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eBay Insertion Fee: What Is It? How Much Is It? How To Avoid It?

Have you ever sold something on eBay? If so, you may be familiar with the insertion fee. In case you are just starting to use eBay, or are considering becoming an eBay seller, then it’s important to understand the eBay insertion fee and how it works.

Known for being the world’s largest online marketplace, eBay connects buyers and sellers from all over the globe.

It’s a great platform for selling just about anything, whether it’s new or used goods. But before you can start listing items for sale on eBay, you’ll need to pay an insertion fee.

Keep on reading to find out what an insertion fee is, how much it is, how it works, and if is there any way to avoid it.

What Is eBay Insertion Fee In 2022?

eBay’s Insertion Fee is a $0.35 charge that eBay imposes on sellers every time they list an item for sale on their website. This fee is designed to help cover the costs associated with running and maintaining eBay’s online marketplace, as well as to generate revenue for the company. The amount of the Insertion Fee may vary depending on the category of the item being listed, but it is typically a flat $0.35 charge. However, it’s important to note that eBay does offer free listings to its users every month – up to 250 listings per month, to be exact.

After a seller exceeds their monthly allotment of free listings, they will then be charged the Insertion Fee for any additional listings.

Overall, the Insertion Fee is just one of the many costs associated with selling items on eBay.

Other costs can include things like the final value fee (a percentage of the total sale price that is charged by eBay), PayPal fees (if you use PayPal to process payments from buyers), and shipping costs.

As a result, it’s important for sellers to take all of these costs into account when pricing their items for sale on eBay.

Failure to do so could result in the seller losing money on the sale, or even worse – being unable to sell the item at all.

How Much Is An eBay Insertion Fee?

If you would like to sell an item on eBay, there is an insertion fee that you must pay in order for your listing to be posted.

The insertion fee is $0.35 per listing, and it is free for your first 250 listings per month. However, there are some categories where the insertion fee is waived, such as clothing items that are listed for over $100.

And also, the insertion fees can go as high as $20 for categories such as heavy equipment and commercial machinery.

So, basically, the insertion fee is a charge that differs depending on what category your item is in, but it is generally around $0.35 per listing.

And, you get 250 free listings per month before having to pay this fee.

Another factor that decides the amount you pay for your insertion fee is the sale price of your item.

For example, if you are selling an item for $0.01-$0.99, then the insertion fee would be $0.35. However, if you are selling an item for $100 or more, then the insertion fee would be zero.

Why Does eBay Charge An Insertion Fee In 2022?

The reason eBay charges an insertion fee as of 2022 is to make a profit. Even if the item you are listing doesn’t sell, eBay still makes money off of it.

This is because they are charging you upfront for the privilege of selling your item on their website. By doing this, they can continue to make a profit, even if your item doesn’t sell.

In addition, the insertion fee helps to cover the costs of running eBay’s website and business. This includes things like hosting fees, customer support, and marketing expenses.

Same as you, eBay is a business and needs to make money to stay afloat. So, by charging an insertion fee, they are ensuring that they can continue to provide their customers with a good experience and keep the lights on.

How To Avoid eBay Insertion Fee In 2022?

Zero insertion fees are available on the first 250 qualifying listings per month, and then a small insertion fee applies thereafter.

These are some ways to avoid paying eBay insertion fee in 2022 –

  1. To avoid paying insertion fees altogether, try to list your items in batches of 250 or less.
  2. If you’re a frequent seller, you may want to consider signing up for an eBay Store subscription. Store subscribers receive a number of benefits.
  3. If you’re listing in certain categories, such as clothing or books, you may be able to take advantage of free insertion fees for listings over a certain price threshold. For example, clothing listings over $100 have no insertion fee.
  4. Another way to avoid paying this fee multiple times is to list your products as one big lot. This way, you will only be charged the insertion fee once, no matter how many items are included in the lot.
  5. It’s also important to avoid duplicate listings, as you will be charged an insertion fee for each unique listing.
  6. If you have multiple identical items to sell, consider creating a single listing with a quantity of 2 or more.
  7. Good ‘Til Cancelled listings will be automatically relisted for you every 30 days, and you will be charged even when it doesn’t sell and renews each time. To avoid this, choose another listing duration (such as 7, 10, or 14 days) or cancel your listing manually before it renews again.
  8. Finally, remember that you can always try to lower the overall cost of your listing by buying an annual subscription to eBay, which will give you a savings of $36 per year.

Which eBay Product Categories Doesn’t Have An Insertion Fee?

The musical instruments & gear category which includes products like guitars and basses has no eBay insertion fee as of 2022.

Even Men’s shoes, Women’s shoes, clothing & other accessories, are some categories where the insertion fee is not charged if the starting price of the product you listed is $100 or more!

What Are All Other Types Of eBay Selling Fees?

Different types of selling fees apply to different kinds of sellers on eBay. Depending on the category in which you are selling, as well as the price of your item, you will be charged a certain amount in insertion fees and final value fees.

Final value fees are charged when an item you have listed is sold, and this fee is determined by the total amount of the sale.

It’s basically a commission that eBay takes for facilitating the sale.

For example, if you are selling an item in the Automotive Tools & Supplies category, then eBay will take 12.9% of the total sale price, up to $7,500.

If the item sells for more than $7,500, then eBay will take 2.35% of the final sale price. There is also a flat fee of $0.30 that is charged per order, regardless of the total sale price.

And again, this flat fee is waived for certain categories, such as Men’s Shoes, if the total sale price is $100 or more.

Different categories have different final value fee structures, so it’s important to be aware of what fees you will be charged before listing your item.

You can find a full list of eBay’s selling fees on their website.

Summary

eBay insertion fee is a listing fee that is charged every time a seller posts an item on eBay. This fee is $0.35 per listing in general, but it can be higher or lower depending on the category of the item being listed. The main purpose of this fee is to help eBay generate revenue, even if the item being listed does not sell. There are some categories in which insertion fees are waived altogether, such as music and there are categories where it is waived if the listed item is worth $100 or more, such as clothing. In addition to insertion fees, sellers are also charged final value fees when their items sell. This fee is a percentage of the total amount of the sale, plus $0.30.