Kontora legal
Fees and Payouts
Buyers pay a 5% Kontora service fee, already included in every price shown. Sellers pay a 5% selling fee, with payment processing of 4% + $0.70 per order, and nothing else. Founding Partners: 0% Kontora selling fee until June 30, 2027, payment processing 4% + $0.70 applies.
1. For buyers
Ce document est offert en français : version française. The French version is presented to you first. You may choose to be bound by this English version instead, by ticking the box provided for it before you pay or set up payouts.
You pay the price shown for each item, the seller's shipping and the sales tax for your province. Every price shown already includes the Kontora service fee of 5% of the item price; checkout shows it as its own line, "Kontora service fee", and the total is the same as the prices you saw. The fee is Kontora's, not the seller's, and is refunded with any item cancelled or refunded in full.
2. Seller fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Kontora service fee, paid by the buyer (included in the price shown) | 5% of the item price |
| Selling fee on each item sold | 5% of the item price |
| Payment processing on each item sold | 4% of the item price |
| Payment processing per order (one package from one seller) | $0.70 |
| Founding Partner selling fee, shops approved on or before June 30, 2027 | 0% until June 30, 2027, then 5% |
| Founding Partner selling fee, shops approved later (180 days or 100 orders) | 2.5% of the item price |
| Founding Partner payment processing | 4% of the item price and the shipping, + $0.70 per order |
| Fees on shipping | None, except payment processing for Founding Partners |
| Fees on sales tax | None |
| Listing fees, monthly fees | None |
| Card processing and payouts (Stripe) | Covered by payment processing |
Each fee is calculated on the items in a package and rounded to the nearest cent. The $0.70 is charged once per package, so selling several cards to the same buyer in one order costs less per card. Your fees on a package never exceed its item price (its item price and shipping for a Founding Partner).
3. Example
A buyer in Ontario buys one card at $40.00 with tracked shipping at $12.00.
| Item price | $40.00 |
|---|---|
| Shipping | $12.00 |
| HST 13% on $52.00 (paid by buyer) | $6.76 |
| Buyer pays | $58.76 |
| Selling fee 5% of $40.00 | $2.00 |
| Payment processing 4% of $40.00 | $1.60 |
| Payment processing per order | $0.70 |
| Transferred to the seller ($40.00 + $12.00 - $2.00 - $1.60 - $0.70) | $47.70 |
The sales tax the buyer pays is not part of the seller's transfer. Tax a registered seller charges is added to their transfer, and tax on Kontora's fees is taken from it; see Taxes.
4. How payouts work
- Sellers can list a few items right away and create a Stripe Express account; buyers can pay for their items once Stripe has verified their identity and bank account.
- Each payment goes straight to the seller's Stripe account, minus Kontora's fees and the sales tax Kontora collects. The seller's payouts are manual and Kontora releases each one: when the seller marks the package shipped, or, for a seller's first 10 completed sales and first 30 days, 7 days after shipping or sooner when the buyer confirms receipt.
- Payouts reach the seller's bank account in CAD. A payout is never held more than 85 days after the payment; the first one often takes longer while Stripe completes its checks.
Kontora holds a seller's share only until the transfer is due under these rules.
5. Refunds, cancellations and disputes
- Cancelled or fully refunded items: no fees are kept.
- Refunds that are the seller's responsibility (see the Kontora Guarantee) are recovered by reversing the transfer or deducting from later transfers.
- Card chargeback fees charged by Stripe are paid by the seller when the chargeback results from the seller's failure, and otherwise by Kontora.
6. Changes to fees
We announce fee changes to sellers in writing at least 30 days in advance, with the new terms, the terms they replace and the date. A seller who does not accept a change can close their shop at no cost before it applies. Orders placed before the change keep the old fees.
The Founding Partner 0% selling fee ends on June 30, 2027: from July 1, 2027 those shops pay the 5% selling fee. We will remind them at least 30 days before.