eBay UK has two very different fee schedules. If you're a private seller based in the UK, selling is free: no final value fee, no regulatory fee and no per-order fee. If you're a business seller, you pay a final value fee of 6.9% to 14.9% depending on the category, £0.30–£0.40 per order and a 0.35% regulatory operating fee. This guide covers both, with worked examples.
Fees verified against eBay's official United Kingdom fee pages on 13 October 2026. Checked daily for changes (fee change tracker). Source: eBay eBay.co.uk fee page.
eBay UK fees at a glance
| Seller type | Final value fee | Per-order fee | Regulatory fee | International fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private seller | None | None | None | 3% |
| Business seller | 6.9%–14.9% by category | £0.30 (orders ≤ £10) / £0.40 | 0.35% | 1.05%–2% |
Private sellers: what "free" covers
For UK-based private sellers (everything except cars, motorcycles and vehicles), eBay charges no final value fee and no regulatory operating fee when an item sells. You still pay for a few things:
- Overseas buyers: a 3% international fee on the total sale when the delivery address is outside the UK.
- Listing more than 300 items a month: 35p per listing. An eBay Shop for private sellers (£19.99/month) raises the free allowance to 400.
- Optional upgrades: subtitle £2, Gallery Plus £2.50 (free in Clothes, Home and Pet Supplies), second category 35p, 1- or 3-day duration 35p, and a reserve price at 4% of the reserve (max £150).
Private-seller fees already include VAT, so what you see is what you pay.
Business sellers: category-based final value fees
Business sellers pay a final value fee on the total sale (item price + postage + tax) that depends on the category, plus £0.30 per order up to £10 and £0.40 above, plus a 0.35% regulatory operating fee. These amounts exclude VAT — eBay adds VAT to your fee invoice, which VAT-registered businesses can usually reclaim.
| Category | Final value fee |
|---|---|
| Everything else | 12.9% |
| Collectables, toys, antiques & sporting goods | 10.9% |
| Clothes, shoes & accessories | 11.9% |
| Trainers | 11.9% if the item price is up to £100; 7% above £100 |
| Women's bags & handbags | 12.9% up to £800, 7% on the rest |
| Jewellery (except watches) | 14.9% up to £1,000, 4% on the rest |
| Watches, parts & accessories | 12.9% up to £750, 3% on the rest |
| Books, films, music & video games | 9.9% |
| Phones, laptops, tablets, cameras & TVs | 6.9% up to £1,000, 3% on the rest |
| Other electronics & accessories | 9.9% |
| Video game consoles | 6.9% up to £400, 2% on the rest |
| Home, furniture & DIY | 11.9% up to £500, 7.9% on the rest |
| Appliances & DIY tools | 6.9% up to £400, 3% on the rest |
| Vehicle parts & accessories | 9.5% up to £750, 3% on the rest |
| Tyres, sat navs & power tools | 6.9% up to £750, 3% on the rest |
| Coins | 10.9% up to £450, 3% on the rest |
| Musical instruments & DJ equipment | 10.9% |
| Business, office & industrial | 12.5% |
| NFTs | 5% |
Several categories are tiered: you pay the first rate on the part of the sale up to the threshold and the lower rate on the rest. Trainers are the exception — they drop to 7% on the whole sale once the item price (excluding postage) is £100 or more.
Worked examples (business seller)
- £80 jacket + £5 postage: £10.12 final value fee + £0.40 per order + £0.30 regulatory = £10.81 (12.7% of the sale)
- £300 smartphone: £20.70 + £0.40 + £1.05 = £22.15
- £12 paperback: £1.19 + £0.40 + £0.04 = £1.63 — the per-order fee is a big share on cheap items
International fees
Private sellers pay a flat 3% on any overseas delivery. Business sellers pay by destination:
| Buyer's delivery region | International fee |
|---|---|
| Eurozone & Northern Europe | 1.05% |
| USA & Canada | 1.8% |
| All other countries | 2% |
"Northern Europe" here means Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
Do eBay Shops lower your fees?
Not the final value fee. UK Shops give business sellers free listing allowances and cheaper extra listings — useful because without a Shop, business sellers pay 30p for every listing from the first one.
| Plan | Monthly fee | Free listings | Effect on final value fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| No store | — | — | — |
| Basic | £27.00 | 250 | None (listing benefits only) |
| Featured | £77.00 | 1,500 | None (listing benefits only) |
| Anchor | £437.00 | Unlimited | None (listing benefits only) |
A Basic Shop (£27/month) pays for itself in listing fees alone at around 90 new listings a month. Top Rated sellers can also get 10% off the variable final value fee on listings that qualify for eBay Premium Service.
Seller performance surcharges
| Seller status | Surcharge on the total sale |
|---|---|
| Top Rated / Above Standard | None |
| Below Standard | +6 points (+7 points after 4+ months) |
| Very high 'item not as described' rate | +4 points in the affected categories (+5 points after 4+ months) |
Am I a private or business seller?
You're a business seller if you buy goods to resell them, make items to sell, or sell regularly to make a profit. Selling things you owned and used yourself is private selling. eBay also reports sellers with 30 or more sales or roughly £1,700 in a year to HMRC under the digital platform reporting rules — that report isn't a tax bill, but it's a good moment to check which side you're on.
If you're genuinely private, register as private and keep selling for free. If you're reselling for profit, switch to a business account — the fees above apply, and you get access to Shops and Seller Hub promotions.
Frequently asked questions
Do UK private sellers pay any eBay fees?
Only if they ship abroad (3%), list more than 300 items in a month, or add optional upgrades. There's no fee when an item sells to a UK buyer.
What is the eBay UK regulatory operating fee?
A 0.35% charge on the total sale for business sellers. Private sellers don't pay it.
How do I see the exact fee for my item?
Use the eBay UK fee calculator: choose private or business, pick the category and enter your prices.