> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.theanimaltraders.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Listing fees, Extend, and Renew

> How seller listing fees work, what you pay at Step 5, and how Stripe checkout publishes, extends, or renews your listing

# Listing fees, Extend, and Renew

Before a listing goes live, or before an existing listing gets a new paid window, sellers review everything on **Step 5** and pay any fees that apply. This page explains what listing fees cover, how pricing is calculated, when payment is required, and what happens after checkout.

<Warning>
  **Listing fees are not buyer checkout.** When a buyer pays by card for animals on your listing, that money goes to your connected Stripe account. Listing fees are separate platform charges that pay to publish or extend your listing window. For buyer card payments, see [Card payouts and the Stripe Direct model](/help/card-payouts).
</Warning>

## When does a listing fee apply?

A listing fee can apply when you:

* **activate** a new draft listing for the first time
* **extend** an active listing before its current window ends
* **renew** an expired listing, or a sold-out listing whose window has already ended

Listing fees do **not** apply when you:

* save a draft and come back later without publishing
* edit a listing that is already published (basics, photos, inventory reductions, and so on)
* **reactivate** a sold-out listing while its current window is still open (this is free)

You reach Step 5 at the end of the create-listing flow, or from **Status & Duration** on a published listing. After you choose a duration, confirm your details, and complete payment (if any), the listing is published, extended, or renewed.

## Activate vs Extend vs Renew

| Action       | When to use it                                            | What happens after checkout                                   |
| ------------ | --------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Activate** | Your listing is still a draft                             | The listing becomes active and gets the duration you selected |
| **Extend**   | Your listing is active and you want more time             | The selected duration is added to the current listing window  |
| **Renew**    | Your listing expired, or it sold out and its window ended | The listing starts a fresh active window                      |

If a listing is sold out but its current window is still open, use **Reactivate Listing** instead. That path is free because it only restores the existing listing after a reversed sale, return, or mistake.

## What you pay for

Your total at Step 5 can include up to three parts:

| Charge                        | What it covers                                                                             | Required?          |
| ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------ |
| **Base listing fee**          | The listing window you selected (for example, 30, 60, or 90 days)                          | Yes, unless waived |
| **Social media promotion**    | Scheduled ad placements on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok (\~1 per week over your window) | Optional add-on    |
| **Browse featured spotlight** | Featured placement on the Browse page and a featured badge on your listing                 | Optional add-on    |

The **Pricing Summary** on Step 5 shows each line item and the **Total due** before you activate. Amounts come from the server — the app does not let you edit fees manually.

For details on promotion add-ons, see [Social Promotion & Featured Spotlight](/help/listing-promotion-featured-spotlight).

## Before you can activate, extend, or renew

Step 5 requires all of the following:

1. **A selected listing duration** — tap a duration card to choose how long the listing stays live.
2. **A pickup location** — your profile (or your organization's profile) must have a pickup location so buyers can see your approximate area on the map and in search. If one is missing, Step 5 shows a prompt to open **Profile** and add it.
3. **Confirmation checkbox** — check **I confirm that all information is accurate and I agree to the terms of service**.
4. **A valid pricing quote** — the app loads a server-calculated quote for your duration and add-on choices. If the quote fails to load, wait a moment and try again.

<Tip>
  Save your draft at any earlier step if you need to fix photos, inventory, or pickup location before paying. Your work is preserved until checkout finishes.
</Tip>

## Editing inventory during Extend or Renew

Paid Extend and Renew can include inventory changes before you pay. From Step 5, choose **Edit inventory** to add rows, remove rows, or adjust quantities for the next listing window.

Those changes are saved as pending edits until checkout finishes. If payment is canceled or fails, the live listing inventory does not change.

Routine edits to an active listing are different: **Edit Pricing** lets you update prices for existing rows, and **Cash Sale** records sold quantities. Active listings still cannot be used as an unpaid restocking tool.

## When the base listing fee is waived

The base listing fee may show as **Included** in the pricing summary when one of these applies:

### Free-listing organizations

Some nonprofit and shelter organizations have **free listings**. For those orgs:

* Duration cards show the base fee as **Included** with the regular value listed for reference.
* The pricing summary shows a **\$0** base fee.
* Optional add-ons (social promotion, browse featured) still cost the same as for any other seller.

### Listing credits

**Referral credits** and other listing credits waive the **base listing fee only** for one eligible activation. Credits do not cover promotion or featured add-ons.

When a credit applies, the pricing summary shows:

* **(credit applied)** next to the base listing fee line
* **Included** instead of a dollar amount for the base fee
* A note that your listing credit was applied

Credits are personal. They do not transfer to an organization or another user. See [Referrals and listing credits](/help/referrals-and-listing-credits).

If the base fee is waived and you did not select any paid add-ons, **Total due** is **Free** and the button reads **Activate Listing**, **Extend Listing**, or **Renew Listing** instead of showing a payment amount.

