Zepto seller fees in 2026 are mainly the margin Zepto keeps below MRP on every unit, which seller guides put at roughly 8–25% depending on category, plus the advertising you buy to be visible, your own freight and wastage, and 18% GST on Zepto’s service charges. Registration is free, and Zepto publishes no rate card.
What Zepto does publish, in its IPO filing, is where its money comes from, and that tells brands a lot about where their costs will land. Zepto’s advertising revenue grew from about ₹49 crore in FY24 to ₹1,635.7 crore in FY26, while it cut commissions from sellers. This guide separates verified figures from reported ones, explains every cost line, and works through the numbers on a ₹200 SKU. Stryder Consulting builds these models for brands before they negotiate with Zepto.
Key takeaways
- Registering on Zepto’s brand portal is free; Zepto publishes no seller rate card.
- Your main cost is Zepto’s margin below MRP, cited at about 8–25% by category.
- Advertising is now Zepto’s fastest-growing revenue line: ₹1,635.7 crore in FY26 from 2,468 advertising brand partners, per its IPO filing.
- Zepto Atom, the brand analytics tool launched in May 2025, is a paid add-on; Zepto has not published its price.
- On a ₹200 SKU at a 20% margin and 10% ad spend, a brand keeps about 24% of MRP as contribution in our worked example.
How does Zepto make money from brands?
Zepto earns from brands in three ways: the margin on products sold through its app, advertising, and data and supply-chain services. Brands supply stock in bulk, Zepto’s dark-store network stores and delivers it, and brands then pay to be seen.
Zepto’s IPO filing describes revenue from product sales, from advertising and promotional services for brand partners (sponsored placements, in-app ads, analytics and campaign tools) and from supply-chain services that source products from brands, as summarised in Zerodha’s IPO note. By March 2026 that network covered 1,139 dark stores, according to Bank of America data reported by Entrackr.
Why advertising matters more than commission in 2026
The biggest change for sellers is the shift from margin to ads. Zepto’s updated prospectus shows advertising revenue of about ₹49 crore in FY24, ₹651 crore in FY25 and ₹1,635.7 crore in FY26, when it reached 7.78% of total receipts and 2,468 brand partners were spending on the platform, INDmoney reported. Over the same period Zepto lowered delivery charges and reduced commissions from sellers to stay price-competitive, while keeping gross profit stable at 18.56% of net receivables in FY26.
For a brand, that means:
- Headline margins may be easier to negotiate than a few years ago.
- Visibility costs more. With thousands of brands bidding for the same search results, organic reach for a new SKU is limited.
- Data is now a product. Zepto sells brands insight tools as well as ad space.
| Fact | Figure | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Ad revenue, FY24 | ~₹49 crore | Published in IPO filing |
| Ad revenue, FY25 | ~₹651 crore | Published in IPO filing |
| Ad revenue, FY26 | ₹1,635.7 crore | Published in IPO filing |
| Brand partners advertising, FY26 | 2,468 | Published in IPO filing |
| Quick-commerce ROAS for brands | 5–8x | Redseer, cited in IPO filing |
| Seller margin or commission | ~8–25% by category | Reported by seller guides; not published |
Zepto seller fees, line by line
The cost of selling on Zepto has seven lines: registration, platform margin, advertising, analytics, logistics, wastage and taxes. Only registration is published as a fixed number; everything else is negotiated or depends on how your products perform.
1. Registration: free
Applying on the Zepto brand onboarding portal costs nothing. Some brand-side guides report that certain new brands are asked for a refundable deposit at onboarding; Zepto has not published this, so ask your category manager directly whether anything is payable before listing.
2. Platform margin (often called commission)
Zepto buys stock and keeps the difference between what it pays you and what the customer pays. As per Zepto, 8–25% depending on category, margin structure and fulfilment model. Staples and high-frequency grocery usually sit at the lower end; beauty, supplements and premium D2C at the higher end. The rate is negotiated with your category manager and is quoted on MRP, so compare it with other platforms on the same base.
