NFT Fees Explained: The Real Total Cost of Buying
The price next to an NFT is not what leaves your wallet. Between the purchase price, the marketplace’s fee, an optional-or-enforced creator royalty and the network’s gas fee, the real cost is always higher — sometimes noticeably so.
Last reviewed: September 2026
This guide breaks down every component so the number you see is never a surprise.
The four costs#
1. The purchase price#
The amount the seller is asking — either a fixed listed price or a negotiated offer price. On beginner-friendly marketplaces this is the headline number, and it is the only part that goes to the seller.
2. Marketplace fee#
The platform’s cut for facilitating the sale. Rates vary by platform and sale type, and they change. As of September 2026:
- OpenSea: 1% on secondary sales (baked into the displayed price); around 10% on primary drops run through its own minting platform
- Blur: 0%
- Magic Eden: 2% on completed sales
Always check the platform’s current fee page before transacting — these numbers change.
3. Creator royalty#
A percentage of the sale that goes to the NFT’s original creator. Important: royalties are not universally enforced. On some collections and platforms they are paid automatically; on others they are suggested but optional, or not collected at all. How NFT royalties work covers the mechanics.
4. Gas (network) fee#
Paid to the blockchain network for processing your transaction — it has nothing to do with the marketplace and nothing to do with the seller. Gas fluctuates with network congestion; the same purchase can cost very different amounts on a quiet versus a busy day. See what gas fees are and how to reduce them.
A worked example (hypothetical)#
Suppose you buy an NFT listed at 1.0 ETH on a marketplace charging a 1% sale fee, on a collection with an enforced 5% royalty, during moderate network activity:
| Listed price | 1.00 ETH |
| Marketplace fee (1%, inside price) | 0.01 ETH |
| Creator royalty (5%, inside price) | 0.05 ETH |
| Gas fee (buyer side, hypothetical) | ≈0.004 ETH |
| Total leaving your wallet | ≈1.004 ETH |
Note how the fee and royalty come out of the price on this platform — so the seller actually receives ≈0.94 ETH — while gas is paid by you on top. On marketplaces that charge fees on top of the price instead, the same NFT would cost more. Always read the confirmation screen: it shows the true total before you sign.
Hypothetical example only — actual fees vary by platform, collection and network conditions.
The costs before you even reach the marketplace#
The four costs above start at checkout — but buying the crypto first adds its own layer that beginners often miss:
- Exchange spread / purchase fee. The difference between the market price and the price the exchange actually charges you, plus any explicit buy or card-processing fee. A few percent here is money most guides ignore.
- Withdrawal fee. Moving crypto from the exchange to your wallet costs a network/withdrawal fee set by the exchange.
- Currency conversion. If you are funding in AUD and the NFT is priced in ETH, you carry an extra conversion — the AUD-to-crypto rate your exchange gives you. For Australian buyers the full path is in how to buy crypto with AUD for NFTs and the withdrawal step in the transfer guide.
The honest budget is therefore: what the NFT costs you (worked example above) plus what it cost to get the crypto into your wallet in the first place. If card-purchase checkouts are an option, they add a processing fee of their own — buying an NFT without crypto covers those.
Fees when selling, not just buying#
The same stack applies in reverse when you eventually sell: marketplace fee and royalty come out of your proceeds, and gas applies when listing or cancelling. It is worth knowing before you plan an exit — how to price an NFT to sell builds this into the pricing maths.
Ways to reduce total cost#
- Buy during low network activity — gas is the most variable component.
- Compare marketplaces: the same collection is often listed on several, at different fee rates.
- Factor fees into your maximum spend before browsing, not at checkout.
- Beware of “free mint” offers where gas still applies — and where the mint itself may be a scam. What minting is covers the safe process.
Bottom line#
Keep the two sides separate: the buyer pays the listed price + gas (+ any buyer-side fee), while the seller receives the price minus the marketplace fee and any royalty. Which fees fall on which side varies by platform — check the fee page of the one you’re actually using.
Read the wallet confirmation — it shows the real total — and budget for fees before you start shopping.
