Marketplace Business Model: Examples (2026)
A platform attracts supply and demand, supports discovery and trust, and earns commissions, listing fees, or service fees when participants transact.
Last checked 2026-10-18 on the official pages.
How do marketplaces make money?
Bring buyers and sellers together and charge for the connection. Biggest disclosed lines: Airbnb: North America at $5,196 million; Amazon: North America at $426,305 million; Booking Holdings: Merchant at $17,755 million; DoorDash: US at $11,460 million; eBay: Marketplace at $9,107 million; Etsy: Marketplace at $2,007 million.
How do delivery apps make money?
Bring buyers and sellers together and charge for the connection. Biggest disclosed lines: Airbnb: North America at $5,196 million; Amazon: North America at $426,305 million; Booking Holdings: Merchant at $17,755 million; DoorDash: US at $11,460 million; eBay: Marketplace at $9,107 million; Etsy: Marketplace at $2,007 million.
Bring buyers and sellers together and charge for the connection.
Signals to look for
- Independent suppliers
- Transaction commissions
- Network effects
Companies using this model
| Company | Sector | Evidence status |
|---|---|---|
| Airbnb | Travel | verified |
| Amazon | Commerce and cloud | verified |
| Booking Holdings | Travel | verified |
| DoorDash | Delivery | verified |
| eBay | Commerce | verified |
| Etsy | Commerce | verified |
| Expedia Group | Travel | verified |
| Lyft | Mobility | verified |
| Roblox | Gaming | verified |
| Uber | Mobility and delivery | verified |
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Frequently asked questions
How does Marketplace work?
A platform attracts supply and demand, supports discovery and trust, and earns commissions, listing fees, or service fees when participants transact.
How do marketplaces make money?
Bring buyers and sellers together and charge for the connection. Biggest disclosed lines: Airbnb: North America at $5,196 million; Amazon: North America at $426,305 million; Booking Holdings: Merchant at $17,755 million; DoorDash: US at $11,460 million; eBay: Marketplace at $9,107 million; Etsy: Marketplace at $2,007 million.
How do delivery apps make money?
Bring buyers and sellers together and charge for the connection. Biggest disclosed lines: Airbnb: North America at $5,196 million; Amazon: North America at $426,305 million; Booking Holdings: Merchant at $17,755 million; DoorDash: US at $11,460 million; eBay: Marketplace at $9,107 million; Etsy: Marketplace at $2,007 million.