How we work it out
- We convert your cost to pesos and divide it by the units. We add the other costs per unit, like a bag or label.
- We take VAT out of the selling price: we divide it by 1.19. We subtract the channel fee, worked out on that price without VAT. Then card charges and shipping, without their VAT.
- What is left, minus your cost per unit, is what you earn. The minimum price is the one that leaves the margin you asked for, rounded up.
Watch out for this
- Working out the margin on the price with VAT. That 19% is not yours: you pay it to the SII (Chile's tax service).
- Adding import VAT to your cost. If you file VAT, you deduct it from the VAT on your sales. Note: it does not come back as cash.
- Forgetting shipping. From CLP $ 19,990, you pay for free shipping on Mercado Libre. Falabella and Paris charge delivery per unit.
Questions
How much does Mercado Libre charge per sale?
It depends on your category and on whether you list as Clásica or Premium. We did not find those % on an open official page. Check them in the Mercado Libre cost simulator. From CLP $ 19,990 there is no fixed fee, but you pay for free shipping. Your seller reputation gives you a discount on that shipping.
How much does it cost to sell on Falabella?
Falabella charges a fee on the sale, by category. It also charges a logistics fee for each unit sold, VAT included. That fee changes if the price is below or above CLP $ 19,990. The tables are in its seller help center.
How do I work out the selling price with VAT?
Multiply your price without VAT by 1.19. For example, CLP $ 6,500 + VAT is CLP $ 7,735. To take VAT out of a price, divide it by 1.19.
How do I work out the margin on an imported product?
Take VAT out of the selling price. Subtract fees, shipping and your cost per unit. Divide what is left by the price without VAT. Example: you sell at CLP $ 9,990 with Webpay and each unit costs you CLP $ 4,079. You keep CLP $ 4,087, which is 48.7%.
Is the VAT I pay when importing a cost?
No, if your company files VAT. You deduct it from the VAT on your sales in your monthly return (F29). It is due by the 12th of the next month. If you invoice electronically and pay online, by the 20th. If you do not recover VAT, add it to your cost and check with your accountant.
What SICE does
SICE coordinates your import with its network of freight forwarders, customs brokers, transport companies and insurers. Check your selling price and your taxes with your accountant.
Sources
- VAT Law (DL 825): 19% VAT and VAT credit
- Chilean Customs: October 2026 equivalencies (customs exchange rate)
- Law 19,496: the retail price includes taxes
- SII: deadline to file Form 29
- Transbank: rates for new merchants from September 1, 2026
- Mercado Pago: checkout fees
- Flow: rates
- Mercado Libre: selling fee and fixed fee
- Mercado Libre: shipping costs
- Mercado Libre: free shipping from CLP $ 19,990
- Mercado Libre: cost simulator
- Falabella: how much it costs to sell on falabella.com
- Falabella Seller Center: sales fees in Chile
- Falabella Seller Center: logistics fees
- Marketplace Paris: fee table
- Marketplace Paris: logistics costs
Updated on October 22, 2026