eBay Fees for UK Private Sellers: What’s Actually Free in 2026
Why is eBay free for UK private sellers?
In October 2024 eBay removed final value fees — the commission it used to skim from every sale — for UK-based private sellers, together with the regulatory operating fee. The position is confirmed on eBay’s own fees page for private sellers, last updated 30 September 2026. Sell a £40 vase to a UK buyer as a private seller and the entire £40 is yours to keep.
The operative word is private. This was eBay’s play to win casual sellers back from Vinted and Depop: if you are clearing out belongings you already own rather than running a shop, eBay now costs nothing on the sale itself. Business sellers live on a completely different scale — final value fees of 6.9% to 14.9% by category, plus per-order and regulatory fees with VAT on top.
A single carve-out applies: Motors — cars, motorcycles and vehicles — sit outside the free private selling deal. Everything else a private seller lists is covered by the £0 arrangement.
How many free listings do you get each month?
Three hundred. Every UK private seller gets 300 free listings per calendar month, and each listing beyond that costs 35p. A Shop subscription lifts the free allowance to 400 a month, alongside its other perks.
For anyone clearing out a wardrobe, 300 is effectively no limit at all — it averages out at around ten fresh listings a day, every day. The ceiling only starts to bite if you are listing at genuine volume, at which point it is worth asking whether eBay would still class you as a ‘private’ seller at all.
When do UK private sellers still pay fees on eBay?
Free on the sale itself is not free everywhere. Three exceptions still take money from private sellers. First, listings past your 300 free ones are 35p apiece. Second, optional listing upgrades — bold titles, scheduling, extras beyond the free allowances — are charged at their listed prices.
Third comes the international fee: agree to post to an overseas address and eBay adds 3% of the sale. Selling to UK buyers only dodges it completely, and most secondhand clothes sellers never need to look further afield.
One more change on the horizon: eBay’s seller currency conversion charge climbs from 2.5% to 2.75% on 1 December 2026. It only applies when eBay has to convert your money because you listed or sold on another country’s eBay site — list on ebay.co.uk in pounds and withdraw in pounds, and it will never touch you.
What does the buyer pay on eBay?
Like its rivals, eBay now funds part of the platform from the buyer’s side. The Buyer Protection fee lands at checkout: £0.10 per item, plus 7% of the price slice up to £20, plus 4% of the slice from £20 to £300, plus 2% of the slice from £300 to £4,000. The total stops at £86.70 and includes VAT.
Worked through: on a £50 item the buyer pays £0.10 + 7% of £20 (£1.40) + 4% of £30 (£1.20) — £2.70 above your price and the postage. Not a penny of that leaves your payout, but it forms part of the total your buyer weighs up against the next listing along.
Because the fee is tiered, cheaper items carry a proportionally heavier buyer-side load — that £0.10 plus 7% makes a £5 purchase nearly 9% dearer for the buyer than your asking price suggests.
eBay vs Vinted vs Depop: which is cheapest for a private seller?
On the seller’s side of the ledger, all three platforms are now free in the headline sense for casual UK selling: Vinted takes 0%, eBay takes £0 from private sellers, and Depop levies no selling fee either. The odd one out is Depop’s 2.9% + £0.30 processing on every transaction — £1.17 on a £30 sale that neither Vinted nor eBay asks for.
The honest comparison is what each buyer pays on top, because that is what makes your price look sharp or steep. eBay’s tiered protection fee, Depop’s up-to-5% + £1 marketplace fee and Vinted’s 3–8% + £0.30–£0.80 charge all bite differently at different prices. Put your exact figure through the comparison tool instead of guessing:
- Vinted vs Depop vs eBay comparison — one price across all three platforms, buyer totals included.
- Vinted Profit Calculator — what you keep and what the buyer pays on Vinted.
- Depop Fee Calculator — Depop’s processing and boost on any sale price.
Frequently asked questions
Is eBay really free for UK private sellers?
On the sale itself, yes: £0 final value fees and £0 regulatory fees since October 2024, with Motors excluded. You still pay for listings past 300 a month, optional upgrades and international sales.
What is the difference between a private and a business seller on eBay?
Private sellers are casual sellers clearing personal items; business sellers trade as a business and pay 6.9%–14.9% final value fees by category, plus per-order and regulatory fees with VAT. Buying stock to resell can push you into the business bracket.
What happens after 300 listings in a month?
Each further listing in the same calendar month costs 35p. An eBay Shop subscription raises the free allowance to 400 listings.
Do I pay fees selling to buyers outside the UK?
A 3% international fee applies when you post to an overseas address. Keeping your sales UK-only avoids it entirely.
What is eBay’s Buyer Protection fee?
A buyer-side fee added at checkout: £0.10 plus 7% up to £20, 4% from £20–£300 and 2% from £300–£4,000, capped at £86.70 including VAT. It never reduces your payout.