How much does it cost to sell on eBay? Here's a fee-by-fee breakdown (2024)

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 itemson eBay are now sold as “Buy It Now,” fixed-price listings—and 80% of themare sold in new condition.

eBay ranks as the second most-visited 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 sellingstrategy? 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 andper 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:

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:

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.

** 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.

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.

Listing upgrades: $0.50 - $6 per item

When you sell products on eBay, you’re sharing space with 1.5 billion active listingsevery day. Listing upgrades can help your listings to stand out. Upgrades include:

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

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.

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.

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 websitetoday and upgrade when you’re ready to start selling.

Sell on eBay FAQ