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Home > 2011 First Fee Update
2011 First Fee Update

Overview
Fee update
Enhanced seller features
Improved shopping experience
Helpful tips
Recent Seller Updates
New fees reward low cost shipping
Fee update: FREE to list Auction-style— any start price —plus FREE Buy It Now for sellers without a Store subscription. Final Value Fees updated to reward low-cost shipping for all sellers.
(Details below are applicable to eBay US only. For relevant details on eBay UK sites, please refer to here. Please note that there are categories excluded from the fee updates.)

Updates to eBay fees starting this spring will essentially remove the upfront cost to list on eBay for sellers paying Standard Fees—pay only if your item sells. Final Value Fee rates for Fixed Price listings and Auction-style listings for Store subscribers will be reduced and applied to the total amount of the sale —including shipping. Under the new fees most eBay sellers will enjoy reduced overall fees or will see little or no difference from what they pay today.
HIGHLIGHTS

April 19 (US Pacific Time) —List Auction-style FREE with FREE Buy It Now—up to 50 items per month with new Standard Fees.

  • Under the new Standard fees, list Auction-style FREE , any start price —up to 50 items a month. Pay only if your item sells. Plus you can add a Buy It Now price to your 50 items FREE—set the price you want and grab buyers ready to act now.
  • The Standard Final Value Fee rate for Auction-style listings will stay at 9% and be applied to the total amount of the sale—including shipping—with a maximum Final Value Fee of $100.
  • Auction-style fees for Store subscribers will NOT change in April:
As always, eBay Standard fees are the right choice if you sell occasionally or sell to earn extra cash. If you sell more than 50 items a month, you'll benefit from the overall discounted rates that come with an eBay Store subscription .

Get an eBay Store now

See fee chart for details.

July 6 (US Pacific Time)—Fixed Price (Store and Standard) and Store Auction-style Final Value Fee rates reduced and applied to the total amount of the sale—including shipping .
  • Starting July 6 (US Pacific Time), to encourage and reward low-cost shipping, Final Value Fee rates for Fixed Price listings will be reduced and applied to the total amount of the sale—including shipping. This change applies to both eBay Standard fees and eBay Store subscription packages.
  • Insertion Fees for Fixed Price listings will not change. As a Store subscriber, you'll have the same discounted Insertion Fees you have today—list in Fixed Price for as low as USD 3 ¢ .
  • Auction-style Final Value Fee rates with a Store subscription will also be reduced and applied to the total amount of the sale—including shipping.
  • Insertion Fees for Auction-style listings with a Store subscription will not change. Store subscribers can continue to list unlimited items Auction-style for as low as USD 10¢.
See fee chart for details.

If you sell more than 50 items a month, you'll benefit from the lowest fees with an eBay Store subscription . Use the Fee Illustrator to help determine which eBay Store subscription may best fit your needs.

Use the fee calculator to estimate what your new fees will be for a specific listing.

PowerSeller discount update

20% Top-rated seller discount continues, 5% PowerSeller discount retired
eBay Top-rated sellers will continue to receive a 20% discount on Final Value Fees for the item price portion of the sale along with the other great benefits of the Top-rated seller program such as:
  • Promotion in search for Fixed Price listings
  • Prominent logo displayed in search results and other key pages
  • Priority in the Value Box for items listed with the catalog
  • Priority in eBay's home page merchandising
Beginning with the first invoice in June, the 5% Final Value Fee discount for Power Sellers who are not Top-rated will be retired. Power Sellers will continue to receive other benefits such as:
  • Unpaid Item Protection
  • Power Seller Discussion Boards
  • Power Seller Hotline for selected geographies
Learn more about Top-rated seller requirements and benefits .

FEE CHARTS

Auction-style Standard Fees
Effective April 19, 2011 (US Pacific Time)


Auction-style Insertion Fees

Starting Price (USD) Insertion Fees (USD)
$0.01 - $0.99
$1.00 - $9.99
$10.00 - $24.99
$25.00 - $49.99
$50.00 - $199.99
$200+
FREE!*
Final Value Fee 9.0% and applied to the total amount of the sale —including shipping (capped at $100)
Buy it Now feature FREE (Up to 50)**
Top-rated Seller Discount 20% off Final Value Fees (on item price portion only – no change )
* Up to 50 per month. After your 50 th item, Insertion Fees will be charged. See Auction-style Insertion fees eBay Store Subscribers below for reference.

** When used with Free Auction-style Insertion Fee listings. Additional optional feature fees apply when added to your listings (for example, Subtitle, Bold, etc.).