3. Advertising
Visibility is bought on Zepto’s in-house ads platform. Zepto’s engineering blog describes sponsored search with exact, phrase and broad match keywords, keyword recommendations for new products, and either a single campaign bid optimised for ROAS or keyword-level bids. Ads are auction-priced, so there is no rate card; most brands budget a percentage of their Zepto sales, highest in the first months after launch.
4. Zepto Atom and data tools
Zepto Atom, launched in May 2025, gives brands neighbourhood-level sales and category market-share data, and Zepto GPT lets brands query Zepto’s shopping data in plain language, INDmoney noted. Atom is sold as a subscription on top of the free brand portal (Inc42); Zepto has not published its price.
5. Logistics and inwarding
You deliver bulk stock to Zepto’s warehouses against purchase orders, so freight, appointment and handling costs are yours. Zepto also earns from supply-chain services, so check whether your agreement includes any warehousing or handling charges.
6. Wastage, returns and shortfalls
Expect deductions for damaged, near-expiry or rejected units, and for quantity shortfalls at inwarding. Perishables and short-shelf-life products carry the most risk.
7. GST and compliance
Zepto’s service charges such as ads carry 18% GST, usually claimable as input tax credit. Supplying Zepto warehouses outside your home state also requires an Additional Place of Business (APOB) registration under GST in each of those states.
| Cost line | Basis | Published by Zepto? |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | Free | Yes |
| Platform margin | ~8–25% of MRP by category | No |
| Advertising | Auction; budget as % of Zepto sales | No (format details on Zepto’s tech blog) |
| Zepto Atom | Paid subscription | Launched publicly; price not published |
| Freight and handling | Your actual cost, plus any agreed charges | No |
| Wastage and returns | Actual deductions | No |
| GST on Zepto services | 18%, usually claimable | Statutory |
Worked example: Zepto fees on a ₹200 SKU
At a 20% Zepto margin and ads at 10% of MRP, a ₹200 SKU leaves the brand about ₹48 a unit, or 24% of MRP, after cost of goods, freight and wastage. The figures are illustrative assumptions, not Zepto’s rates; values are per unit and ex-GST, with GST on Zepto’s services treated as recoverable.
| Line (per unit) | Assumption | ₹ |
|---|---|---|
| MRP | — | 200 |
| Zepto margin | 20% of MRP | −40 |
| Price you receive on the PO | — | 160 |
| Cost of goods incl. packaging | 40% of MRP | −80 |
| Freight and inwarding | 4% of MRP | −8 |
| Ads | 10% of MRP | −20 |
| Wastage and returns | 2% of MRP | −4 |
| Contribution | 24% of MRP | 48 |
At 1,500 units a month, that is ₹3 lakh of sales at MRP and about ₹72,000 of monthly contribution before overheads.
Which costs move the result most
| Change from the base case | Contribution per unit (₹) | % of MRP |
|---|---|---|
| Base case | 48 | 24% |
| Margin 15% instead of 20% | 58 | 29% |
| Margin 25% instead of 20% | 38 | 19% |
| Ads 5% of MRP instead of 10% | 58 | 29% |
| Ads 15% of MRP instead of 10% | 38 | 19% |
| Wastage 5% instead of 2% | 42 | 21% |
Every point of margin or ad spend is worth ₹2 a unit at this MRP, so both deserve the same attention in your negotiation and campaign planning.
A note on ROAS
The Redseer research in Zepto’s filing puts quick-commerce ROAS at 5–8x. ROAS benchmarks like this usually count ad-attributed sales only, at the platform’s selling price. Spending 10% of total MRP sales on ads (10x blended ROAS) is only sustainable if a good share of sales comes organically. Measure ROAS on what you receive after Zepto’s margin, not on MRP, before scaling a campaign.
How to keep Zepto seller fees under control
The brands that keep most of their margin on Zepto do four things: they negotiate with data, size ads to contribution, keep stock fresh and available, and reconcile every settlement.
- Negotiate margin with sell-through data. Sales velocity, repeat rate and demand on other platforms are your strongest arguments. Zepto’s own filing shows it has been reducing seller commissions, so ask.
