eBay Best Offer for sellers: when to switch it on and how to set accept and decline prices
In short
eBay Best Offer lets buyers propose a lower price on a fixed price listing, which you can accept, decline or counter. Switch it on for items with healthy margins or slow sales, set an auto-decline price at or above your minimum profit, and an auto-accept price you are happy with, so you never sell at a loss by accident.
Key takeaways
- eBay Best Offer lets buyers propose a lower price on fixed price listings, which you can accept, decline or counter.
- Set the auto-decline price from your costs so no offer below your minimum profit gets through.
- Set the auto-accept price at a level you would happily take every time.
- Use Best Offer on listings with margin to spare or slow sales, not on cheap items or steady sellers.
- Review offer settings whenever your supplier cost or listing price changes.
What is eBay Best Offer and how does it work?
eBay Best Offer is an option on fixed price listings that lets a buyer propose a price lower than the one you have set. You can accept the offer, decline it or send a counter-offer, and the buyer can respond to your counter. If an offer is accepted, the sale goes ahead at the agreed price. You can also set automatic rules: an auto-accept price, at or above which offers are accepted instantly, and an auto-decline price, below which offers are rejected without you seeing them.
For a seller, Best Offer is a way to convert buyers who like the item but hesitate at the price, without lowering the price for everyone. It works best when you know exactly how low you can go and still make the profit you need.
When should you switch on eBay Best Offer?
Best Offer suits some listings and hurts others. Use this as a guide:
| Switch it on when... | Leave it off when... |
|---|---|
| The margin has room above your minimum profit | The price is already at or near your minimum |
| The item is higher priced, where buyers expect to negotiate | The item is cheap, where offers save buyers pennies and cost you time |
| The listing gets views and watchers but few sales | The listing already sells steadily at full price |
| The item is unique, used or collectable, with no fixed market price | The price is set by a formula that changes often and you cannot keep the offer rules in step |
| You want to clear slow-moving lines | You run a strict "lowest price" strategy with no room left |
Category matters too. In collectables, used goods and higher priced electronics, many buyers expect to make an offer and may skip a listing without one. In everyday consumables and low cost accessories, buyers rarely bother, so Best Offer adds little.
A listing that sells well at full price is telling you the price is right. Adding Best Offer there mostly gives away margin to buyers who would have paid in full.
How do you set auto-accept and auto-decline prices?
These two numbers are the heart of Best Offer, and they should come from your costs, not from a feeling.
The auto-decline price
This is the floor. Any offer below it is rejected automatically. Set it at or slightly above the lowest price that still clears your minimum profit after eBay's fees, any ad fee and your returns allowance. eBay's fees are charged on the final sale amount, so a lower accepted price also means lower fees, but your supplier cost does not change.
The auto-accept price
This is the "yes, straight away" level. Any offer at or above it is accepted without you needing to respond. Set it at a price you would happily take every time, typically a modest step below your asking price.
The gap in between
Offers between the two land with you to accept, decline or counter. Keep the gap wide enough that you see the offers worth thinking about, but not so wide that you spend your day replying to offers.
Worked example: setting the numbers from costs
Example (hypothetical numbers): suppose you list a camping stove at £60.00 with free postage. Your supplier cost is £38.00 delivered. For the arithmetic only, assume eBay fees, ads and your returns allowance together take 16% of the sale price; this is not eBay's actual rate, so check eBay's fees page for your category. Your minimum profit is £6.00.
- Lowest acceptable price: (£38.00 + £6.00) divided by 0.84, which is £52.38.
- Auto-decline: set at £52.50, so any offer below that is rejected.
- Auto-accept: set at £57.00, about 5% below the asking price.
- Offers from £52.50 to £56.99 come to you.
| Accepted price | Costs at 16% | Supplier cost | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| £60.00 (full price) | £9.60 | £38.00 | £12.40 |
| £57.00 (auto-accept) | £9.12 | £38.00 | £9.88 |
| £53.00 (manual accept) | £8.48 | £38.00 | £6.52 |
| £50.00 (auto-declined) | £8.00 | £38.00 | £4.00 |
The £50 offer would have cleared your costs but not your minimum profit, so the auto-decline did its job. Notice also how quickly profit falls: a 5% discount from £60 to £57 cuts profit by about 20%, because your supplier cost stays the same while the price drops. That is why small differences in your auto-accept level matter.
