I'm US-based, already have two Etsy stores in good standing (opened in '23 and '24), and when I opened a new store this week hoping to NOT be charged the $15 fee (as many are having it waived), I was charged $29!
This is Etsy's latest upselling, marketing "incentive" (ploy), saying I could get the $29 refunded (after SIX months!) if I signed up for the Etsy Plus account, which I obviously declined.