Like most traditional and online marketplaces, eBay charges a fee to list an item for sale. This is called an insertion fee. It is a fixed charge that, in most cases, has no relevance to the value of the item.

The insertion fee cost is determined by a number of other factors, including item category and seller status. Read on to discover everything you need to know about insertion fees on eBay.

Insertion fees: the basics

Insertion fees are charged on most eBay listings and are non-refundable if an item doesn’t sell.

It is also important to know:

• Insertion fees are charged per listing and per category. If an item is listed in two categories, the seller must pay two insertion fees
• When an item is relisted, an additional insertion fee is charged
• Listings with multiple items only have one insertion fee
• An insertion fee is charged each time a Good ‘Til Cancelled listing is renewed

As an incentive, all eBay sellers receive a certain amount of zero insertion fee listings every month. Final Value Fees still apply on these listings.

Insertion fees for regular sellers

Sellers who have not yet transitioned to eBay’s managed payments system receive 200 zero insertion fee listings every month (as of early 2021). These can be used towards fixed price listings or auction-style listings.

After this allocation has been used, the following fees apply:

All eBay.com sellers will be transitioned to managed payments sometime in 2021.

Insertion fees for managed payment sellers

Managed payment sellers receive 250 zero insertion fee listings every month. Again, these can be used towards fixed price listings or auction-style listings.

The cost of additional listings beyond this free allowance is presented in the above table – managed payment sellers pay the same insertion fees as regular sellers.

Not sure if you are a managed payment seller? If eBay sends your sales proceeds directly to your bank account, you are using managed payments.

Insertion fees for Store subscribers

There are five different Store subscriptions on eBay.com. The amount of zero insertion fee listings varies between subscriptions, as does the insertion fee cost for additional listings.

Here are the free fixed price listing numbers for Store subscribers with managed payments:

*Shared between free fixed price listings and free auctions in Collectibles and Fashion

Additional listings are charged as follows:

Enterprise Store subscribers also have the option to pay an additional monthly fee for a set number of fixed price listings with zero insertion fees.

At the time of writing (May 2021), the cost is $250/month for 10,000 listings and $1,000/month for 50,000 listings.

Insertion fees for Classified Ads

Classifieds ads can be placed in a limited number of eBay categories.

Examples include:

• Business & Industrial (Modular & Pre-Fabricated Buildings , Trade Show Displays, Websites & Businesses for Sale)
• Specialty Services
• Travel (with some exceptions)

Insertion fees for Classified Ads on eBay.com are $9.95 for a 30-day listing.

Insertion fees for Real Estate listings

Real Estate listings can be fixed price, auction-style or in the Classified Ad format. The insertion fee vary between formats:

Please note that the fees listed above are for managed payment sellers.

Insertion fees for selling vehicles on eBay Motors

The fee structure for listings on eBay Motors is unique. The amount charged for vehicle listings depends on these factors:

• The classification of the seller (low or high volume)
• The listing tool used to create the listing
• The type of vehicle listed

For more information, check out this dedicated article on selling vehicles on eBay.

Insertion fee credits

In certain scenarios, sellers are able to reclaim insertion fees in the form of a credit.

This section will detail the two most common situations in which an insertion fee credit would be received. eBay usually issues insertion fee credits automatically.

Insertion fee credits for auction-style listings

When an item sells via an auction-style listing, some sellers are eligible for an insertion fee credit.

Insertion fee credits for auction-style listings are available for sellers with Enterprise, Anchor, Premium and Basic Store subscriptions.

Non-store owners and Starter Store subscribers are not eligible.

There are some conditions, which include:

• Listings must be in auction-style format
• There is no credit or refund for items listed using zero insertion fee allowances
• The Store subscription must be active at the time the listing was created
• Only insertion fees are credited, not listing upgrade fees

Insertion fee credits for relisted items

eBay sellers can also benefit from an insertion fee credit when an item sellers after being relisted. Again, there are some conditions:

• The original and relisting must be the same format i.e. both auction-style, both fixed price
• The original listing was less than 90 days before the end of the second listing
• The starting price is the same or lower than the original listing
• The second listing was made through the eBay relist tool 
• There was no reserve price added to the second listing
• The item was only relisted once (so it was sold the second time listed)

This insertion fee credit is accessible for all eBay sellers, including those without a Store subscription.

Other selling fees on eBay

Insertion fees are only one type of selling fees used on eBay.

The other mandatory fee is the Final Value Fee (FVF), which is charged when an item sells. Previously, the Final Value Fee was a percentage value derived from the total amount of the sale (including shipping costs) and the category of the item.

With the managed payments system, the Final Value Fee is now based on a percentage value of the total amount of the sale plus $0.30 per order. The percentage value for most items is 12.55%.

Read more about eBay’s Finale Value Fee and how to reclaim it.

Other eBay fees include:

• Optional listing upgrades to improve the look or visibility of a listing
• Additional final value fees for sellers with low performance
• International fees for selling to buyers outside of the US

Experienced sellers, what else do you think new eBay sellers need to know about insertion fees? Share your thoughts in the comments below