Auction-style Fees for Store Subscribers
Effective July 6, 2011 (US Pacific Time)

Starting Price (USD) Insertion Fees (USD)

$0.01 - $0.99
$1.00 - $9.99
$10.00 - $24.99
$25.00 - $49.99
$50.00 - $199.99
$200+
No change to Auction-style Insertion Fees
$0.10
$0.25
$0.50
$0.75
$1.00
$2.00
Selling Price (USD) Final Value Fees
(Applied to the total amount of the sale —including shipping)
Item not sold No Fee
$0.01 - $50.00 7.5% of the closing value
$50.01 - $1000.00 7.5% of the initial $50.00, plus 4.0% of the remaining closing value balance ($50.01 to $1,000.00)
Equal to or over $1000.01 7.5% of the initial $50.00, plus 4.0% of the initial $50.01 - $1,000.00 plus 2.0% of the remaining closing value balance ($1,000.01 - closing value)
   
Pictures (up to 12) FREE (no change)
Top-rated Seller Discount 20% off Final Value Fees (on item price portion only – no change)

Fixed Price Fees – Standard and Stores
Effective July 6, 2011 (US Pacific Time)


Fixed Price Insertion Fees (USD)

  Anchor Subscribers (USD) Premium Subscribers (USD) Basic Subscribers (USD) Standard Fees
Non-Store subscriber (USD)
Fixed Price Insertion Fees $0.03 (no change) $0.05 (no change) $0.20 (no change) $0.50 (no change)
Pictures (up to 12) FREE (no change) FREE (no change) FREE (no change) No change First picture FREE each additional picture $0.15.

Fixed Price Final Value Fees (USD)
(Applied to the total amount of the sale —including shipping )
 
Selling Price (US D ) All Other Categories Electronics and Computers* CSA and P&A Media
Item not sold No fee No fee No fee No fee
$0.01 - $50.00 11% of the closing value 7% 10% 13%
$50.00 - $1000.00 11% of the initial $50.00, plus 6% of the remaining closing value balance ($50.01 to $1,000.00) 7%
5%
10%
8%
 
13%
5%
 
Equal to or Over $1000.01 11% of the initial $50.00, plus 6% of the initial $50.01 - $1,000.00 plus 2.0% of the remaining closing value balance ($1,000.01 - closing value) 7%
5%
2%
10%
8%
2%
13%
5%
2%
*Including Cell Phones & Smart Phones, PDAs & Pocket PCs. Cell Phone accessories will continue to fall under “All Other Categories”.

See current fees for eBay Store subscribers

See current Standard fees (fees for sellers without an eBay Store subscription) See examples illustrating how fees will change and what you can do to optimise your fees.

TAKE ACTION
Get tips and tools to edit listings.


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What's included in the total amount of the sale?
Total amount of the sale includes the cost of the item, shipping, and any other fees a seller may charge (for example engraving or gift wrapping), excluding any sales tax.

What are the changes to eBay selling fees?
We're introducing new Standard fees that will allow those who sell occasionally to list with no upfront cost and lowering many Final Value Fee rates on both Auction-style and Fixed Price listings for sellers with a Store subscription. To reward free and low cost shipping for all sellers, Final Value Fees will be extended to cover the total amount of the sale. The total amount of the sale will include the cost of the item, shipping, and any other fees a seller may charge (for example engraving or gift wrapping), excluding any sales tax.

In general, are selling fees going up or down?
For a majority of sellers, fees will go down (especially for sellers who already offer low cost or free shipping) or stay the same. Some sellers may see an overall increase.

I sell between 50 and 100 items a month. With this change to the number of free Auction-style listings, will I be better off with an eBay Store subscription?
In general, if you sell more than 50 items each month, you should consider subscribing to an eBay Store. Learn more about eBay Stores .

Why are you including shipping costs and other costs to the buyer when calculating Final Value Fees?
Buyers typically take all costs into consideration when making a purchase—including shipping. These changes provide sellers an additional incentive to offer free and low-cost shipping. We have lowered most Final Value Fee rates to accommodate this change.

When will the new fees become effective?

New Standard Fees (for sellers without an eBay Stores subscription):

The new Auction-style Standard Fees for sellers without an eBay Store subscription become effective beginning 00:00 (midnight US PACIFIC TIME) on April 19, 2011 (US Pacific Time) . Listings submitted at midnight or later on April 19, 2011 (US Pacific Time) , will be charged the new fees, regardless of when they were created (e.g., through a listing tool or through the Sell Your Item form using the listing scheduler feature).

