eBay multi buy discount and bundle offers: setting tiers that sell more units and keep margin

What is an eBay multi buy discount?

An eBay multi buy discount is a tiered price cut for buyers who order more than one unit of an item, for example 5% off when they buy two, 10% off three and 15% off four or more. eBay UK calls it Multi-buy, also known as volume pricing, and it sits in the Discounts Manager. It is one of three ways eBay gives you to reward larger orders; the other two are bundle discounts across different items and combined postage discounts.

Used well, these tools turn single-unit orders into multi-unit ones with one parcel instead of several. Used carelessly, they hand away margin on orders that would have happened anyway. This guide covers who can use each tool, how they stack, how to pick tiers and how to check the result.

Which discount tools does eBay offer for larger orders?

eBay's Discounts Manager page says Multi-buy offers tiered discounts when buyers purchase multiple quantities, that you can add up to 500 items using filters, and that items must be fixed price with Buy It Now to be eligible. Its example is buy 2 t-shirts and save 5%, buy 3 and save 10%, buy 4 or more and save 15%. Order discounts cover offers such as "save £10 when you spend £100 or more" or "save 20% when you buy 3 items or more".

eBay's bundle discounts page says bundle discounts are not on by default: you opt in, then they apply to all eligible listings unless you exclude some. You set a percentage for 2 items, 3 items and 4 or more, and buyers can mix and match.

Can eBay discounts be combined?

Mostly not, and this matters when you plan several offers at once.

• eBay says coupons are not stackable with other discounts such as order discounts and volume pricing.
• Bundle discounts cannot be combined with seller vouchers, seller order discounts, volume pricing or other seller promotional codes, though they can combine with eBay sitewide promotions and sale events.
• Coupons can be stacked with sale events and postage discounts.
• When an item qualifies for more than one seller discount, eBay applies the one that gives the buyer the best deal.

So running a multi-buy and a bundle discount on the same item does not add them up: the buyer gets the better one. Plan one main offer per item, not three overlapping ones.

How do you choose multi-buy tiers that keep your margin?

Start from your profit per unit, not from a round percentage. The discount comes off the price, but your costs per unit do not fall by the same amount, except postage if the units go in one parcel.

A worked example

Example: suppose you sell a phone case at £10 including free postage. Per unit, your cost is £3, postage £1.50 and eBay fees, using a hypothetical 13% rate for the arithmetic, £1.30. Profit per single unit is £4.20. Two or three cases fit in the same mailer, so postage for the order rises only to £1.80 for two and £2.00 for three.

In this hypothetical case, both tiers earn more per order than a single sale, because the units share one parcel and fees fall with the discounted price. Check your real fee rates on eBay's fee pages and your real postage before setting tiers; a heavy item that needs a bigger parcel for each extra unit tells a different story.

Rules of thumb

• Keep the first tier small. It is there to tip a buyer who was already thinking of two.
• Make each tier pay more in total than the tier below, as in the table.
• Avoid tiers so deep that a three-unit order earns less than a two-unit one.
• Only use multi-buy on items buyers really need more than one of: consumables, gifts, spares, sets and sizes.

Which items suit a multi-buy discount?

Multi-buy works where a buyer can sensibly want more than one of the same thing. Good candidates share a few traits: they are used up, given away, worn out or needed in sets, and several units fit in one parcel.

• Consumables: filters, cartridges, batteries, cleaning products.
• Small gifts and party items: cards, favours, stocking fillers.
• Spares and fittings: bulbs, fuses, hooks, brackets, where a job needs several.
• Sets: phone cases or socks bought in different colours, where each variation is its own SKU.

Poor candidates are one-off purchases, such as a kettle or a coat, and heavy items where every extra unit needs its own parcel. On those, the discount mostly gives away margin on single orders that would have happened anyway, without the postage saving that pays for it.

If you are unsure, look at your order history. Items that already sell in twos and threes without any discount show you where buyers want quantity; a small tier there can turn the occasional pair into a regular one.

How do you set up a multi-buy discount?

1. In Seller Hub, open Marketing, then Discounts, and choose to create a Multi-buy discount.
2. Choose the items, by selecting them or by filters such as category, up to 500.
3. Set the tiers: quantity and percentage for each.
4. Set the start and end dates, and preview how buyers will see it.
5. Launch it, then check one listing as a buyer would see it.

eBay notes that if you change an item's price, you may need to wait 14 days before including it in a new sale event, so set your base prices before you plan seasonal offers. Our guide to running an eBay markdown sale covers sale events in more detail.

What about combined postage and bundle listings?

Combined postage

eBay's postage discounts page says you create combined postage rules in your postage preferences, for example adding or taking off a set amount for each extra item, or free postage when a buyer spends over an amount, and eBay applies them at checkout. If you charge postage rather than offering it free, this is often the simplest multi-item incentive and does not need a shop subscription.

Bundle listings

A different approach is a separate listing for a set, such as a pack of three. It shows one price in search, which can compare well against single units. It also means another listing to manage and price, so keep it for combinations that sell often.

How do you know if the discount worked?

• Average units per order: did it rise for the items in the offer?
• Profit per order: not just sales. A rise in sales with lower total profit is a loss.
• Share of orders using a tier: if almost nobody uses the second tier, it is not doing anything.
• Comparison: compare the items in the offer with similar items outside it over the same weeks.

Our guides to the break-even price on eBay and to an eBay pricing formula help you set the floor that no tier should cross.

A multi-buy checklist

1. Pick items that buyers really buy in more than one.
2. Work out profit per order at each tier with real fees and postage.
3. Set a small first tier and make each tier earn more in total than the last.
4. Use one main offer per item, because seller discounts do not stack.
5. Add combined postage rules if you charge for postage.
6. Check units and profit per order after a month, then adjust or stop.

A multi-buy discount is a small change that can lift every order a little. Set it from your numbers and it pays for itself in shared postage alone.