Key Points:
- eBay’s Global Shipping Program handles all the intricacies of international shipping for you
- eBay is a great platform for sellers who don’t have a specific niche
- You can easily keep costs low by using free shipping boxes and free shipping supplies from major couriers like USPS, UPS, or even FedEx
eBay is a great platform for sellers who don’t have a specific niche and also appreciate the support and exposure that marketplaces provide. If you’re a seller looking to ship internationally, Easyship can help. Users save up to 91% on shipping costs, especially with international couriers.
In this article, we’ll talk about how to ship on eBay and how Easyship can make your life and your customer’s life easier with the use of our platform. We love to help eBay sellers streamline their shipping for great business outcomes, and of course, make sure your shipments arrive safely.
Let's dive right in.
Table of Contents
How Does eBay Shipping Work?
Let’s say you sold a laptop on eBay. You might be wondering, what happens next? Or, how do I send the item to the buyer? No need to worry, once your item sells, follow these steps for a seamless shipping experience.
eBay Shipping Process
1. Pack It
Find a box that’s the right size for your item. Buyers love when you ship things nicely, so take your time. If you’re shipping something fragile, be sure to use bubble wrap, packing peanuts, or even just old newspapers.
2. Print Your Label
In your eBay account, you can find the item you just sold. From there, you can purchase your shipping label and print it right at home. When shipping with eBay, tracking is automatically shared with your buyer.
3. Ship It
Once you label your packages, all you need to do is either hand them to a mail carrier, drop them off at your local post office, or anyone shipping service it is that you use.
eBay Shipping Options
Not sure what about your shipping options with eBay? No worries. Let's talk about the choices you have.
eBay partners with the following major couriers:
- UPS
- FedEx
- USPS
Shipping with UPS
- Discounts of up to 50% off UPS Ground shipments, up to 66% for UPS 2nd Day Air service, and up to 65% for UPS Next Day Air service, including some common surcharges
- Ship 6 days per week, including Saturdays
- 85,000+ drop off locations
Shipping with FedEx
- Competitive eBay commercial rates with eBay Labels
- Discounts of up to 37% off FedEx shipments
- Flat rate pricing for 2Day Air up to 10 pounds
- Discounted Home Delivery (residential) and Commercial Ground (commercial and residential) rates
- 50,000+ FedEx drop-off locations
Shipping with USPS
- Up to 30% off retail rates with eBay Labels
- Over 30,000 U.S. Post Office drop-off locations
- Free scheduled USPS pick-ups
- Free USPS flat-rate supplies for Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express
The Cheapest Way to Ship on eBay
Shipping can be expensive, so it is important to know how you can keep costs low. You can easily keep costs low by using free shipping boxes and free shipping supplies.
All major shipping companies will give you free boxes and supplies on most shipment types. However, if you need irregularly-sized boxes, you will need to purchase it yourself. Fortunately, UPS, USPS, FedEx and DHL all provide free shipping boxes and supplies for both domestic and international shipments.
For more information on how to get free shipping boxes and supplies, be sure to check out our blog post on how to reduce your monthly shipping costs by using free shipping boxes and supplies.
eBay Shipping with Easyship
By connecting your eBay store to Easyship, you can download all your orders to our platform, where our algorithm will automatically choose the best value for money option (in terms of delivery time and cost) for each shipment.
In addition, all of your shipments are in one place with Easyship. You can manage orders, create shipments, import orders, upload CSVs, generate labels and shipping documents, and much more. Our powerful dashboard allows you to keep your shipments in one place with Easyship. No need to go to the courier’s direct site, our dashboard has all your shipping information.
You’ll also have the opportunity to use other couriers outside USPS, UPS, and FedEx. Easyship works with regional couriers such as SF Express (which focuses on China and other Asian destinations), Aramex (good for Middle East shipments), and SkyPostal (good for Latin American destinations).
Let’s say you want to send a 10-pound package from New York, NY to the United Kingdom. Here are the rates for sending a package of that weight.
All these courier solutions come with already discounted rates, so regardless of your shipment volume you can already offer cheaper shipping rates to your international customers.
eBay Shipping: International Options
For eBay sellers who are serious about making money, it’s beneficial to open your listings to international buyers. Imagine - by adding international shipping, you’ll be increasing the visibility of your listing to millions of eBay buyers worldwide, giving yourself more opportunity to increase sales.
If you’re based in the US or the UK, you may have heard of eBay’s Global Shipping Program, which handles all the intricacies of international shipping for you. All you need to do is send your item to their domestic shipping center, where they’ll process the customs declaration, add tracking information and physically ship your product.
While this sounds attractive to a seller that’s new to international shipping, there are some drawbacks. You’ll have to ensure that you meet their seller criteria, and there are restrictions on what items they will accept.
Easyship was made with international shipping in mind. In addition to finding the best rate for your shipment, we show the duty and tax amount that will apply. You can easily share this cost with your customer so they are aware of any additional fees they have to settle. You’ll also have the option to pre-pay these fees for a more seamless delivery.
Once you generate your shipping labels, we’ll also include completed, pre-filled customs forms and any other required documents needed, ensuring faster processing of your shipment when it arrives in the destination country.
5 Things to Consider
Before you open your eBay store to the world, it’s worth preparing your business to go global to minimize the chances of negative shipping experiences.
You should consider the following:
- Is my product restricted or prohibited to import for certain countries?
- Are there any possible issues I can encounter while shipping overseas?
- Does my product contain dangerous goods?
- Will duty and tax apply to my shipment?
- Should I purchase shipping insurance?
For more advice on how to prepare, check out our guide to international shipping!
Additional Resources
Easyship offers some free resources that you may also find useful in taking your eBay store global.
- Couriers: Take a look at the couriers we work with and the services they offer. You can learn where they deliver, in addition to delivery timeframes, customer rating, and more.
- Countries: Our Countries’ page lists all worldwide destinations and shares important information such as tax rates, import rates, and restricted or prohibited items, to name a few.
eBay Shipping FAQ
Why is eBay Shipping So Expensive?
eBay shipping can be expensive because the package could be coming from another country. When you have to pay for overseas shipping, the price is going to be relatively high. International shipping will also require you to pay for the inspection processes as well.
In addition, when you pay for shipping on eBay, you are also paying for the packaging and handling. Your shipping may be expensive because of the low volume of the seller’s product.
Does eBay Give You A Shipping label?
Yes, you can print your eBay shipping label right from your home. Log into your eBay account and then hover over the “My eBay” link at the top of the screen, then select “Selling” from the menu that drops down. After, hover over “Orders” and then click “Awaiting Shipment.” From there, click “Print Shipping Label” beside the order you wish to process.
Does eBay Do Free Delivery?
Yes, some sellers on eBay offer free shipping.
Can You Overcharge Shipping on eBay?
Sellers can charge whatever they want for the item and shipping. While other factors may cause shipping costs to be high, it is up to the buyer to decide if they want to purchase the item.
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