The new Fixed Price Final Value Fee rates and fees based on total sale amount (item price plus shipping) for Fixed Price listings will become effective at 00:00 (midnight US PACIFIC TIME) on July 6, 2011 (US Pacific Time) .

New fees for eBay Store subscribes:

The new Fixed Price Final Value Fee rates for eBay Store subscribers, and fees based on total amount of the sale for Fixed Price listings will become effective at 00:00 (midnight PDT) on July 6, 2011.

If I submit listings via a selling tool (e.g., Turbo Lister) before the new pricing becomes effective but don't confirm the listings until after the effective date, which fee will I be charged?
Under the new Standard fees, all Auction-style listings that begin at midnight (US PACIFIC TIME) or later on April 19, 2011 (US Pacific Time) will be charged according to the new Standard fees pricing structure. If you have an eBay Store subscription (or list in Fixed Price under the Standard fees), all listings that begin at midnight (US PACIFIC TIME) or later on July 6, 2011 (US Pacific Time) will be charged according to the new eBay Stores pricing structure. In this example, the new fees would be charged regardless of when they were submitted.

What categories are included in these changes?
All regular categories on eBay.com, eBay.ca, cafr.eBay.ca, and eBay Motors (Parts & Accessories only) are included, except those mentioned under the exclusions.

What categories are excluded from these changes?
The following categories are excluded from the Insertion Fee and Final Value Fee rate changes—as well as Final Value Fees being applied to the total amount of the sale: Professional Services, Classified Ads, Real Estate, Vehicle categories on eBay Motors, and the following Business and Industrial Capital Equipment categories: Tractors & farm machinery (91952), heavy equipment (25249), concession trailers, carts (67145), imaging and aesthetics equipment (92036), forklifts and other lifts (97185), manufacturing equipment (92080), metalworking equipment (92082) and commercial printing presses (26247).

How will the Final Value Fees on total amount of the sale work?
You'll see the Final Value Fee charge based on the item price at the time of sale. The Final Value Fee for the shipping costs portion, and any other costs to buyer (less sales tax), will be charged based on what was paid by the buyer at checkout—except for One-day shipping services.

Are Final Value Fees charged on One-day and International services?
Begin with Feb 23,2012 (US Pacific Time),when the buyer selects international shipping, the ACTUAL shipping cost paid by the buyer will be calculated to Final Value Fee if sellers from China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam and the item located outside US. For the items in the USA, If a One-day service or International option is selected, the first domestic shipping service offered other than One-day will be used to calculate Final Value Fees. If there are no other domestic shipping services offered, fees will be calculated on One-day service or International service.

How are my Final Value Fees charged when I combine shipping for my buyer?
If combined shipping is used, the Final Value Fees will still be calculated on the total amount of the sale, so the discounts will be taken into account. The Final Value Fees on shipping costs will be prorated and distributed based on the first non One-day domestic shipping service offered from each listing. If One-day shipping service or International service is the only service on a listing, then Final Value Fees on shipping costs will be prorated and distributed on One-day or International service for those listings.

Example : You offer combined shipping when your buyer purchases multiple items. The total shipping costs for all 3 items is USD $15 but discounted to $9 by offering combined shipping (40% discount).

  • Item A has a first domestic shipping cost of US$ 4.00
  • Item B has a first domestic shipping cost of US$ 5.00
  • Item C has a first domestic shipping cost of US$ 6.00
The $9.00 shipping cost will be used to calculate Final Value Fees but will be prorated and distributed the following way (applying the 40% discount to each shipping amount):
  • Item A will have a US$ 2.40 shipping cost charged
  • Item B will have a US$ 3.00 shipping cost charged
  • Item C will have a US$ 3.60 shipping cost charged
How will Final Value Fees be charged if I use a third-party checkout solution?
Final Value Fees will be calculated on the item price and shipping costs paid by the buyer. If there is no shipping cost reported back to eBay, the first non One-day domestic shipping option will be used to calculate the fees. Note: third-party checkout solutions will no longer be supported on eBay after June 30, 2011 (US Pacific Time) .

Is Freight included when calculating Final Value Fees?
Freight services will be included when calculating the total Final Value Fee.

What is included in the new Final Value Fee calculation?
Final Value Fees will be applied to the total amount of the sale—including shipping. Total amount of the sale includes the cost of the item, shipping, and any other fees a seller may charge (for example engraving or gift wrapping), excluding any sales tax.

