Learned Fiverr takes 30% from new sellers and almost choked on my coffee

Was scrolling through the Fiverr terms yesterday because I was bored and saw they take 30% on your first $500 in earnings per transaction. Upwork takes 20% but that drops to 5% after $10k with a client. I thought both were around 15%. How is anyone starting out supposed to build anything when the platform eats a third of their income? Has anyone actually made decent money in those first few months after fees?

4 comments

4 Comments

miaprice21h ago

So I was literally doing that math in my head and realized I'd be earning less than minimum wage if I factored in the time I spent actually talking to clients. It's like the platform is saying "hey, congrats on finding work, now give us your lunch money." I mean seriously, 30% is insane when you're already charging way less than you should just to get that first review. I remember my first month on Fiverr I made like $200 total and after fees it felt like I'd been pickpocketed. How is anyone supposed to keep the lights on when the platform takes a third before you even start?

fisher.jessica20h ago

Tipping the meter lady @barbaradavis $5 an hour is more than I made on a rush logo job.

barbaradavis20h ago

$5 an hour is cheaper than a parking meter around here.

noahwood21h agoTop Commenter

Who figured it was okay to take 30% just for hosting a listing? Thats robbery when you're already pricing low to get traction. I did a $15 logo once and after their cut I got like $10.50. Took me two hours because the client wanted revisions. That's about $5 an hour. You cant even buy a decent lunch with that.