eBay will introduce a new buyers fee, along with an update that will see sellers only receive payment once the buyer has confirmed they’ve received their item
eBay is set to introduce several new changes for millions of users next year – including a new fee for buyers and delaying payments for sellers.
The online selling platform will introduce the new buyers fee next year, although no date has been set yet. This is an extra charge that will be paid by buyers when they purchase an item on eBay – it comes on top of the price of the actual item that they’re buying.
We’ve asked eBay if the buyer fee will be a fixed charge or a percentage of the sale price and we’ll update this article when we get a response. Vinted and Depop have both introduced buyer fees in recent years.
Another major change eBay is introducing, is delaying when private sellers receive payment until the item is confirmed to have been delivered. This means sellers will not get paid until their buyer confirms they have received the item. This will come into force from February 4, 2025.
Finally, private sellers will soon be forced to pay for their postage through eBay. They will have to confirm the size of their parcel through eBay’s “simple delivery managed shipping” system, which is already available for private sellers who list pre-owned clothing.
The expansion of this to other types of listings will happen in early 2025, although no exact date has been confirmed yet. The Sun reports that eBay will start by allowing private sellers to “opt out” of using its method of shipping before making it compulsory.
It comes after eBay removed all selling fees in October. This means sellers keep more of the cash they make through the website, as they no longer pay final value fees, regulatory operating fees, or an insertion fee when they sell on eBay.
The only exception to this new rule is motor sales, as fees will still be in place for the sales of cars, motorcycles and vehicle listings. The site removed selling fees on all fashion items earlier this year. The platform removed selling fees on its German site last year and saw a rise in both sellers and buyers.
eBay says the move will help households as research conducted by the company found that half of British households have unused items in their home worth between £50 and £300. Nearly a quarter are believed to be sitting on items worth over £500.
eBay has also introduced a new “eBay balance” feature which, instead of withdrawing their cash into their bank account, it gives sellers the option to use to money they make to shop on eBay, promote their listings, purchase delivery labels or withdraw cash if they want to do so.
