attribution tab
- See:
- Total attributed visits
- Attributed sales count
- Attribution revenue
- Attribution rate
Improving Attribution Rate
Strategies:
- Compelling Profile: Great bio and images encourage store visits
- Limited Gallery Selection: Show "best of" on gallery, full catalog on store
- Social Engagement: Link Instagram, build relationships
- Follow-Up: Include business cards in shipments
- Email List: Capture emails, announce new work
Attribution Funnel:
Gallery Views
→ Product Clicks
→ Store Visits
→ Store Purchases
Optimize each stage to maximize attributed revenue.
Payout Timeline
Payment Flow
Gallery Sale Timeline:
| Day | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Purchase | Customer completes checkout |
| 0 | Split | 88% allocated to your Stripe account |
| 1-3 | Ship | You ship and mark as shipped |
| 2 | Transfer | Stripe initiates transfer to your bank |
| 4-5 | Deposit | Funds appear in your bank account |
Attributed Sale Timeline:
| Day | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Purchase | Customer buys from your store |
| 0 | Credit | 100% credited to your Stripe account |
| 2 | Transfer | Stripe initiates payout |
| 4-5 | Deposit | Funds appear in bank account |
Payout Schedule
Standard Schedule: Rolling 2-day payout
- Stripe transfers available balance every 2 days
- No minimum threshold
- Automatic to your verified bank account
Custom Schedules (optional):
- Weekly (every Monday)
- Monthly (1st of month)
- Manual (request when you want)
Change Schedule:
- Go to Stripe dashboard
- Settings → Payouts
- Select payout schedule
- Save changes
Fee Comparison
Artbase Gallery vs. Competitors
| Platform | Commission | Transaction Fee | Artist Keeps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artbase Gallery | 12% | 0% (we pay)* | 88% |
| Etsy | 6.5% | 3% + $0.25 | ~90% |
| Saatchi Art | 35% | 0% | 65% |
| Artfinder | 33% | 0% | 67% |
| Society6 | 10%** | 0% | 10-40%** |
| Redbubble | Markup*** | 0% | 10-30%*** |
*Gallery pays Stripe fees, but they're added to customer total **Society6 sets prices; artist markup is small ***Redbubble sets base prices; artist adds markup
At 88% artist cut, Artbase Gallery offers among the highest artist earnings in the online art marketplace space, while maintaining quality curation standards.
Total Cost of Selling
Consider total costs across platforms:
Artbase Gallery:
- Commission: 12%
- Listing fees: $0
- Transaction fees: $0 (we pay)
- Subscription: $0 for gallery (Studio pricing separate)
- Total effective cost: 12%
Etsy:
- Commission: 6.5%
- Listing fee: $0.20/item
- Transaction fee: 3% + $0.25
- Payment processing: 3% + $0.25
- Offsite Ads: 15% (on attributed sales)
- Total effective cost: 12-27%
Tax Implications
1099-K Reporting
Stripe issues tax forms for your gallery earnings:
Threshold: $600+ in annual gallery sales (US)
Form: 1099-K
- Issued by Stripe in January
- Available in Stripe dashboard
- Mailed to address on file
What's Reported:
- Gross gallery sales (100% of product prices)
- Your payout amount (88%) is what you actually received
Even though you received 88%, the 1099-K reports 100%. Deduct the 12% commission as a business expense when filing taxes.
Deductible Expenses
Reduce your tax burden by deducting:
- ✅ Gallery commission (12% of sales)
- ✅ Materials and supplies
- ✅ Shipping costs
- ✅ Packaging materials
- ✅ Studio rent/space
- ✅ Equipment and tools
- ✅ Marketing and advertising
- ✅ Professional development
Example:
Gallery Sales (1099-K): $10,000
Gallery Commission Paid: $1,200
Materials: $2,000
Shipping: $800
Supplies: $300
Deductions: $4,300
Taxable Income: $5,700
International Artists
Non-US Artists:
- Complete W-8BEN form in Stripe
- May be subject to 30% withholding (varies by country)
- Tax treaties may reduce/eliminate withholding
- Consult tax professional in your country
Refunds and Adjustments
Refund Handling
When you issue a refund on a gallery sale:
Full Refund:
- Customer receives 100% back
- Gallery commission is refunded to customer
- Your 88% is deducted from next payout (if already paid)
Partial Refund:
- Customer receives partial amount
- Commission adjusted proportionally
- You're debited proportionally
Example:
Original Sale: $100
You received: $88
Gallery received: $12
Full Refund:
Customer refund: $100
You're debited: $88
Gallery debited: $12
Partial Refund ($30):
Customer refund: $30
You're debited: $26.40 (88%)
Gallery debited: $3.60 (12%)
Chargebacks
If a customer disputes a charge:
Gallery Protection:
- We handle all chargebacks
- You're protected if you shipped with tracking
- Provide tracking # immediately if requested
- Gallery pays chargeback fees
Artist Responsibility:
- Ship to verified address only
- Always use tracking
- Keep shipping records for 90 days
- Respond to gallery requests within 24 hours
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my prices after products are approved?
Yes! Update prices anytime. Active cart items use the price when added to cart.
What if I want to remove products from the gallery?
Unmark products as "gallery eligible" anytime. They'll be removed from the gallery but remain on your store.
Do I pay commission on shipping?
No. You receive 100% of customer-paid shipping fees, and shipping is excluded from commission calculation.
How do I track what I owe in taxes?
View detailed payout history in Gallery → Payouts or Stripe dashboard. Export CSVs for your accountant.
What happens if a sale is attributed but the customer returns it?
Refunds on attributed sales work the same as refunds on direct store sales. The customer receives a refund, and you're debited the amount.
Can I offer discounts on gallery products?
Not currently. Gallery products are listed at the price you set. You can change prices, but can't run sales or apply coupon codes through the gallery.
Next Steps
Questions about fees? Contact gallery@artbase.studio or consult with a tax professional for tax advice.