Selling on eBay can be a fantastic way to make extra cash or build a thriving business. But before you start listing everything you own, it’s essential to understand the various eBay fees involved.
This guide will break down the fees you may encounter as an eBay seller in 2025, helping you factor them into your pricing strategy and maximize your profits.
Key takeaways
- eBay charges insertion fees, final value fees, and additional fees for specific cases, like real estate listings, optional upgrades, and international sales.
- Minimize fees by optimizing listings, choosing the right category, using free listings, considering eBay Store subscriptions, offering combined shipping, and removing inactive listings.
- Avoid misclassifying items, use optional upgrades strategically, evaluate eBay Store subscriptions, and factor in accurate shipping costs.
- Start an eBay business with Printify. Simply focus on listing, marketing, and growing your business while we handle production and shipping.
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Types of eBay fees
Before we dive into the details, let’s take a quick look at the different types of eBay seller fees:
- Insertion fee: The cost of listing an item.
- Final value fee: A percentage of the total sale, including shipping.
- Basic fee for most categories: Standard final value fees for most items.
- Real estate listing fee: Separate charges for real estate property listings.
- Optional listing upgrade fee: Cost for enhanced listing features.
- Additional final value fee: Extra charges based on listing specifics.
- Dispute fee: Charged if a buyer files a dispute.
- International fee: A fee for selling items globally.
- Seller currency conversion charge: Applies if the sale currency differs from your account currency.
Explore how to start an eBay store on our blog.
Now, let’s break down each fee and see how they impact your profits.
Insertion fees
You receive a limited number of free listings each month. Once you exceed the allowed number, a fee will apply for each new item you list for sale. eBay automatically deducts any incurred fees from your earnings.
Insertion fees are typically $0.35, with a few exceptions for categories like Heavy Equipment and Musical Instruments.
| Number of listings | Insertion fee per listing |
|---|---|
| First 250 per month | Free |
| Additional listings | $0.35 per listing |
Remember: These fees are non-refundable, even if your item doesn’t sell.
Final value fees
One of the most significant fees on eBay is the final value fee. This fee is a percentage of the total sale price, including the item price, handling charges, shipping costs collected from the buyer, and any applicable sales tax.
The final value fee varies depending on the category of your item and your store subscription status, but it’s typically calculated per item and can range from 3-15%. Most categories have final value fees of around 13.25%.Here’s a table summarizing the standard final value fee per category. Note that these are base rates – additional fees may apply depending on your specific listing details.
| Category | Final value fee % |
|---|---|
| Most categories | 13.25% |
| Books, DVDs, movies | 14.95% |
| Women’s bags and handbags | 15% |
| Athletic shoes | 8% |
| NFTs | 5% |
eBay updates these listing fees regularly. Check our blog and eBay’s customer service for the most current information.
Basic fees for most categories
Insertion fees and final value fees apply to most products. However, some categories may have unique fee structures or additional costs.
Explore how to sell on eBay with our guide.
Fees for real estate listings
Selling real estate on eBay comes with a different fee structure. Specific fee amounts, terms, and conditions may apply.
These eBay seller fees can vary depending on the property value, so it’s best to check with eBay directly for the latest rates.
Fees for optional listing upgrades
eBay offers a variety of optional listing upgrades designed to increase your listing’s visibility and attract more buyers. These upgrades include features like bold titles, subtitles, additional images for a listing, and more prominent listing placements.
They do come at an additional cost, so choose strategically based on your product and budget.
| Upgrade type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Bold title – Makes your listing stand out in search results. | Fixed price listings: $4.00 Auction-style listings: $2.00 |
| Subtitle – Add a short second title to your listing for better searchability. | Fixed price listings: $2.00 (items up to $150) $6.00 (items over $150) Auction-style listings: $1.50 (items up to $150) $3.00 (items over $150) |
| Gallery plus – Include more product images. Art, Antiques, Collectibles, and Pottery and Glass listings are exempt. | Fixed price listings: $1.00 Auction-style listings: $0.35 |
With fixed-price listings, you set a price, and buyers can purchase the item immediately, offering predictability and faster sales.