- Set an ad budget from contribution, not from ROAS. Decide the maximum ad cost per unit your P&L allows, then bid to it.
- Protect availability. An out-of-stock SKU earns nothing while ads keep spending; pause campaigns where stock is short.
- Send fresh stock and fix packaging to cut near-expiry and damage deductions.
- Launch narrow. Three to six fast movers in one or two cities produce cleaner data than a full catalogue.
- Add Atom when it pays for itself. Neighbourhood-level data matters most once you run ads across several cities.
- Reconcile monthly: purchase orders against goods receipts, settlements against invoices, ad debits against campaign reports.
Questions to ask your Zepto category manager
- Margin by SKU, and on what base (MRP or selling price)
- Whether anything is payable at onboarding, and if so whether it is refundable
- PO volumes and replenishment cadence for the first 90 days
- Payment terms and which deductions can be netted off
- Treatment of unsold, near-expiry and damaged stock
- Any warehousing or handling charges beyond the margin
- Whether Atom access is included or billed separately
How Stryder Consulting helps brands with Zepto fees
Stryder Consulting helps consumer brands get onboarded and scale on Zepto, Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart and Flipkart Minutes. For Zepto, we build per-SKU P&Ls before you meet your category manager, prepare the data for margin negotiation, size ad budgets to contribution, run sponsored-search campaigns tied to availability, and reconcile purchase orders, settlements and ad debits each month. Commercial terms remain Zepto’s decision; we make sure you negotiate with real numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Zepto charge a registration fee?
No. Registering on Zepto’s brand onboarding portal is free. Brands pay through the margin Zepto keeps on each unit, the ads they choose to run, any analytics subscription such as Zepto Atom, and their own freight, wastage and compliance costs. Confirm every commercial term in writing with your Zepto category manager.
How much commission does Zepto charge sellers in 2026?
Zepto does not publish its rates. Because it buys stock and resells it, Zepto earns a margin below MRP rather than a classic commission. Seller guides, including Unicommerce’s 2026 Zepto guide, cite 8% to 25% depending on category. Zepto’s IPO filing also notes it has been reducing commissions from sellers.
How much should a brand spend on Zepto ads?
There is no fixed rate, because Zepto ads are auction-priced. Set a budget from your contribution margin: decide the maximum ad cost per unit your P&L allows, then bid to it. Zepto’s IPO filing cites Redseer research putting quick-commerce ROAS at 5–8x, usually measured on ad-attributed sales.
What is Zepto Atom and does it cost extra?
Zepto Atom is a brand analytics tool launched in May 2025 that gives neighbourhood-level sales and category market-share data. It is sold as a subscription on top of the free brand portal, and Zepto has not published the price. Most brands add it once they advertise across several cities.
Is GST charged on Zepto’s fees?
Yes. Zepto’s service charges, such as advertising, carry 18% GST, which GST-registered brands can usually claim as input tax credit. GST on the goods you supply is charged on your purchase-order invoice as on any B2B sale. If you supply warehouses in other states, you also need APOB registrations there.
What is the total cost of selling on Zepto?
It depends on your category margin, ad spend and wastage. In our worked example, a ₹200 SKU at a 20% Zepto margin, 10% ad spend, 4% freight and 2% wastage kept about 24% of MRP as contribution. Products with a gross margin below roughly half of MRP struggle to stay profitable once ads are included.
Conclusion
Zepto seller fees in 2026 come down to one negotiated margin and one growing cost: advertising. Zepto’s own filing shows ad revenue rising more than thirtyfold in two years while seller commissions fell, so plan for visibility as a core cost, not an extra. Model each SKU at your real cost of goods, set ad budgets from contribution, protect availability and reconcile every settlement.
Nidhi Bhasin is the Founder of Stryder Consulting, where she helps brands turn digital marketing into measurable revenue growth. She has previously driven growth and built digital marketing teams and operations for brands including Flipkart, Google, YouTube, Café Coffee Day and TVS Motor.
She writes about D2C growth, performance marketing, quick commerce, SEO, CRO and the strategies that move businesses beyond vanity metrics to real revenue.