About this calculator

AliExpress sellers carry platform commission, transaction fee, affiliate marketing, cross-border shipping and direct ads. This calculator returns per-unit net profit, margin, ROI and the maximum ad share before profit hits zero.

How to use

  1. Load a scenario preset to seed defaults.
  2. Override commission, affiliate and shipping with current back-office values.
  3. Set ads to 0 if you only run organic and Choice exposure.
  4. Re-run after each AE policy update or category fee change.

Field reference

Sale Price (USD)
Listed price after on-page promotions.
Product Cost
Landed product cost in USD.
AliExpress Commission
Category commission, typically 5–8%.
Transaction Fee
Payment processing, about 2%.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate commission, default 8% (configurable per category).
Cross-border Shipping
Per-unit cross-border logistics.
Domestic Inbound
Domestic line-haul to forwarding warehouse.
Direct Traffic Ads
AE direct traffic ads as % of price.
Return Rate
Returns / orders.
Other Variable Cost
Coupons, samples, FX, packaging.

FAQ

Does this work for AliExpress Choice items?

Yes. Choice items absorb extra subsidized shipping — bump shipping cost or returns to model the impact.

Semi-managed vs fully-managed?

Set ad %, shipping and inbound to 0 for fully-managed; keep only product cost and commission to model net to seller.

How do I set affiliate commission?

Default is 8%; you can change it per category in your back office. Pull the actual rate before relying on the calculator.

Are platform vouchers funded by AliExpress?

Some are. Only the seller-funded share goes into Other Variable Cost; price is already net of platform-funded discounts.

Why is my margin so thin even at $20?

AE stacks 8% commission + 2% payment + 8% affiliate = 18% before shipping. Cross-border shipping at $3–4 then dominates total cost.

How does this differ from the Amazon calculator?

AE has affiliate commission and stronger transaction fees; FBA fees and storage do not exist as separate lines.

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