Auction-style listings allow for bidding and a reserve price, potentially leading to higher selling prices but requiring more time due to bidding wars.
Each option has different fees, so choose the format that best suits your selling goals and item type.
Additional final value fees
Additional final value fees may apply when your item sells, depending on its category or if specific conditions are met. These fees can arise from international sales, listings sold outside of eBay (while using eBay to attract customers), or when sellers fail to meet eBay’s performance standards.
Dispute fee
If a buyer files a dispute against you (e.g., claiming they didn’t receive the item), eBay might charge you a $20 dispute fee (excluding sales tax) if the case is ruled against you.
This fee helps cover the cost of resolving disputes and maintaining trust on the platform and can vary depending on the nature of the conflict.
International fee
Selling internationally expands your product reach but comes with additional fees. For US sellers, this fee is an extra 1.65% of the total sale amount and applies to transactions involving buyers located outside the seller’s registered country.
Don’t hesitate to seek assistance from eBay’s comprehensive Help Center. Sellers in other countries incur specific international fees based on their location.
Seller currency conversion charge
If your sale is in a currency different from your account’s, eBay will charge a fee for converting the funds (3% for US-registered sellers).
Count with ease, use an eBay fee calculator
How much does it cost to sell on eBay? Set your worries aside.
To simplify the process, use a US eBay fee calculator to get an accurate estimate of the fees associated with your listings. This tool helps you plan and price your items more effectively.
How to reduce eBay selling fees
Now that you’re familiar with the various eBay fees, let’s explore some clever strategies to minimize their impact on your profits:
Optimize listing titles and descriptions
By optimizing your listings, you increase your chances of attracting organic traffic and potentially selling your items faster without relying solely on paid upgrades.
- Start with relevant keywords: Use tools like Google Trends or Semrush to research what buyers are searching for and include those keywords in your titles and descriptions. This helps your listings appear higher in search results.
- Be specific and informative: Clearly describe the item’s brand, model, size, color, and condition.
- Use bullet points: Highlight key features and benefits for easy reading. Focus more on benefits, implying how your product solves a problem or improves someone’s life.
- Write clearly and concisely: Avoid jargon and technical terms buyers might not understand.
- Proofread carefully: Ensure your titles and descriptions are free of typos and grammatical errors.
Instead of “Vintage Dress,” try “NWT Black Floral Maxi Dress – Size M”
Want to increase the visibility of your products? Read our article about eBay SEO before you create a listing and improve your reach.
Choose the right category for your item
Select the most accurate category, so your listing reaches the right audience and avoids unnecessary fees.
If you list your product in two categories, you need to pay a separate insertion fee for each category.
Take advantage of free listings
To minimize insertion fees, make the most of eBay’s monthly free listings. Strategically plan your items to ensure you stay within those limits.
Additionally, eBay frequently offers promotions with free insertion fees. Keep an eye out for these deals and schedule your listings accordingly to maximize your free allowance.
Consider an eBay Store subscription
If you sell many items on eBay, subscribing to an eBay Store can significantly reduce costs and raise sales. Here’s how to get started:
1. Analyze your sales: Track your past sales volume and estimate your future sales to determine if the subscription cost is worthwhile.
2. Choose the right plan: eBay offers various Store plans tailored to different sales volumes and budgets:
- Basic Store: Ideal for sellers with moderate sales volume. Offers more free listings, discounted fees, and basic promotional tools.
- Premium Store: Suitable for higher-volume sellers. Provides even more zero insertion fee listings, deeper fee discounts, and advanced promotional features.
- Anchor Store: Designed for large-scale sellers with extensive product catalogs. Offers significant free listings, highest fee discounts, and dedicated customer support.
- Enterprise Store: For high-volume businesses with the highest listing needs. Provides the highest number of zero insertion fee listings every month, deepest fee discounts, and comprehensive support.
3. Subscribe and activate:
- Visit the My eBay section and navigate to Subscriptions.
- Choose your plan and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the subscription.
