eBay insertion fees explained for resellers
What fees do eBay sellers pay?
Ebay Sellers have 2 main fees: insertion fee and final value fee. This article discusses insertion fees. Visit our page on final values to learn more about final value fees.
Should I care about insertion fees on eBay?
Are you a casual seller on eBay and list less than 250 items per month? If so, you do not need to worry about insertion fees!
What is an insertion fee on eBay?
An insertion fee is a fee you pay to Ebay when you create a listing. Insert some analogy or comparison to the real physical world. The amount you pay for an insertion fee ultimately depends on the category of item you are listing, and if you have an ebay store subscription or not.
Do I need to always pay an insertion fee on eBay?
No!
Fortunately eBay gives sellers a large quantity of zero listing fees per month. For example if you are a seller without an eBay store subscription, then you get up to 250 zero insertion fee listings per month. This means that you do not need to pay to list up to 250 items on eBay per month! You only pay the insertion fee if you go beyond 250 items. On the other hand, if you have an ebay store subscription, then you can have a higher number of zero listing fees per month.
| Store type | Number of zero insertion fee listings |
|---|---|
| None | 250 |
| Starter Store | 250 |
| Basic Store | 1,000 |
| Premium Store | 10,000 |
| Anchor Store | 25,000 |
| Enterprise Store | 100,000 |
Important! The above zero insertion fee listings are not applicable for the below item categories. In other words, if you are selling an item in one of the below categories then you will always pay an insertion fee.
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Real Estate
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Select Motors categories: Boats, Cars & Trucks, Motorcycles, Other Vehicles & Trailers, and Powersports
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Select Business & Industrial categories: Heavy Equipment (found in Heavy Equipment, Parts & Attachments), Food Trucks, Trailers & Carts (found in Restaurant & Food Service), Commercial Printing Presses (found in Printing & Graphic Arts)
eBay offers extra perks for Basic Store subscriptions and higher for auction style listings.
| Store type | Number of additional free auction style listings |
|---|---|
| Basic Store | 250 |
| Premium Store | 500 |
| Anchor Store | 1000 |
| Enterprise Store | 2500 |
This extra perk of free auction style listings only applies for items listed in the below categories:
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Antiques
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Art
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Clothing, Shoes & Accessories
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Coins & Paper Money
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Collectibles
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Dolls & Bears
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Entertainment Memorabilia
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Health & Beauty
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Jewelry & Watches
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Pottery & Glass
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Sports Mem, Cards & Fan Shop
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Stamps
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Toys & Hobbies
eBay offers extra perks for Basic Store subscriptions and higher for fixed price style listings.
| Store type | Number of additional free fixed price style listings |
|---|---|
| Basic Store | 10,000 |
| Premium Store | 50,000 |
| Anchor Store | 75,000 |
| Enterprise Store | 100,000 |
This extra perk of free fixed price style listings only applies for items listed in the below categories:
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Sports Mem, Cards & Fan Shop -> Sports Trading Cards
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Toys & Hobbies -> Collectible Card Games
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Collectibles
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Music
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Books & Magazines
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Movies & TV
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Video Games & Consoles -> Video Games
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Stamps
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Crafts
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Home & Garden -> Greeting Cards & Party Supply -> Party Supplies
In general, we can see that a higher tier store subscription leads to a higher number of zero insertion fee listings. You are able to list more items for free per month with a higher tier store subscription. However store subscriptions cost a monthly fee and there are various trade offs to consider! Refer to our guide on store subscriptions for more information.
Ultimately you only pay an insertion fee if you list more items than your monthly limit. Non store subscribers have a 250 item per month limit while store subscribers have a higher per month limit. If you exceed your monthly limit then you must pay an insertion fee for every new listing.
How much is the insertion fee on eBay?
The insertion fee depends on the category of the item you want to list and if you have an ebay store subscription or not.
| Item Category | No store subscription | Starter Store | Basic Store | Premium Store | Anchor Store | Enterprise Store |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Musical Instruments & Gear > Guitars & Basses | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Men > Men's Shoes > Athletic Shoes | Free if starting price is $150 or more | Free if starting price is $150 or more | Free if starting price is $150 or more | Free if starting price is $150 or more | Free if starting price is $150 or more | Free if starting price is $150 or more |
| Women > Women's Shoes > Athletic Shoes | Free if starting price is $150 or more | Free if starting price is $150 or more | Free if starting price is $150 or more | Free if starting price is $150 or more | Free if starting price is $150 or more | Free if starting price is $150 or more |
| Heavy Equipment Parts & Attachments > Heavy Equipment | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Printing & Graphic Arts > Commercial Printing Presses | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Restaurant & Food Service > Food Trucks, Trailers & Carts | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| All other categories | 0.35 | .30 | .25 | .10 | .05 | .05 |
The above breakdown does not include insertion fees for selling real estate. See our breakdown on ebay real estate listings for more info
In general, we can see that a higher tier store subscription leads to lower insertion fees. However store subscriptions cost a monthly fee and there are various trade offs to consider! Review our guide on eBay store subscriptions for more info.
Summary
An insertion fee is the fee you pay to eBay in order to list an item. You only pay the insertion fee if you list more items per month than your monthly listing limit. The monthly listing limit and the insertion fee depends on your store subscription tier. If you do not have a store subscription, then you have a monthly limit of 250 items and will need to pay a listing fee of .35 for most item categories.