What do these changes mean for smaller sellers without an eBay Store subscription who sell fewer items in many categories or the unique items you can only find on eBay? Will these sellers benefit from the changes?
Yes, the new Standard fees starting April19 (US Pacific Time) are tailored specifically to meet the needs of sellers who list a few items per month or throughout the year primarily in Auction-style format and/or in Auction-style format with the Buy It Now option. The up-front cost for these listings will be eliminated. You can list up to 50 Auction-style items free—every month—at any start price. You can also add Buy It Now to these 50 listings at no cost to attract convenience-oriented buyers.

What are my Insertion Fees for Auction-style listings after I used my 50 free listings—any start price—during the month?
Under the new Standard fees starting April 19, after you have used all 50 free Auction-style listings during the calendar month, the following Insertion Fees for Auction-style listings will apply:

Starting Price (USD) Insertion Fees (USD)
$0.01 - $0.99
$1.00 - $9.99
$10.00 - $24.99
$25.00 - $49.99
$50.00 - $199.99
$200+
$0.10
$0.25
$0.50
$0.75
$1.00
$2.00

Do I still get free Insertion Fees for 100 Auction-style listings that start under $1?
Starting April 19 (US Pacific Time) , the existing Standard fees (free Auction-style Insertion Fees for listings that start under USD $1.00 up to 100 a month) will be replaced by the new Standard fees (free Auction-style Insertion Fees at any start price , up to 50 per month.

Do fees for optional listing features still apply?
Yes, any additional optional feature fees such as Subtitle and Bold still apply when added to your listings.

How do I choose the right listing format?
Here are some general guidelines to help you select the best format for you items. Choose Auction-style when:
  • You're unsure of the value of your item and want it to sell right away, allowing the eBay Marketplace to determine its value.
  • You have unique and hard-to-find items that could attract demand and spur a bidding war, maximising profits from your listing.
  • You are currently using Auction-style listings and you have a high sell-through rate (your items typically sell the first time you list them).
  • You sell sporadically and your items don't have recent sales to boost your item's search standing. Auction-style listings will continue to be sorted by "Ending Soonest".
Add the Buy It Now option to your Auction-style listings and give buyers the option to purchase your item immediately or place a bid. Your listings will appear when buyers browse and search for items when clicking on both the Auctions only or Buy It Now only tabs in search results. Choose Fixed Price when:
  • You have multiple items that you can place into one listing .
  • You know the value of your item or know the exact price you need to get for it.
  • You have a lot of inventory and want to minimise your upfront Insertion Fees.
  • You want your items to be available to buyers for more than seven or 10 days .
Use a combination of both Auction-style and Fixed Price by adding a Buy It Now option when:
  • You sell a variety of items and want to attract both bidders and buyers - those looking for a deal on Auction-style listings and others who prefer the convenience of Fixed Price purchases.
  • You want to maximise demand for your inventory and leverage Auction-style and Fixed Price to help drive bidders and buyers to your other listings.

Should I subscribe to an eBay Store? What are the benefits?
When evaluating the benefits of an eBay Store, you should consider your listing volume and most frequently preferred listing format. If you list more than 50 items per month, you should consider an eBay Store. For many sellers, an eBay Store subscription can reduce overall fees significantly. Having an eBay Store is also one of the best ways to establish your brand with a custom Store home page and custom header and logo that appear in your listings. You'll also get powerful tools to help build, manage, promote, and track your eBay presence for greater selling success.

How do I subscribe to an eBay Store or upgrade my eBay Store subscription?
You can subscribe to an eBay Store here . Upgrade your current Store subscription under Manage My Store in the Account tab in My eBay.

What changes are being made to PowerSeller discounts?
Starting with the first invoice in June 2011, PowerSellers who are not eBay Top-rated sellers will no longer receive a 5% Final Value Fee discount. PowerSellers who are eBay Top-rated sellers will continue to receive a 20% discount on Final Value Fees calculated on the item price portion of the total sale only.

Why are you eliminating the 5% Final Value Fee discount for PowerSellers?
We're eliminating the 5% discount for PowerSellers and increasing the incentive for sellers to become Top-rated. eBay Top-rated sellers earn maximum rewards for delivering great service.

I am a Top-rated seller. Will these changes affect my Top-rated seller discount?
Top-rated sellers will continue to receive a 20% Final Value Fee discount on the item price only as they do today. Get more details on Top-rated seller requirements and benefits .

Why are you applying the Top-rated seller discount only to the item price?
Applying the Top-rated seller discount only to the item price encourages and rewards top performing sellers to offer low cost and free shipping when possible with their listings. This highlights the great value found on eBay and creates a better shopping experience.