How should you counter an offer?
A counter-offer keeps the conversation going when an offer is close but not quite enough.
- Counter at a price you are happy to accept, not a price you hope the buyer will haggle down from. Many buyers accept a reasonable counter straight away.
- Meet in the middle when the offer is near your floor. Splitting the difference feels fair to most buyers.
- Add a short message if the listing allows it, such as "I can do £56 with free tracked delivery."
- Respond quickly. Offers expire, and a buyer who waits too long often buys elsewhere.
What your offers tell you about your price
Offers are free market research. If most offers on a listing cluster at about the same level, buyers are telling you what they think the item is worth. When that level is comfortably above your floor, consider testing a lower asking price closer to it: you may sell more at full price and spend less time on offers. When the cluster sits below your floor, the problem is your cost or the competition, not your negotiating, and a better supplier price or a different product is the real fix.
Also watch how often buyers accept your counter-offers. If almost every counter is accepted immediately, your counters may be too generous. If almost none are, they may be too close to your asking price to feel like a deal. Adjust in small steps and keep a note of what you changed.
Can you send offers to interested buyers?
Yes. On many eBay sites you can send an offer to buyers who are watching a listing or who have shown interest, for example by adding the item to their basket. This is often more effective than waiting for buyers to make offers, because you choose the price and the buyer only has to say yes. Seller Hub shows which listings have interested buyers and lets you send offers in bulk.
Use the same floor as for Best Offer: never send an offer below the price that clears your minimum profit. If you want a broader price cut that all buyers see, eBay's markdown sales and promotions tools may suit better than individual offers.
What problems does Best Offer cause, and how do you avoid them?
- Selling below cost after a supplier price rise. If your supplier's price goes up and you raise your listing price but forget the auto-decline, an old floor may now be below your cost. Review offer settings whenever costs change. If a repricing tool changes your prices, check how it treats Best Offer settings; the Dropizon documentation covers how its pricing formula and guards work.
- Time spent on low offers. A sensible auto-decline removes most of these.
- Buyers expecting a discount on everything. Use Best Offer selectively, not on your whole shop.
- Offers on items that are no longer in stock. Keep stock accurate so an accepted offer does not become a cancellation, which counts against your seller performance.
If you dropship, check sourcing as well as price. eBay allows dropshipping from a wholesale supplier, but listing an item and then buying it from another retailer or marketplace that ships directly to your buyer is not allowed, and you remain responsible for delivery and buyer satisfaction, as eBay's drop shipping policy sets out.
A Best Offer setup checklist
- Best Offer is on only for listings with margin above your minimum, or slow sellers.
- The auto-decline price is at or above your lowest acceptable price, worked out from costs.
- The auto-accept price is one you would take every time.
- Counter-offers go out quickly at prices you are happy to accept.
- Offers to interested buyers use the same floor.
- Offer settings are reviewed whenever the supplier cost or your price changes.
Pick five listings with plenty of watchers and few sales, switch on Best Offer with numbers worked out as in the example, and compare their results with similar listings over the next few weeks. For the price side, see our guide on calculating eBay dropshipping profit margins.
Frequently asked questions
Do buyers see my auto-accept or auto-decline prices?
No, buyers do not see the prices you set for automatic acceptance or decline. They only see whether their offer was accepted, declined or countered. This lets you keep your floor private.
Can I use Best Offer with multi-variation listings?
Availability of Best Offer can depend on the listing format and the eBay site. The listing form shows whether it is available for the listing you are creating. Check eBay's help pages for the current rules on your site.
Does Best Offer affect my search ranking?
eBay does not list Best Offer as a Best Match factor. It can help conversion on listings where buyers hesitate at the price, and sales add to a listing's popularity. Price and listing quality still matter most.
Is a buyer committed when their offer is accepted?
When you accept an offer, the buyer has agreed to buy at that price and should pay as for any other purchase. If a buyer does not pay, eBay's unpaid item process applies. Check eBay's help pages for the current steps.
