As one of the OGs of eCommerce, eBay has evolved from a quirky online auction site into a top destination for online shoppers. Today, 88% of items on eBay are now sold as “Buy It Now,” fixed-price listings—and 80% of them are sold in new condition.
eBay ranks as the second most-visited online marketplace website in the U.S., topped only by Amazon, according to Similarweb. And you can find both emerging and well-established brands selling their wares on the channel as part of their wider electronic and online business strategies.
This may lead you to wonder, is eBay worth adding to your multichannel selling strategy? It might be. But before jumping in, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with all the costs associated with selling on the marketplace. Let’s break down how much it really costs to sell on eBay.
Mandatory eBay fees
Insertion fees: free - $0.30 - $0.40 per listing
An insertion fee is the amount you pay eBay in order to list products on its marketplace. This will be charged every time you create or renew a listing, no matter if it actually sells. That said, eBay gives you 250 “zero-insertion” (aka free) listings per month—or more if you have an eBay Store subscription.
But getting 250 zero-insertion fee listings doesn’t necessarily mean you can list 250 different items for free. An insertion fee is charged per listing and per category.
In other words, let’s say you’re selling water bottles. You could list your bottles in the Sporting Goods category to reach runners, walkers, and other active folks. At the same time, you may want to list your water bottles in the Office Supplies subcategory to reach young professionals who want something to take into the office. This counts as two separate insertions in eBay’s eyes, meaning you’ll be charged two separate fees for them.
You’ll also be charged each time you relist an item. For instance, any “good ‘til cancelled” listings will automatically renew each month, and each renewal will count as a new insertion.
Fortunately, you’ll only be charged once per listing, regardless of the number of available units or variations associated with it.
The standard insertion fee is $0.35 per listing, though certain subcategories (like Guitars & Basses) are free while others (like Commercial Printing Presses) charge higher fees.
Final value fees: 13.25% - 15% on average
The heftiest single fee you’ll pay on eBay is called a “final value fee.” This fee represents the amount you owe eBay for every completed sale on its platform.
The final value fee will vary based on your:
Product category
Total amount of sale (TAOS), which it the sum of your item price, handling charges, shipping fees*, sales tax, and other applicable fees
The final value fee will be charged as a percentage of your total sales price (based on the factors above), plus $0.30 per order.**
For most categories, final value fees will amount to 13.25% of the TAOS, up to a maximum TAOS of $7,500. For any TAOS over $7,500, you will be charged an additional 2.35% on the portion of the sale that goes beyond the $7,500 threshold.
Here’s an example of how other categories are charged:
Books & magazines - 14.95% (up to TAOS of $7,500)
Women’s bags & handbags - 15% (up to TAOS of $2,000)
Jewelry & watches - 15% (up to TAOS of $5,000)
Art NFTs - 5% on TAOS
Guitars & basses - 6.35% (up to TAOS of $7,500)
Athletic shoes - 8% (if TAOS is $150 or more); 13.25% (if TAOS is less than $150)
You can get a full rundown of final value fees here.
Special notes
* The hardest part of figuring out your final value fee is accurately calculating the shipping portion of your TAOS.
If you offer one-day or international shipping and a less-expensive domestic shipping option, the TAOS will be based on your cheapest domestic option.x
If you offer one-day or international shipping but no cheaper option, your TAOS will be based on the service your buyer chooses.
If your business is headquartered in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand or Vietnam and your item isn’t located in the U.S., your TAOS is based on the shipping option your buyer chooses.
** While your final value fees are charged per item, the additional $0.30 fee is charged per order. So, if a customer buys five items from you on eBay in one order, you pay a final value fee on each item (five in total) but pay only one additional $0.30 fee for the entire order (and $0.40 for orders over $10.00).
Final value fee mistakes to avoid
It’s possible to inadvertently increase your final value fee by making one of these three mistakes.
Asking a buyer to purchase your product outside of eBay to avoid fees: This is strictly prohibited by eBay, as is swapping contact information like email addresses. Violation will result in penalties whether or not your item sells.
Failing to meet eBay’s minimum performance standards: eBay evaluates your performance as a seller on the 20th of every month. If you’re not meeting their minimum standards (for example, you’re regularly late on your shipments), you’ll get charged an additional 6% fee on top of the normal final value fees during the next calendar month.
Using inaccurate product descriptions: If eBay finds that too many of your returned items are due to “item not as described,” you’ll get charged an extra 5% on your normal final value fees for sales in those categories during the following month.
Optional eBay fees
eBay Store subscription: starting at $7.95 per month
You don’t have to purchase a monthly or annual subscription to sell on eBay. However, with a Store subscription plan, you can design a branded space within eBay to showcase your products, plus receive other perks like additional free listings and lower final value fees.
eBay offers five subscription plans. Below is pricing for each plan when renewed yearly.
