In France, business brokers handling the sale of a small business (like a fonds de commerce or similar) typically charge a success‑based commission of around 5 %–10 % of the sale price, often with a minimum fee (for example ~€10 000–€12 000 plus VAT) depending on the agency’s scale and the transaction size. Who pays? Traditionally the buyer (acquéreur/repreneur) or seller can pay the broker’s fees, but it’s usually agreed in the mandate before the transaction and many brokers in commercial sales expect the buyer to cover their commission unless the contract says otherwise.