Candle Profit Calculator

Work out the profit per candle and for the batch after marketplace and payment fees, with the break even price.

A selling price is not what you keep. Marketplace commission, payment processing and a fixed fee per order all come off the top first. This calculator shows the fee on each sale, the profit per candle and across the batch, and the lowest price that still covers your cost after fees.

At a glance

What you enter: Selling price per candle, Your cost per candle, Candles in the batch, Candles in a typical order, Marketplace commission, Payment processing, Fixed fee per order
What you get: Profit per candle, Profit margin, Revenue for the batch, Fees on the batch, Cost of the batch, Profit on the batch, Break even price
Formula shown: Yes, every step, right below your results.
Cost and privacy: Free, no account needed, and nothing you type is stored.

See worked examples ↓ Read the FAQ ↓ Share this calculator ↓

Selling price per candle USD

Your cost per candle USD

From the pricing calculator, including your time.

Candles in the batch

Candles in a typical order

Marketplace commission %

Payment processing %

Fixed fee per order USD

The flat part of the payment fee.

Reset

Results are estimates for general information only, always verify with a professional or official source before acting on them.

How to use the Candle Profit Calculator

1 Enter Selling price per candle (USD)
2 Enter Your cost per candle (USD), From the pricing calculator, including your time.
3 Enter Candles in the batch
4 Enter Candles in a typical order
5 Enter Marketplace commission (%)
6 Enter Payment processing (%)
7 Enter Fixed fee per order (USD), The flat part of the payment fee.
8 Press Calculate. You get Profit per candle, Profit margin, Revenue for the batch, Fees on the batch, Cost of the batch, Profit on the batch, Break even price, and every intermediate step stays visible under "How is this calculated?"
9 Change one number at a time to see what moves the result, that is usually the most useful thing a calculator can tell you.

Worked examples

Real numbers run through this calculator. Open any example to load it into the form above and change it.

Marketplace listing at 14 dollars

A single candle sold through a marketplace with commission and card fees.

You enter

Selling price per candle: $14.00
Your cost per candle: $5.80
Candles in the batch: 24
Candles in a typical order: 1
Marketplace commission: 6.50%
Payment processing: 2.90%
Fixed fee per order: $0.30

You get

Profit per candle: $6.58
Profit margin: 47.0%
Revenue for the batch: $336.00
Fees on the batch: $38.78
Cost of the batch: $139.20
Profit on the batch: $158.02
Break even price: $6.73

About 6.58 profit per candle and 158 dollars across the batch.

Open this example in the calculator →

A three candle bundle

The same candle sold three at a time, which spreads the fixed fee.

You enter

Selling price per candle: $14.00
Your cost per candle: $5.80
Candles in the batch: 24
Candles in a typical order: 3
Marketplace commission: 6.50%
Payment processing: 2.90%
Fixed fee per order: $0.30

You get

Profit per candle: $6.78
Profit margin: 48.5%
Revenue for the batch: $336.00
Fees on the batch: $33.98
Cost of the batch: $139.20
Profit on the batch: $162.82
Break even price: $6.51

Spreading a 30 cent fee over three candles lifts the margin by about a percentage point.

Open this example in the calculator →

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Frequently asked questions

How much profit do I make on a candle?

At a 14 dollar selling price, a 5.80 cost and 9.4 percent in fees plus 30 cents, you keep about 6.58 per candle, a margin of roughly 47 percent. A batch of twenty four leaves about 158 dollars before tax, postage, refunds and any stall or listing costs. Put your own numbers in above, because a small change in cost moves the margin quickly.

Why is my margin lower than I expected?

Because fees come off the selling price rather than off your profit. A 14 dollar candle with 9.4 percent in fees and a fixed 30 cents loses about 1.62 before your own costs are counted, so the fee is closer to 12 percent of the profit than 9 percent of the price. Pricing the fee into the candle rather than absorbing it out of the margin is the usual fix.

What is a break even price?

The lowest price at which a sale covers the candle and the fees. Below it, every sale costs you money even though the bank balance rises for a moment. It is worth knowing before a sale event or a discount code, because discounts and fees compound in a way that is easy to miss when you are busy.

Do marketplace fees apply to postage?

On most platforms commission applies to the order total including whatever the buyer pays for postage, so an offer of free postage usually comes out of your margin. Check the current fee schedule for your platform and treat postage, packaging and refunds as separate costs, because this calculator only models the sale itself.