Bookkeeping for online sellers: marketplaces, fees and reconciliation

Selling through marketplaces adds a layer of complexity that simple bookkeeping software doesn't handle well out of the box — fees, refunds and payout timing all need to reconcile correctly.

Why marketplace bookkeeping is different

A marketplace payout rarely matches your gross sales figure — fees, refunds, advertising costs and reserves are usually netted off before you receive funds, which can make revenue look wrong if not accounted for correctly.

Getting fees and refunds right

Recording gross sales, fees, and refunds as separate line items, rather than just booking the net payout as income, gives an accurate picture of your actual margins per channel.

Multi-channel reconciliation

Selling across several marketplaces plus your own store multiplies the reconciliation work — each channel typically needs its own feed or import into your accounting software.

Our advice

We set up bookkeeping specifically for how e-commerce businesses actually get paid, so your numbers reflect real margins per channel rather than a blurred net figure.