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Kickstarter fee calculator:
how much do you actually keep?

You raise a hundred thousand and the 5% is the part everyone talks about. Payment processing, VAT, production, fulfillment and advertising take far more, and most creators find that out too late. Put in your numbers and see what’s left.

01 Your numbers
€
€
based on your reward prices · you need roughly 1,250 backers
€
manufacturing only, shipping excluded
€
pick & pack + weighted average shipping
€
campaigns that advertise typically spend 10-20% of what they raise
100%
EU
US
RoW
VAT applies only to the EU share
02 The verdict
The figure you want to hit
€ 100,000
Kickstarter fee 5%− € 5,000
Payment processing 3% + €0.30/pledge− € 3,375
VAT on EU share ~22%− € 8,115
Production 1,250 units− € 18,750
Fulfillment 1,250 shipments− € 22,500
Advertising 12% of the raise− € 12,000
You keep
€ 30,635
net margin on the raise 31%
To hit your goal with an average pledge of € 80 you need roughly 1,250 backers. You’ll need to bring them in at around € 10 of advertising each, about 12% of the raise. Handling these numbers well is the difference between a campaign that earns and one that breaks even.

Still picking the number itself? Find your minimum safe goal with the funding goal calculator →

Kickstarter fees and costs:
the questions we get asked most

How do I calculate my Kickstarter fees?

Take 5% of what you raise for Kickstarter, then 3% + 0.30 per pledge for payment processing, which means your number of backers matters as much as your total. The calculator above does both, then keeps going: VAT on your EU backers, production, fulfillment and ad spend. Most fee calculators stop after the first two lines, which is why the figure they hand you looks so comfortable.

How much does Kickstarter charge?

If your project gets funded, Kickstarter takes 5% of the total raised. Stripe handles the payments and adds its own cut: 3% + $0.30 per pledge in the US, 3% + €0.30 in euro countries. Pledges under $10 pay a micropledge fee of 5% + $0.08 instead. On a €100,000 raise, platform and processing together cost around €8,400 before you've produced a single unit.

What happens if the campaign doesn't reach its goal?

Nothing. Funding is all or nothing: backers' cards are never charged, and there's no fee on money that never moved.

Are Kickstarter's fees the biggest cost of a campaign?

No. Fees eat roughly 8%. Production and fulfillment usually cost three to four times that: at an €80 average pledge, shipping and handling alone run around €18 per backer. That's why the calculator asks for your production and fulfillment numbers instead of stopping at the 5%.

Do I pay VAT on the money raised?

If you're an EU creator and your rewards are physical products, VAT is due on the share of backers inside the EU (22% in Italy, each country has its own rate). The calculator only counts VAT on your EU share. Treat the result as an estimate and run the tax side past your accountant before you set your goal.

Does the Pledge Manager have the same fees?

Yes. Kickstarter takes the same 5% there (taxes excluded), and Stripe takes its 3-5%, calculated on the full payment, taxes included.

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100+ campaigns launched since 2017 · MG Solutions