Name each charge before totaling it
Begin with a depth-checked Cargo Manifest. Separate acquisition cost, sale proceeds, sales tax, applicable broker charges and transport expenditure. Use the in-game quote for your character and venue rather than assuming a generic rate fits every station or structure.
Broker fees for standing orders and tax on completed sales arise at different stages. Repricing a standing order can also cost ISK. If your exit assumes a sell order, give that waiting and repricing process its own allowance; do not treat it as the same cost model as an immediate exit.
Build an operation budget in ISK
Consider this hypothetical shipment. The amounts are chosen for arithmetic and are not current market prices or fee rates.
| Budget line | ISK |
|---|---|
| Acquisition across source supply | 10,000,000 |
| Gross destination proceeds | 11,500,000 |
| Assumed combined selling charges | 500,000 |
| Transport expenditure | 400,000 |
| Projected net result | 600,000 |
Subtracting acquisition, selling charges and transport from gross proceeds leaves 600,000 ISK. Keep each input visible so that you can replace an estimate with an actual quote. If you omit a cost because it does not apply, record why; an empty field should not silently mean that every charge has been considered.
Distinguish profit from available cash
The example can show a positive result while being impossible with a 10,000,000 ISK wallet. Buying the cargo consumes that amount before transport expenditure and any upfront charges are paid. Expected destination proceeds are not available until the cargo is sold.
List when each payment happens. Keep any collateral requirement that applies to your role separate from an expense: it may be recoverable, but still restricts available cash while committed. Avoid adding a collateral amount automatically to both cost and profit calculations.
Make the exit less favourable
Reduce hypothetical gross proceeds to 10,900,000 ISK. Holding the example's combined charges and transport allowance constant leaves no projected profit. If a charge is percentage-based, recalculate it using the new sale value for the actual operation.
Try a second scenario where only part of the cargo sells immediately. Record what remains tied up in stock and what cash actually returns. A smaller quantity sold is not just a lower profit figure; it changes how much ISK is available for the next operation.
Review transport before undocking
Check usable cargo capacity for the ship and cargo state you will actually use. Review endpoints, access, the intended route and your own tolerance for loss. A route displayed by Nexus is planning context and cannot establish current safety along the journey.
Save a clearly named operation with source, destination and assumptions, then refresh it before execution. Afterward, compare actual acquisition, charges, transport and sales with the estimate. Start with market depth and cargo sizing if the quantity itself is still uncertain.
Sources and related reference
Illustrative ISK budget, not a current fee schedule or route-safety assessment. Use your character and venue quotes.