Direct answer: Compare each marketplace deposit against gross sales minus fees, refunds, on-platform ads, and reserves. Any gap over 2% deserves a line-by-line investigation.
This guide gives a repeatable payout reconciliation template for Etsy, eBay, Shopify Payments, and Amazon.
Who this is for
Multi-channel US sellers running monthly reconciliations across marketplaces who want a single template that works everywhere.
The template structure
- Gross sales in period (from marketplace statement).
- Marketplace fee (percentage — enter from current schedule).
- Payment processing fee.
- Refunds issued.
- On-platform ads deducted.
- Reserves or holds.
- Expected payout (calculated).
- Actual payout received.
- Variance and variance % (calculated).
Channel-specific notes
- Etsy: deposits net of Etsy Payments fee, listing fees, transaction fee, and Offsite Ads fee. Reserves apply to new sellers.
- eBay: managed payments deducts final value fee, ad rate fee (if promoted), and payment dispute fees.
- Shopify Payments: deducts processing fee; app fees and Shopify subscription billed separately.
- Amazon: deposits every 14 days by default; unavailable balance can distort the current-period math.
Illustrative reconciliation table
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross sales | $12,500 |
| Marketplace fee (15%) | −$1,875 |
| Processing fee (3%) | −$375 |
| Refunds | −$720 |
| Ads deducted | −$640 |
| Reserve | −$300 |
| Expected payout | $8,590 |
| Actual payout | $8,100 |
| Variance | −$490 |
Example calculation (USD)
Etsy statement shows $12,500 gross. Fee 15% ($1,875), processing 3% ($375), refunds $720, Offsite Ads $640, reserve $300. Expected payout = $8,590. Actual deposit = $8,100. Variance −$490 (−5.7%). Check for chargebacks or a prior-period reserve holdback in the payment activity.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Reconciling only totals — line-by-line is where errors surface.
- Ignoring reserves and their release dates.
- Skipping months with zero payouts (they still record fees).
- Using cash-basis totals when the marketplace reports accrual-basis fees.
Best practices
- Reconcile within 7 days of each deposit.
- Keep a running log of unresolved variances above $50.
- Match against a bank export, not a screenshot.
Frequently asked questions
Should I reconcile per order or per payout?
Per payout for cash accuracy; per order for product-level margin work.
Can I automate this?
Yes — with a spreadsheet or accounting integration. Even manual monthly reconciliation catches most issues.