You keep your full listing price. Here's what the other numbers mean.

Last reviewed 2026-06-25

When you sell on Reluv, something a little different happens compared to some other marketplaces: you're not just a user of the platform — for every sale, you're the seller of record (sometimes called the merchant of record). This guide is for private sellers clearing their own wardrobe, and it explains what that means for your money.

What "seller of record" means for private sellers

On many large marketplaces, the platform collects the buyer's payment, takes its cut, and then transfers the remainder to you. You're at arm's length from the transaction itself.

Reluv works differently. Because we use direct charges, the buyer's payment is processed directly on your own Stripe account. Reluv then collects a fee from that payment — to run the marketplace and to buy your postage label — and your listing price is yours. In practical terms, you are the seller of the item, not an anonymous platform account.

This has a few upsides:

• Transparency. Every transaction is visible in your own Stripe account — you can see exactly what was charged and when. There's no black box.
• You own the record. Your Stripe account holds your payment history, so you can verify your own sales data independently.
• A cleaner relationship with the buyer. The sale is backed by a real seller — you — not just a platform.

Understanding the numbers: your payout vs. a "gross" figure

Your payout is the simple number to hold on to — it's your listing price, in full. The one thing worth understanding is that the amount which passed through your account on a sale is higher than your payout, so if you ever come across a "gross" or "volume" total somewhere, it'll look bigger than what you actually earned. That's expected — and it does not mean Reluv took a big cut. Here's a typical sale, built up from your price:

You keep your full £31.98. The extra £7.41 the buyer paid sits on top of your price — it's their protection fee plus their shipping. It was never deducted from your sale, and it is not a 20% cut. Reluv charges you, the seller, nothing.

So why does the bigger number exist at all? Because you're the seller of record, the buyer's whole £39.39 lands in your account first, and only then is the £7.41 split out — the shipping goes to the carrier (via the postage label Reluv buys for you), and Reluv keeps its protection fee. Any gross or "volume" total is counting money that was only ever passing through — like a till reading that counts every pound across the counter before costs and pass-throughs come off. It's not your income. Your income is your payout — and the clearest place to see it is your Insights page, not a payment-processor total.

Which number to use for your records

For your own record-keeping, the number that matters is what landed in your bank account — your payout, which is your listing price.

Reluv shows this clearly in a few places:

• Insights → Earnings snapshot — gross sales, awaiting payout, and paid out across any period you choose.
• Each sale — the sale detail page shows your net earnings and payout date for that specific order.
• Future: downloadable statement — we're building a year-by-year export so you can pull a clean record for any tax year.

For most sellers — those clearing out their own wardrobes — this is unlikely to affect your tax position at all. But it's worth knowing the right figure. If you're selling regularly or think you may be classed as a trader, our guide on tax on selling clothes in the UK covers when tax actually applies.

What sits between your payout and what the buyer paid

Nothing comes out of your listing price — there is no seller fee. The gap between your payout and what the buyer paid is made up entirely of amounts the buyer pays on top:

• A buyer protection fee — added to the buyer's total. This is Reluv's fee, and it's what funds secure payments, buyer and seller protection, dispute resolution, and support.
• Shipping — also paid by the buyer, and usually the larger part. Reluv uses it to buy your postage label, so most of it goes to the carrier, not to us.

Reluv also covers the Stripe payment-processing cost itself — it's not passed on to you — so your payout arrives clean: your listing price, in full.

FAQ

Which figure should I use for my tax records — my Reluv payout or the gross on Stripe? Your payout. It's what you actually received, and it equals your full listing price — Reluv charges sellers no fee. A bigger gross figure on Stripe also counts the buyer's protection fee and shipping, which were never your money.

Why does Stripe show a larger amount than my payout? Because you're the seller of record, the buyer's whole payment — your listing price plus their protection fee and shipping — runs through your Stripe account first, then those extras are split out. The gross reflects total throughput, not what you earned.

What does being the seller of record mean? It means you — not Reluv — are the seller of the item in the eyes of the payment system. The buyer pays into your Stripe account, and Reluv collects a fee for running the marketplace and buying your postage label. You get more transparency and own your transaction history.

Do I need to report the Stripe gross volume to HMRC? Generally no — the gross includes the buyer's fee and shipping, which aren't your income. Your relevant figure is your payout. Check with an accountant for your specific situation.