eBay's UK fee page reads simply enough — a final value fee percentage and a small per-order fee — but sellers' invoices keep coming in higher than the mental maths. The usual culprits: the fee applies to postage too, the per-order fee went up in February 2026, and everything eBay quotes is ex-VAT. Here's the stack in full.
Final value fee — a category-dependent percentage (roughly 6.9%–12.9%; many consumer categories sit at the top end) of the total the buyer pays, postage included. Some categories are tiered: Vehicle Parts, for instance, charges 9.5% up to £750 of the sale and 3% above. Per-order fee — £0.30 on orders up to £10, £0.40 above £10 since 12 February 2026. Promoted listings — optional, but widely treated as compulsory for visibility; whatever ad rate you set comes off the top when a promoted click converts. And on all of it, 20% VAT is added unless you're VAT-registered with your number on file — eBay quotes every rate ex-VAT, which is the single biggest reason invoices surprise people.
Buyer pays £28.35. Category at 12.9%, no promoted listings, seller not VAT-registered:
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Final value fee (12.9% of £28.35) | £3.66 |
| Per-order fee (order over £10) | £0.40 |
| VAT on fees (20%) | £0.81 |
| Total | £4.87 |
That's 17.2% of what the buyer paid. If the item cost you £8 and the postage really costs £2.70, you bank £12.78. The same sale VAT-registered: fees drop to £4.06 (14.3%) — a sixth off the bill for entering a number in a settings page, if you're registered anyway.
Category rate first — the spread between 6.9% and 12.9% dwarfs every other line. Promoted listings second: a 5% ad rate on this sale adds £1.42 (£1.70 with VAT) and takes the total north of 22%. The per-order fee matters most at the bottom end: on a £6 order it's £0.30 against thin numbers, one more reason low-value listings struggle to pay their way on any marketplace.
Verified against eBay UK's official rate card, August 2026. Fees vary by category and change over time — check eBay's fee pages for yours. Not affiliated with eBay Inc. Not financial advice.