Our Methodology

Data Collection & Methodology

SideHustleIntel operates on a principle of radical transparency about its data sources and limitations. This page explains exactly how fee information is collected, maintained, and presented to users.

Fee Data Sources

All fee data originates from official platform documentation. We pull from seller central help articles, pricing pages, and official fee schedules published by Amazon, eBay, Shopify, and other platforms. We do not estimate or interpolate fees. When platform documentation is ambiguous, we note the ambiguity directly in our data files.

Every quarter, we manually verify fee structures against live seller central interfaces and official announcements. This quarterly verification cycle catches undocumented changes, edge cases, and regional variations that platforms may not immediately publicize.

Update Frequency

Fee data is updated quarterly on a fixed schedule. Additionally, when a platform announces fee changes via official channels, we prioritize those updates within 48 hours. Users can report discrepancies via the feedback form, which triggers manual verification.

Fee Data Structure

All fee information is stored in JSON files rather than hardcoded into the application. These files contain categorized fee types (referral fees, fulfillment fees, subscription costs, payment processing fees), conditions (category-specific rates, threshold-based changes, geographic variations), and effective dates. This structure allows fees to be updated independently of application code and makes discrepancies immediately visible.

JSON files are version-controlled and timestamped. Historical versions remain accessible for research and auditing purposes.

AI-Generated Content

SideHustleIntel uses Claude Haiku to generate profitability guides and fee breakdowns. The model receives structured fee data from JSON files as input—never free-text descriptions or estimates. Generated content is cached on first request and remains stable until underlying fee data changes. Administrators can regenerate content manually via the dashboard when fees are updated.

Critical Limitations

This tool is designed to answer "what if" questions and provide baseline profitability estimates. It is not a substitute for direct verification with the platform before making significant business decisions.

Platform fees vary by category, seller tier, geography, and product type. While we capture major variations, edge cases exist. Shipping costs, refund policies, and promotional fee structures are not fully modeled. Tax implications are not included.

Before launching a product or committing significant capital, verify final numbers directly in seller central. Contact platform support for category-specific fees or unusual circumstances. This tool accelerates research; it does not replace diligence.