In a move that matches Vinted, eBay has removed its fees for sellers
It is now free for private sellers (that’s the likes of you and me), to sell on eBay in the UK. Having already dropped the fees for fashion listings earlier in the year, they have now extended that to include almost everything. Here’s everything you need to know.
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What is changing on eBay?
From 1 October 2024, when you sell with eBay, you’ll no longer pay final value fees. The additional ‘regulatory operating fee’ they introduced just last April is also gone.
The only exceptions are cars, motorbikes and vehicles where there will still be fees for sellers.
When the online giant scrapped these in Germany last year, not only did they attract new sellers to the site, but it also brought in more buyers. Dropping the costs for fashion item in the UK earlier this year has also seen increases to listings and sales.
As well as removing the selling fees, eBay has also been making changes to the delivery options – similar to what is offered on Vinted where the buyer prepays for a secure, tracked delivery.
Additionally, they claim to have streamlined the collection process when buying off local sellers, potentially making it a safer platform to buy and sell on than Facebook Marketplace, since there are no cash payments to contend with.
Also changing from 16 October 2024, your eBay earnings will appear in your balance, rather than being paid straight into your bank account. From there you can use the cash to make a purchase, pay to promote any items you are selling or simply withdraw to your bank account – again, very similar to the offering from rival, Vinted.
Is it really free to sell on eBay?
Well, yes and no. Normal, non-commercial, sellers will continue to get 300 free listings each month with no selling fees. You’ll only have to pay if you go over that limit, so it is essentially free to sell your items on eBay. If you do list more, then it is a 35p selling fee for each one.
What other fees does eBay charge?
However, eBay does charge optional additional fees, should you wish to take advantage of them. There are for extra services offered by eBay, for example to promote your product or to set a reserve price.
They’re mainly ways to make your listing stand out over alternatives. If you wish to use them, we’ve summarised the additional costs in the table below.
| Optional service | Price per listing |
| Reserve price | 4% of reserve price (max £150) |
| Additional text (subtitle) | £2 |
| Larger pictures (Gallery Plus) | £2.50 |
| List in an additional category | 35p |
| Promote your listing | You’ll either select a chosen percentage after your listing sells or pay an upfront, flat fee. |
| Special duration (1 or 3 day) | 35p |
| International visibility | 30p for a fixed price listing or for auctions, the fee depends on the starting price: 5p for start price less than £5, 10p for start price from £5 to £29.99, 15p for start price of £30 or more (you’ll also pay and international fee of 3% if it ends up selling internationally) |
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What do the changes mean for sellers?
It is really good news for sellers. As long as you don’t pay for any additional services, you’ll make more money from your sales than you would have last month.
For example, I sold a play mat for a final value of £15 in an auction on eBay in September, yet after fees of 10.67% of the final price including postage as well as the regulatory fee, plus VAT on those fees, I pocketed just £12.28.
Now if I was to list the same item and get a final sale of £15 this month, I would not be paying the selling fee and regulatory fee to eBay or the VAT on those fees and therefore, would get the full £15, which would be an extra £2.72 in my pocket. And the more I sell, the more I’ll get to keep of the final prices.
Plus, this change could mean your items go for more cash or sell faster than if you’d put them on Vinted or other services. eBay has way more users than it’s rivals – there are currently 22 million active users in the UK.
What does it mean for buyers?
For buyers, it’s also good news as you might see sellers reduce prices or be more willing to accept lower offers and bids as they’ll be getting the full cut of what you spend.
But a warning. There’s a chance that additional fees may be introduced at some point, like you find with Vinted and Depop. Rumours are circulating that this buyers fee will come into fruition next year. If we hear anything, we’ll update you here, but for now the buyer just pays the agreed price plus the postage fee.