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eBay UK removes selling fees across categories to boost private sellers

October 1, 2024

eBay UK has announced the removal of selling fees for private sellers across all categories except motors, as part of its ongoing efforts to streamline and enhance the marketplace experience.

Private sellers will no longer have to pay final value or regulatory operating fees, making it easier and more profitable to sell on the platform.

This move follows eBay UK’s earlier introduction of free selling in fashion and introduces several new features to improve the seller experience. These include simplified listing tools with AI-generated descriptions and photo enhancement, competitive shipping with a tracked delivery service prepaid by the buyer, and increased visibility for local sales through eBay Local, which offers secure in-person collection.

eBay UK also introduces eBay Balance, a new feature launching in mid-October, which allows sellers to use their earnings for purchases, promoting listings, or purchasing delivery labels, all from within the platform.

“Removing selling fees across categories is designed to give buyers access to greater breadth and depth of inventory, while creating a simplified and streamlined experience for sellers,” said Kirsty Keoghan, GM of eBay UK.

The fee removal comes after a successful trial in eBay Germany, where C2C (consumer-to-consumer) volumes returned to positive growth, contributing hundreds of millions of dollars in incremental GMV (gross merchandise value). eBay UK has already seen similar positive results, with a double-digit increase in fashion listings since introducing free fashion selling earlier this year.

Alongside its support for private sellers, eBay continues to enhance services for its business sellers through tailored tools, seller protection programmes, and 1:1 support. The company estimates that UK households are sitting on £9 billion worth of unused items, with eBay’s free selling and new features helping to unlock this potential.

With 56% of people selling to make money and nearly half seeing it as a more sustainable alternative to throwing items away, the removal of fees is expected to drive a further surge in listings and transactions across the UK.