eBay repricer software: cost-based or competitor-based, and the settings that matter

What does eBay repricer software do?

eBay repricer software changes the price of your eBay listings automatically according to rules you set, and sends the new price to eBay through its official APIs. Without one, every supplier price change has to be spotted and copied by hand, and on a store with hundreds of listings that is not realistic. With one, your prices follow your rules around the clock, and your time goes on checking the exceptions.

The important choice is what the repricer follows. There are two broad kinds, and they solve different problems. Picking the wrong kind is the most common repricing mistake, because both look the same on a features page.

Cost-based or competitor-based: which kind of repricer do you need?

A cost-based repricer starts from what the item costs you and works forwards: cost, plus markup, plus fees, rounded to your chosen ending. A competitor-based repricer starts from what other eBay sellers charge for the same item and positions you against them, usually within limits you set.

If you buy each item only after it sells, your cost can change between listing and sale. A cost-based repricer is the one that protects that gap. If you hold stock bought at a known price, your cost is fixed and a competitor-based repricer may be more useful. Some tools combine both, using cost to set a floor and competitors to set the price above it.

Which settings matter most in eBay repricer software?

Markup

Markup is what you add to cost. A percentage markup scales with price; a fixed markup adds the same amount to every item. Many sellers use a percentage with a fixed minimum so cheap items still earn something worth the effort.

Fees built into the price

eBay's fees are charged on the sale amount, so adding fees to cost is not quite enough. The formula should gross the fees up, so the price after fees leaves the margin you planned. Fees vary by category and seller type; check eBay's fees page for your own figures.

Minimum profit floor

A floor is the least profit per sale you will accept. When the markup would give less, the floor takes over. It matters most on low-priced items, where a percentage markup alone gives very little.

Ceiling

A ceiling stops a price from rising past a sensible level, for example when the supplier briefly shows a much higher price. Without one, a reading error can push a listing to a price no buyer would pay, or that looks like a mistake.

Swing limit and review queue

A swing limit holds any change bigger than a set percentage for you to approve. It is the best single defence against a bad reading, because most reading errors produce sudden large jumps rather than small drifts.

Rounding and endings

Some sellers round to .99 or .49 endings. Rounding should go up, not down, so it never takes you below your floor.

Per-listing overrides

Some products need different rules: a fragile item that attracts more returns, a bestseller where you accept a thinner margin, or a slow item where you want more. Overrides on single listings keep the store-wide formula simple.

Quantity rules alongside price

Price and stock are linked. When the supplier has no stock there is nothing to price, and the right response is quantity zero, not an old price left live. Check whether the repricer also handles quantity, or whether you need a separate stock monitor. Two tools writing to the same listing can fight each other, so if you do use two, make sure only one of them changes the price and only one changes the quantity.

Promoted Listings costs

If you promote listings, the ad fee is a percentage of the total sale amount when a promoted item sells within 30 days of a click on the ad, under eBay's general campaign rules. That cost belongs in your formula like any other fee. A repricer that lets you add an ad rate on top of eBay's fees stops promoted sales from eating your margin.

How does a repricer work through a price change?

Example (hypothetical numbers, not real eBay fees): suppose your rule is 18% markup, a £2.50 minimum profit, a hypothetical fee rate of 13% for the arithmetic, a ceiling of £60 and a swing limit of 30%.

1. The supplier price is £25.00. Markup gives £29.50, a profit of £4.50, above the floor. Grossed up for fees: £29.50 divided by 0.87 is about £33.91. The listing goes to £33.99.
2. Next reading, the supplier price is £27.00. Markup gives £31.86. Divided by 0.87 that is about £36.62, rounded up to £36.99. The change is about 9%, inside the swing limit, so it goes live and the log records "supplier price up".
3. Next reading, the page shows £48.00 because a different seller has taken the offer. The new price would be about £65.10, above the £60 ceiling and a 76% jump. The repricer holds it for review instead of pushing it.
4. You check the page, see the cheaper seller is gone, and decide whether to accept a higher price or set quantity to zero until it returns.

Without the ceiling and swing limit, step three would have gone straight to your live listing. With them, it waits for one decision from you.

Why do source readings matter as much as the formula?

A perfect formula applied to a wrong cost gives a wrong price. A repricer for dropshippers is really two systems: one that reads the supplier, and one that does the arithmetic. Judge both.

• Where is the price read? Supplier prices, sellers and delivery can depend on location. A reading at your own delivery address is closer to what you will actually pay.
• Is the currency checked? A reading in the wrong currency can look like a huge price change.
• What happens when the item is out of stock? There is no price to follow, so the listing should go to zero quantity rather than keep an old price.
• Are recently sold items read first? After a sale, the cost of the next sale is what matters, so the listing should be re-read promptly.

Dropizon is built this way for sellers who source from Amazon: the extension reads the Amazon buy box in a real browser tab on your own computer at a postcode you choose, and the server reprices with your formula, a currency guard, a floor, a ceiling and an optional swing limit, with a reason recorded for every push and every hold. Our eBay repricer page sets out the settings, and the Amazon price tracker page explains how the readings are taken.

What should you know about sourcing before you reprice?

A repricer works for any supply route, but your route must fit eBay's rules. eBay allows dropshipping from a wholesale supplier. Listing an item and then buying it from another retailer or marketplace that ships directly to your buyer is not allowed, and that includes Amazon. The wording is on eBay's drop shipping policy page. You remain responsible for delivery within your stated time and for the buyer's satisfaction, whatever tool sets your prices.

How do you test eBay repricer software before committing?

1. Choose 30 listings with a mix of prices, including a few that change cost often.
2. Write down each listing's current cost and eBay price.
3. Set your markup, fee rate, floor, ceiling and swing limit, then connect only those listings.
4. Work two prices by hand and check the repricer gives the same answer.
5. For a week, look at the change log each day. Every change should have a reason, and large jumps should be held.
6. Count how many held changes were real price moves and how many were reading problems. That ratio tells you how good the readings are.

A quick checklist

• Decide whether you need cost-based, competitor-based or both.
• Write your formula on paper before you open any settings screen.
• Set a floor, a ceiling and a swing limit on day one.
• Check where and how often source prices are read.
• Review the log daily for the first week, then weekly.

When you compare costs, check what each repricer counts. The plans page shows pricing by the number of listings repriced, with every feature on every plan.