Final value fee
The main fee. eBay charges a percentage of the total amount of the sale: item price, shipping and handling, and the sales tax the buyer pays. The percentage depends on the category. Some categories, such as trading cards, sneakers, watches, jewelry and handbags, have their own rates, and in several of them the rate drops for the part of the price above a threshold.
Per-order fee
A fixed amount charged once per order, on top of the final value fee. It has two levels: a smaller one for orders below a total and a larger one above it. On cheap items it can be a big share of the price, and right at the threshold a few cents less can leave you more money.
Insertion fees
Each month you get a number of free listings. Beyond that allowance, each new listing pays an insertion fee, whether it sells or not. Store subscriptions include more free listings.
eBay Store subscriptions
A Store has a monthly or yearly fee and, in return, more free listings and a lower final value fee in many categories. It pays off when the savings on your monthly sales are larger than the subscription. Run your typical sale in the calculator with and without a Store to see the difference per sale.
Other fees
- International fee: an extra percentage when the buyer is outside the United States.
- Promoted Listings: the ad rate you set, charged when an ad gets credit for the sale. The attribution rules decide which sales count.
- Below Standard surcharge: a higher final value fee for accounts rated below eBay's performance standard.
- Optional listing upgrades, such as subtitles or extra listing formats.
Sales tax and your fees
eBay collects and remits sales tax as a marketplace facilitator, so you do not collect or file it for eBay sales. But because the final value fee is charged on the total including tax, buyers in high-tax states make your fee a little larger.
How to pay less in eBay fees
- Check the per-order fee threshold before pricing cheap items.
- Compare the Store plans against your real monthly sales.
- Keep your account above standard, and aim for Top Rated status, which brings a discount on the final value fee for qualifying listings.
- Set Promoted Listings rates per item, based on the margin each one can carry.
- Bundle low-priced items so one order pays one per-order fee.
Fees change: eBay adjusts them every year or so. The calculator shows the date its eBay rates were last checked and a link to eBay's own fee page.
Questions
What are eBay's fees for sellers?
Mainly a final value fee, which is a percentage of the order total, and a fixed per-order fee. Insertion fees, Store subscriptions, an international fee, ads and a below-standard surcharge can apply too.
Does eBay charge a fee on shipping?
Yes. The final value fee is calculated on the whole order total, shipping included.
Is it free to list on eBay?
Up to your monthly allowance of free listings. After that, each listing pays an insertion fee.
Does eBay still use PayPal fees?
No. eBay processes payments itself, and processing is included in its own fees, so there is no separate PayPal fee on eBay sales.