Booth fee break-even calculator
How many sales it takes to make back a market booth fee, after what each sale costs you and card fees.
To cover $60.00 for the day
8 sales
about $96 in sales before you make a profit
| Average sale | $12.00 |
|---|---|
| Market's share (0%) | −$0.00 |
| What it costs you to make | −$4.00 |
| Card fee, averaged over all sales50% by card at 2.6% + 15¢ | −$0.23 |
| Left from each sale | $7.77 |
Card fee at Square's free plan in-person rate, read October 25, 2026, from Square. The example booth fee is the Downtown Farmers Market day rate in Salt Lake City.
How it works
Each sale leaves the price, less the market's share, less what the item costs you, less the card fee. On average, that card fee is the share of sales paid by card times the reader's rate. The booth fee and the day's other costs are divided by what one sale leaves, then rounded up.
Flat fee, share of sales, or both
Some markets charge a flat fee, some a share of the day's sales, and some both. Put a flat fee in the first box and a share in the second. If a market charges whichever is greater, try both and take the higher count. The booth fees guide works through real examples.
What to count as other costs
Anything the day costs that you wouldn't spend otherwise: gas or parking, ice, bags, a helper's pay, and a share of an application fee or insurance spread over the season.
Read more: what markets charge for a booth, and what card fees cost over a season.
Make the fee back from your regulars
They prepay by Zelle® to your business bank, and you charge them with a scan, with no card fee.
Set up your stall