Takings are not profit
A good day at a market feels like a full cash tin. But before any of it is yours, the stock you sold has to be paid for, the card reader takes its slice, and the pitch fee, fuel and parking come off the top. A £300 day can leave you £80, and a £300 day spread over ten hours is a long way below minimum wage. This calculator puts all of that on one screen so you can see the real number.
The break-even figure is the one to use before you book
Break-even takings is how much you need to sell just to cover the day: pitch, travel and other costs, after your stock and card fees come out of every sale. If a market's pitch fee needs takings you've never reached there, that tells you something before you've loaded the van.
Card fees are small, until they aren't
At 1.69% to 1.75%, card fees look like nothing. On £300 of mostly card takings they're around £4 a day, every day, and over a season of weekly markets that's a pitch fee or two. Worth knowing when you compare readers.
Keep a record of every market
If you trade as a sole trader you need records of your income and costs for Self Assessment, and HMRC expects you to keep them for at least five years after the 31 January deadline for that tax year. A saved season ledger gives you every market's takings, pitch fees and travel in one spreadsheet. It's a record to work from, not tax advice; your accountant or HMRC's guidance has the final word on what you can claim.
For stallholders & sole traders
Market trader notes, once a week
Pricing, pitch fees, card readers and getting found between markets. No noise, unsubscribe in one click.
Common questions
How do I work out my stock cost percentage?
Take a typical item, divide what it costs you to make or buy by what you sell it for, and multiply by 100. A candle that costs £3.20 in wax, wick and jar and sells for £8 is 40%. If your range varies a lot, use an average across what you usually sell. Our product pricing calculator will work out the cost of each item for you.
Should I count my hours on the day only?
Count door to door: packing the car, driving, setting up, trading, packing down and driving home. That's the time the market actually costs you, and it's the honest way to compare a big fayre an hour away with a small market round the corner.
Which card reader is cheapest?
On standard UK in-person rates SumUp is 1.69% and Zettle and Square are 1.75%, with no monthly fee. The difference is pennies a day; reliability in a field with patchy signal matters more. Some providers offer lower rates on a monthly plan, which only pays off at higher card turnover. Rates change, so check your provider's current pricing.
What does the Quiver add?
The calculator is free for everyone. A Quiver membership saves each market day to your account and builds your season ledger: every market ranked by what it really leaves you, season totals, and a CSV of takings and costs for your records. Membership covers every tool in the Centaur toolbox, including the pricing and invoice tools.
