27 February 2024 , 10:36
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eBay sellers will face another fee selling fee this year meaning they will make less money.
The fee - called the "regulatory operating fee" - will be introduced on April 8 and will be 0.35% of the total sale amount. This also includes postage and does not have a cap. The new levy means that sellers on the marketplace site pay more than 13% of their earnings to eBay plus a fixed charge of 30p.
In an email to sellers, eBay said the fee was being introduced to "address the rising costs associated with the increasing number and complexity of regulations" impacting its marketplace. eBay specifically highlighted new consumer and environmental regulations. as well as new "taxation and custom measures".
The new fee will impact eBay sellers in the UK, Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Switzerland.
A spokesperson for eBay said: "As a global ecommerce platform connecting millions of buyers and sellers in more than 190 markets, we’re committed to complying with government regulations that affect eBay and its sellers worldwide. We are introducing a new regulatory operating fee to address the rising costs associated with the increasing number of national and regional regulations.
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"Unlike other marketplaces, we delayed the introduction of this fee for as long as we could. However, with the cost of complying with changing regulatory requirements increasing we have had to introduce it. These costs can range from fees in the case of environmental obligations in various jurisdictions, through to hiring teams of specialists with the right knowledge and skills to help our marketplace be compliant with the increased scope of regulations."
If you want to sell on eBay, you can put up to 1,000 items up for sale each month for free however after this you have to pay a 35p listing charge for each item. Currently, eBay sellers face a final value fee of 12.8% of the total sale price - including postage - plus a 30p charge. The final seller fee is reduced to 3% if the sale for a single item is over £5,000. The new fee will take its basic seller charges to 13.15% plus 30p.
So, according to an example given by eBay, if you sell an item for £15 plus £5 shipping, you'll be charged 0.35% on the whole £20, with 0.07% VAT added, taking the final charge to 0.42%.
According to eBay, the new fee would see a £20 item - costing £15 with £5 for shipping - be charged 0.42% with the new fee and 0..07% VAT. This would mean a seller would now pay £2.65 in fees on a sale of £20 including postage, plus a 30p charge. As the postage was £5, the seller would only earn £12.05 from the overall £20 sale.
Brits have taken to social media to share their frustration with the move. One X - formerly Twitter - user said: "Does anyone sell on #ebay? some regulatory operating fee at 0.35% of our sales is apparently going to be charged from April ON TOP OF eBays usual fees! if this is true that's more or less 50% of our sales going to eBay now ?? surely not!"
Another said it was a "nice way to encourage sellers" whilst a third added: "eBay has just announced they’re taking an extra 0.35% of your sales via an ‘regulatory operating fee’ from 8th April 2024. Just encourages me to furthermore sell my items elsewhere."
A fourth said: "It’s hard enough to sell on there cuz ur looking additional charges to boost views & obvs block listings.. but on top of the massive fees you already have ur now adding another regulatory fee of 0.35% #imout #bemorelikevinted"
The Mirror has approached eBay for comment.