eBay FAQ #5 – How Much Should I Charge to Ship an Item Sold on eBay?
Calculating shipping for an item is not as complicated as you may think. If you plan to start selling regularly on eBay, you will want to invest in a digital scale. You can find them for $10 or less at office supply stores, or my favorite place – eBay!
To calculate the shipping fee, weigh your item. Let’s say you are selling men’s polo shirts. The weight will be around 10 ounces. Go to USPS.com and determine the shipping cost for an item weighing 10 ounces.
Next, check what the competition is doing. Do a search on eBay for Men’s polo shirts, and randomly choose about 10 listings. Record the shipping fee for each. (Be sure to study the sellers’ DSR rating for “shipping fees” and determine if their customers feel the shipping cost is too high. You can then gauge how to set your shipping fees.) Take an average so that you will be in line with the competition.
Your shipping fee should be slightly more than the actual shipping charge since you will be using supplies such as bubble wrap or other cushioning material, your own poly mailers if you aren’t using USPS Priority supplies, and of course, your time.
Shipping is a popular topic and future posts will address all of the specifics of shipping including:
Where to purchase supplies at the lowest cost
How to ship internationally
Excessive shipping fees in relation to circumventing eBay fees
Online shipping services
How to make the shipping process faster and more efficient
Welcome to the b5 Business Channel, Suzanne. Great information about selling on eBay. I’ll be referring our readers here. I know you will be able to answer some of their questions about this type of home business.
Hi neighbour! good luck on your blog from Donna aka moneypenny at http://www.digitalmoneyworld.com latest post would be good to link.
Always in the market for affordable or free shipping supplies for my eBay Store and boutique Shoppes sites! Appreciate the information!
Mary Emma, thanks for visiting! By all means send your readers over with their questions. eBay changes daily and it can be hard to keep up with everything new.
Donna, thanks for the warm welcome!
Cindi, thanks for visiting. Be sure to subscribe and visit often!
Hi Suzanne
Welcome to b5. You have some great info here already!
Suzanne – awesome information and great advice . . . . as always.
Keep up the great job,
Lori McAulliffe
Suzanne, this is always my biggest question. Thanks for the great info! And welcome to the Business Channel. :)
Kristen