What Is an eBay Insertion Fee? (All You Need to Know)

eBay is one of many online retail stores where people can be both the seller and the buyer. Furthermore, with it being the second-oldest online store on the market, that must mean they have a fairly priced system for people to still want to use it, right?

Well, in this article, we will be going over all the fees involved with listing an item on eBay’s store and their final value fee and what those entail. So, continue reading if you’re interested to find out more about these charges!

What Is an eBay Insertion Fee in 2024?

An insertion fee is a charge from eBay every time that you list an item in 2024. However, the first 250 posts you list each month are free and then after that, depending on the category your item fits in, you will be charged a certain amount. Although, on average, that price is around $0.35 per listing.

Continue reading the article below to learn more about eBay’s insertion fees and what else they charge for, along with other related facts!

Why Does eBay Charge an Insertion Fee?

eBay charges an upfront fee every time a seller places an item up for sale on its website, and this is known as an Insertion Fee.

This is done so eBay can still make a profit, even if that item posted doesn’t sell.

How Much Are Insertion Fees?

On average, an insertion fee is around $0.35 per listing. However, your first 250 listings per month are free in categories such as clothing, art, books, jewelry, movies, and automotive tools.

However, in categories such as clothing, if the item listing is over $100, then there is no insertion fee.

In categories such as heavy equipment, food trucks and trailers, and commercial machinery, your insertion fee will be around $20.

What Else Does eBay Charge You For?

What Else Does eBay Charge You For?

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Not only does eBay charge you for insertion fees, but it also charges you for final value fees.

This fee occurs when an item a seller posted gets sold.

Furthermore, this fee is calculated as a percentage of the total amount of the sale, plus $0.30.

Additionally, the total amount of the sale includes the price of the item, shipping services, sales tax, handling charges, and any other applicable fees.

However, depending on what category your listed item is in will determine what percentage of the final sale eBay will take.

For example, for items in the clothing category, they will be taking 15% of the sale if the total amount of the sale is $2,000 or less and 9% if the total amount of the sale is over $2,000.

If your item is in the jewelry category, then you will be charged 12.55% for a final value fee if the total sale amount is less than $7,500, or 2.35% if the total amount is over %7,500.

How Can I Avoid Paying Fees on eBay?

Unfortunately, there is no way to fully avoid paying fees, as they are necessary for you to be able to sell anything on eBay’s site.

However, there are some things you can do to lower your overall fees so you won’t have to pay as much in the end.

For example, one thing you can try doing is, instead of paying monthly for your eBay account, try buying a yearly subscription.

This way, instead of paying $7.95 every month for 12 months which adds up to $95.40, you’ll only spend $59.40, saving you a total of $36.00.

Another way you can save some money is by becoming a Top Rated Seller or a TRS.

By doing this, you can receive a 10% discount on your final value fees.

However, how do you become a TRS? Well, firstly you need to have an active eBay account open longer than 90 days.

Furthermore, you’ll also need to comply with eBay’s selling practices policy, and have at least 100 transactions on your account.

To know more, you can also read our posts on what is a final value fee on eBay, eBay’s reserve price, and eBay UPC.

Conclusion

Although eBay is a great online retailer that has been running for years, in order to make money, the company has to charge sellers a minimum fee for posting listings and a percentage of the seller’s final value of the sale.

Fortunately, these charges aren’t very expensive and most of the time only apply when you’re selling an item in a certain category.

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Florence Howard

Florence Howard has been freelance writing for over a decade, and has a vocational background in retail, tech, and marketing. Outside of work, she enjoys listening to rock and metal, and playing with her dog and cat.

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