Starter ($4.95 /month) | Basic ($21.95 /month) | Premium ($59.95 /month) | Anchor ($299.95 /month) | Enterprise ($2,999.95 /month) |
250 free listings per month | 1,000 free fixed-price listings per month | 10,000 free fixed-price listings per month | 25,000 free fixed-price listings per month | 100,000 free fixed-price listings per month |
$0.30 insertion fees after 250 | $0.25 insertion fees after 250 | $0.10 insertion fees after 10,000 | $0.05 insertion fees after 10,000 | $0.05 insertion fees after 10,000 |
Lower final value fees between 2.35% - 14.95% | Lower final value fees between 2.35% - 14.95% | Lower final value fees between 2.35% - 14.95% | Lower final value fees between 2.35% - 14.95% | Lower final value fees between 2.35% - 14.95% |
$25 every quarter to spend on eBay branded shipping supplies | $50 every quarter to spend on eBay branded shipping supplies | $50 every quarter to spend on eBay branded shipping supplies | $150 every quarter to spend on eBay branded shipping supplies | $150 every quarter to spend on eBay branded shipping supplies |
- | - | Free subscription to Terapeak Sourcing Insights tool | Free subscription to Terapeak Sourcing Insights tool | Free subscription to Terapeak Sourcing Insights tool |
Listing upgrades: $0.50 - $6 per item
When you sell products on eBay, you’re sharing space with 1.5 billion active listings every day. Listing upgrades can help your listings to stand out. Upgrades include:
Bold ($2 for auction-style listings, $4 for fixed price listings– "Good 'Til Cancelled")
Subtitles ($2 per listing for items priced $150 or less, $6 per listing for items priced above $150, $1.50 for Real Estate listings) - Get an extra line of copy below your product title, in which you can provide additional product features and information.
Gallery Plus ($0.35 per listing for auction-style items not listed in the Art, Antiques, Collectibles and Pottery & Glass categories, $1.00 for fixed price listings not listed in these categories) - Let buyers view a larger version of your featured product image within eBay search results; this could be helpful if you’re listing a product in a hyper competitive category.
Listing designer ($0.30 per listing for items priced $150 or less, $0.60 per listing for items priced above $150) - Add a professional-looking theme to your product listing, without having to tinker with the HTML yourself.
International site Visibility ($0.50 per listing) - Extend the reach of your product listings to eBay’s UK and Canada sites. The $0.50 per-listing fee is a fixed fee.
Promoted listings (2% - 100% of TAOS) - If eBay ranks you as an “above standard” or “top rated” seller, you have the option of participating in their Promotion Listings Standard program. It’s essentially a type of ad that increases your visibility in eBay search results.
The amount you pay per promotion is up to you. You can choose an ad rate for each item between 2% - 100% of the item’s total sale amount. If you take part in the program, eBay will give you a suggested rate as a starting point. In theory, a higher ad rate will increase your listing’s reach.
An example of an eBay bill
So, how much does it cost to sell on eBay, and how does it compare to the cost of selling on Etsy or the cost of selling on Amazon?
Let’s pretend you’re selling aromatherapy candles. Each candle costs you $3 to make. You sell them for $20 on eBay. Your customer pays $7.50 in shipping (your total cost of shipping) and $1.20 in tax, bringing the TAOS to $28.70.
You don’t have an eBay subscription plan, but you’re within your 250 monthly limit of zero-fee insertions.
Here’s what your bill will look like once the transaction is complete.
Description | Amount |
|---|---|
Item price | $20.00 |
Shipping price | $7.50 |
Insertion fee (within zero-fee insertion limit) | $0 |
Item cost | -$3.00 |
Shipping cost | -$7.50 |
Final value fee (12.9% of $28.70 + $0.30) | -$4.00 |
Net profit from sale | $13.00 (47.27%) |
You can use the free U.S. eBay fee calculator to estimate your own costs.
Expand your reach with eBay
eBay’s reach and relatively simple fee structure make it an enticing option for sellers like yourself. But keep in mind that eBay works best as a complement to your online store, where you retain full control over your branding and the user experience.
Read Also: How to start a business
If you’re a Wix eCommerce merchant, you can further simplify your work by signing up for eBay directly from Wix. You’ll not only gain a higher limit of free listings right off the bat, but will be able to auto-import your listings from Wix to eBay, saving you from hours of manual data entry. Get started with your free eCommerce website today and upgrade when you’re ready to start selling.
Learn more: Amazon alternatives
Sell on eBay FAQ
How much does eBay take per sale?
eBay charges a final value fee (FVF) for each item that sells. The FVF is a percentage of the sale price, plus a fixed fee of $0.30 for orders $10.00 or less and $0.40 for orders over $10.00. The percentage of the sale price that eBay takes varies depending on the category of the item being sold. For example, the FVF for most categories is 13.25%, but the FVF for jewelry and watches is 15% is the total amount is $5,000 or less.