Selling on eBay as a private seller

What it costs a private seller

Some fees still apply. eBay's private seller fees page lists:

• Listings over your allowance: 300 free listings a month (400 with an eBay Shop subscription), then 35p for each extra listing that month.
• Optional upgrades, such as a subtitle, a reserve price or listing in a second category.
• Sending abroad: a 3% international fee if you post outside the UK without using eBay International Shipping.
• Currency conversion: 2.5% when a sale needs converting, rising to 2.75% from 1 December 2026.

Buyers pay a Buyer Protection fee on items they buy from private sellers, added at checkout. If you sell as a business, different fees apply: see eBay's business seller fees instead. Fees change, so check eBay's own fees page before you list.

Titles: say what it is, the way buyers search

Buyers find listings by typing words, and eBay matches them against your title. eBay allows 80 characters and suggests using all of them, spelled correctly. A good title usually has:

• the brand and model, or the maker and pattern name
• size, colour and material where they matter
• the condition, such as "new with tags" or "boxed"
• what's included, such as "with charger" or "set of 6"

Leave out words nobody searches for, like "L@@K", "WOW" or "!!!", and don't write the title in capitals. Check the spelling of brand names: a misspelled title is invisible to anyone who spells it right. Our title checker flags all of these.

Item specifics: fill in every one you can

Item specifics are the labelled details eBay asks for after you pick a category, such as Brand, Size, Colour or Model. Buyers use them as filters. If a buyer filters on a detail you left blank, your listing drops out of their results. eBay names make, model, size, colour and style as examples. Some specifics are required, and many more are recommended.

Our category helper shows the category eBay suggests for your title and the specifics that category uses, so you can have the answers ready before you list.

Photos: clear, honest and plenty of them

• You can add up to 24 photos. Use the first one for the clearest view of the whole item: it's the picture shown in search results.
• eBay asks for at least 500 by 500 pixels and recommends about 1600 by 1600. Any modern phone camera is fine.
• Use good light and a plain background. eBay says white is generally best, or a darker one for shiny items.
• Photograph any scratches, marks or faults close up. It sets buyers' expectations and heads off returns.
• Don't add logos, badges or watermarks. eBay says they can affect where a listing appears in search.

Postage: decide before you list

• Pack the item first, then weigh and measure the parcel, so the postage you charge covers what you actually pay.
• eBay's Best Match guidance mentions reasonable postage and getting items to buyers on time, and counts your handling time and returns policy among the terms that matter.
• Use a service with tracking for anything you'd mind losing. It's your proof of delivery if a buyer says an item didn't arrive.
• For big or heavy things like furniture, offer collection in person. Plenty of buyers search for collection-only items near them.

When selling becomes trading

Selling your own unwanted belongings is unlikely to need reporting to HMRC, however many you sell. Buying things to resell, or making things to sell, is trading: HMRC's online checker explains when you need to tell them. Separately, eBay sends HMRC details of sellers who make 30 or more sales, or receive more than 2,000 euros (about £1,700), in a calendar year. That doesn't by itself mean you owe tax.

Ready to list?

Run your title through the seller tools, then list on eBay's sell page. You can manage listings and sales in Seller Hub. BargainTime doesn't suggest prices or estimate what an item will sell for.