Want to improve your listings’ visibility? Consider promoting them with eBay ads.
Avoid optional listing upgrades unless necessary
Consider the potential return on investment before adding optional listing upgrade fees to your products, and use upgrades only when they add significant value to your offerings.
Offer combined shipping discounts
Offering combined shipping discounts encourages buyers to purchase multiple items at once, lowering their overall shipping costs and making your listings more appealing.
Additionally, since the final value fee per order is calculated on the total sale price (including shipping), offering combined shipping can potentially lower your final value fees as well.
Here’s how to implement it:
- Enable combined shipping: Go to your eBay Shipping Preferences and ensure Allow combined payments and shipping is selected.
- Set up rules: Create shipping policies in your Business Policies section. Offer discounts based on the number of items purchased or a fixed rate for combined shipping.
- Promote your offer: Clearly state your combined shipping policy in your listings and consider offering additional discounts for larger purchases.
Need more help? Read our guide on eBay dropshipping.
Regularly review and remove unnecessary listings
Unused or inactive listings can reduce your free listing allowance. Regularly review and remove unsold or underperforming items to free up space for new inventory.
eBay provides a detailed financial statement within your Seller Hub or My eBay account. This statement offers a comprehensive breakdown of your selling activity, including an overview of all fees charged for each transaction. Download the statement for easy record-keeping and integration with your accounting software.
Mistakes to avoid
Here are common pitfalls to steer clear of on eBay to keep your selling fees in check:
Misclassifying items in incorrect categories
Items listed in the wrong categories can lead to additional fees and lower visibility for your listings.
Overusing optional listing upgrades
Don’t get carried away with upgrades. Analyze their effectiveness and use them strategically. While upgrades can be beneficial, overusing them can quickly add up in costs.
Ignoring eBay store subscription benefits
For high-volume sellers, eBay store subscriptions can significantly cut costs, while not subscribing may lead to higher fees. Evaluate the benefits of each plan to find one that best fits your business needs.
Underestimating shipping costs
When calculating your final price, factor in precise shipping costs to avoid losing money on shipping fees.
Looking to create an eBay business? Start with Printify
Now that you’re familiar with eBay fees and cost-saving strategies, are you ready to launch your dream eBay business? Printify makes getting started easy.
We offer a Catalog of over 1,000 customizable products, allowing you to create unique items to sell on eBay without managing inventory or fulfillment.
We’ll take care of the production and shipping, so you can focus on listing, marketing, and growing your business.
FAQ: What percentage does eBay take when an item sells?
eBay fees vary depending on the type of listing, category, final value of your sale, selling format, and optional upgrades. Basic fees include insertion and final value fees, ranging from 3-15% of the sale price.
eBay takes a percentage of the total sale amount, including the item price, shipping, and handling. This percentage is usually 13.25%, but varies depending on the category of your item, from 3-15%.
The base final value fee for most categories is 13.25%, but it varies significantly (from 3-15%) depending on the category and specific circumstances.
Although it’s not possible to completely avoid eBay fees, you can reduce them by taking advantage of free listings and choosing the right category for your items.
Consider store subscriptions if you have enough income from the marketplace, and avoid unnecessary upgrades.
You can end an eBay listing without fees if you haven’t received any bids or offers on the item. If there are bids or offers, certain conditions and potential eBay seller fees may apply.
Wrapping up
How much does eBay charge to sell? Understanding eBay fees can feel challenging, but with the knowledge and strategies outlined in this guide, you’re well-equipped to minimize their impact and maximize your profits:
- Understanding the different types of fees, such as insertion and final value fees, is essential for accurate pricing.
- Optimize listings, choose the right category, and use free listings to significantly reduce overall costs.
- Avoid common mistakes like misclassifying items and overusing optional upgrades.
- Carefully evaluate the benefits of eBay Store subscriptions and factor in accurate shipping costs to ensure you’re pricing your items competitively.
With the right approach, you can successfully navigate eBay fees and achieve greater success on the platform. Remember to count on Printify, your partner in profit.