## How payment works

### Free checkout (\$0 total)

When nothing is owed, the app grants your listing entitlement immediately and finishes the action. You stay on Step 5 briefly while it completes, then return to the **Sell** tab or the listing manage screen.

### Paid checkout

When **Total due** is greater than \$0:

1. Tap **Pay $X & Activate Listing**, **Pay $X & Extend Listing**, or **Pay \$X & Renew Listing**.
2. The app saves your promotion choices and pickup location, then opens **Stripe Checkout** (a secure hosted payment page).
3. Enter your card details on Stripe's page and complete payment.
4. After payment, you return to Step 5 and the app verifies the payment.
5. When the action finishes, your listing is published, extended, or renewed.

On **web**, Stripe Checkout opens in the same browser tab and returns you to Step 5 when done.

On **iPhone and Android**, Stripe Checkout opens in an in-app browser. When payment completes, you return to Step 5 automatically. If the app was closed during payment, it tries to bring you back to your listing to finish the action.

You do not need a connected Stripe payout account to pay a listing fee. Seller payout setup is only required if you want to **accept card payments from buyers**. See [Card payouts and the Stripe Direct model](/help/card-payouts).

## What happens after you pay

Behind the scenes, The Animal Traders:

1. Calculates your fee on the server (the price you saw at Step 5).
2. Records a **listing entitlement** tied to your payment or credit.
3. Applies the action: publishes a draft, adds time to an active listing, or starts a fresh active window for a renewed listing.
4. Consumes the entitlement so it cannot be reused for a second listing.

If payment succeeded but the app was interrupted before the action finished, reopening the listing on Step 5 can complete it automatically once the entitlement is confirmed. The server also has a backup path to finish the action if the return to the app is delayed.

## Pricing summary example

A typical paid activation, Extend, or Renew might look like this:

* **30-day listing fee** — \$XX.XX
* **Social media promotion** — \$XX.XX (if selected)
* **Browse featured spotlight** — \$XX.XX (if selected)
* **Total due** — sum of the lines above

A credit-waived activation with one add-on might look like this:

* **30-day listing fee (credit applied)** — Included
* **Browse featured spotlight** — \$XX.XX
* **Total due** — \$XX.XX

An exempt-organization activation with no add-ons:

* **30-day listing fee (included)** — Included
* **Total due** — Free

Exact amounts depend on the duration and add-ons you choose. They are always shown in Step 5 before you confirm.

## Canceled or failed payment

If you cancel checkout or payment fails:

* Your listing stays in its previous state. A draft stays a draft; an active listing stays active; an expired listing stays expired.
* Pending inventory edits for Extend or Renew are not applied to the live listing.
* Step 5 shows an error message and you can try again.
* You can change duration or add-ons and start checkout again.

Common messages:

* **Payment canceled** — checkout was closed before completion. Try again when ready.
* **Payment failed** — the card was declined or Stripe could not process the charge. Use a different card or contact your bank.
* **Offline** — the app could not reach the server. Your work is saved; retry when you have a connection.
* **Still finishing** — payment may have gone through but verification is still running. Wait a moment, stay on Step 5, or reopen the listing.

If you believe you were charged but the listing did not publish, extend, or renew, check the **Sell** tab first. If the listing still has the old status or expiration date, return to Step 5. The action may complete on its own once the payment is confirmed.

## Referral rewards and paid activation

Referral credits are earned when a referred friend publishes their **first qualifying paid listing** — a listing where the base fee was actually paid, not fully waived by a credit or free-org exemption.

Publishing through a free-listing organization does not trigger referral rewards for either person, because there was no paid base fee to reward.

Extend and Renew do not trigger referral rewards. Referral rewards are only for a referred seller's first qualifying paid activation.

See [Referrals and listing credits](/help/referrals-and-listing-credits) for the full referral program rules.

## Who can activate, extend, or renew a listing

* **Individual sellers** can activate, extend, or renew their own listings.
* **Organization owners, admins, and managers** can activate, extend, or renew organization listings.
* **Staff and members** generally cannot activate listings or pay listing fees for the organization.

For ownership and role details, see [Listings & Ownership](/help/listings) and [Roles](/help/roles).

## Related guides

* [Social Promotion & Featured Spotlight](/help/listing-promotion-featured-spotlight) — optional add-ons at activation, Extend, or Renew
* [Referrals and listing credits](/help/referrals-and-listing-credits) — earn and apply base-fee credits
* [Listing expiration and renewal reminders](/help/listing-expiration) — Extend and Renew after your window ends
* [Manage published listings](/help/manage-published-listings) — edit a listing after it is live
* [Opening app links](/help/opening-app-links) — return from email or notification links
* [Card payouts and the Stripe Direct model](/help/card-payouts) — accepting buyer card payments (separate from listing fees)