How to price eBay listings for international buyers: postage, currency and duties

How do you price eBay listings for international buyers?

To price eBay listings for international buyers, work out what it really costs you to get the item to a buyer in another country. Then build a price that covers every one of those costs before your profit. The item cost usually stays the same. Postage, fees, currency and import charges are what change.

The buyer sees a different number: the landed cost. Landed cost is the total a buyer pays to receive the item, including the item price, postage and any import duties or taxes. A price that looks competitive at home can look expensive abroad once those are added. A price that covers your domestic costs can lose money on an overseas order.

So you need two numbers for each listing: the lowest total you can accept from an overseas buyer, and the total that buyer will actually pay. This guide covers both, for sellers on eBay.co.uk and eBay.com.

Which costs change when the buyer is abroad?

Most cost lines change when an order crosses a border. Check each one for every destination you offer.

• Postage. International postage costs more, varies by zone and weight, and tracked services cost more again.
• eBay's percentage fees. eBay charges its percentage fees on the total amount of the sale, which includes postage. A higher postage charge therefore raises the fee you pay as well.
• International fee. On eBay.co.uk, a UK private seller pays a 3% international fee when delivering overseas. Business sellers and sellers on eBay.com have their own fee terms for overseas buyers. Check the current rates on the eBay UK selling fees page or in our guide to eBay US fees for resellers.
• Currency conversion. When eBay converts currency for you, it takes a charge. eBay UK's fee page lists a seller currency conversion charge of 2.5%, rising to 2.75% from 1 December 2026.
• Promoted Listings. In a general (cost per sale) campaign, the ad fee is a percentage of the total sale amount, including item price, postage and taxes, at the rate in effect when the item sells. International postage raises your ad cost too. See eBay's Promoted Listings help page.
• Returns and claims. A return from abroad costs more and takes longer. If you accept international returns, add a small allowance for them.

One more check before you build a formula. eBay UK says you must register as a business seller if, for example, you sell items you have bought to resell (see the business seller policy). Most resellers therefore pay business seller fees, not the private seller fees above, and business fees vary by category.

Should international postage be charged separately or built into the item price?

For most resellers, charging international postage separately works better than one global price. eBay's postage settings let you offer different services and costs for different regions, so the item price can stay the same for everyone while the postage charge changes by destination.

The catch is that the extra overseas fees apply to the whole order, not just to the postage. If you add an international fee or a currency conversion charge, it is charged on the item price as well. Your international postage charge should cover the real postage cost plus those extra percentage fees on the whole order. The worked example below shows how to calculate it.

Free international postage is possible, but the cost has to go somewhere. If you fold overseas postage into the item price, domestic buyers pay for it too and your listing looks dearer at home. If you want to compare the two approaches for UK buyers, our eBay pricing formula guide shows how to gross fees up into a price either way.

Exclude places you cannot serve well

You do not have to post everywhere. Exclude countries or regions where postage is unreliable, too slow for your stated delivery time, or too expensive for the item's value. A smaller list of destinations you can price properly is better than a long list you lose money on.

How do import duties and taxes affect the price international buyers pay?

Import duties and taxes are charges the destination country makes on goods coming in. The amount depends on the country, the type of item, its value and sometimes where it was made. They are not an eBay fee, but they change the landed cost and how the buyer feels about the order.

Who pays, and when, depends on the delivery method:

• Buyer pays on arrival. The carrier collects duties and taxes before handing over the parcel. Your price looks lower, but a surprise bill at the door can lead to a refused parcel, a return and a poor feedback rating.
• Charges paid before delivery. Duties and taxes are collected at checkout or paid by the sender, so the buyer knows the full cost up front. This needs a delivery service that supports it.

Depending on your marketplace, eBay may offer international delivery options that handle part of this for you. Check the current terms in Seller Hub and eBay's help pages for your site, including who collects import charges and when.

Whichever method you use, say it plainly in the listing. Never write that there are no customs charges unless you know that is true for that destination. Always declare the real value and description of the item on customs paperwork.

Tax rules for your own business also matter when you sell abroad, for example VAT in the UK or income reporting in the US. These depend on your circumstances, so check your own situation with HMRC, the IRS or a qualified accountant.

How should you handle currency when you sell on another eBay site?

Currency risk appears when your costs are in one currency and your sales are in another. Examples: a UK seller listing on eBay.de in euros, or on eBay.com in dollars. The exchange rate can move between the day you set the price and the day the item sells.

Treat currency as part of the cost, not an afterthought:

1. Convert at a cautious rate. Use a rate slightly less favourable to you than today's, so a small move does not wipe out your profit.
2. Add the conversion charge as a percentage fee. If eBay converts currency on the sale, include its conversion charge in the percentage you gross up, like any other fee. Our guide to the eBay currency conversion charge explains when it applies.
3. Reprice when rates move. A price set months ago at an old rate may now be too low. Review foreign currency listings on a schedule.
4. Guard against currency mix-ups. A cost read in one currency and pushed as a price in another is a classic pricing error. Make sure every price is checked against the right currency before it goes live.

If you reprice from Amazon costs, Dropizon applies your own formula with eBay fees grossed up into the price, and a currency guard checks every push before it reaches eBay. The Dropizon documentation explains the formula and each guard.

Worked example: a domestic price and an international price

Example: suppose a UK seller's item costs £20.00, domestic postage costs £3.00 and international postage to one zone costs £9.00. The seller wants at least £4.00 profit per sale. The fee rates below are hypothetical rates chosen for the arithmetic, not eBay's actual rates; check eBay's fee pages for yours.

The formula is: price = (item cost + postage cost + minimum profit) / (1 - total percentage fee rate). The price here is the total the buyer pays, item plus postage.

Check the international figure: 14% of £38.37 is £5.37, and £38.37 minus £5.37 leaves £33.00, which covers the item, postage and profit.

Now split it into item price and postage. The domestic total is £30.68, so with £3.00 postage charged the item price is £27.68. Keep that item price for overseas buyers and the international postage charge needs to be £38.37 minus £27.68, which is £10.69. That is £1.69 more than the postage actually costs, because the higher fee rate applies to the whole order. Charge only £9.00 and the international sale earns less than your £4.00 floor.

Which delivery rules limit how you price and post abroad?

Price and delivery promises go together. Slower international delivery is fine if you state it honestly, but a late or missing parcel costs more than the margin on the sale.

• eBay Money Back Guarantee. Buyers can report an item not received within 30 calendar days of the estimated delivery date, and you must respond within 3 business days before the buyer can ask eBay to step in. See the eBay Money Back Guarantee policy.
• Seller performance on eBay UK. Top Rated needs no more than 5 late deliveries or 3% of transactions. With tracking, an item counts as late if the delivery scan is after the latest estimated delivery date and there is no carrier scan within the dispatch time. Read the seller performance policy.
• UK distance selling. Goods must be delivered within 30 days unless agreed otherwise with the customer, and buyers can cancel up to 14 days after delivery. See online and distance selling for businesses.
• US sellers. Under the FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule, if you state a shipping time you must be able to meet it. If you cannot, you must ask the customer to agree to the delay or cancel for a prompt refund.

If you source from Amazon or any other retailer, know eBay's rule. eBay allows dropshipping when you fulfil orders directly from a wholesale supplier. Listing an item on eBay and then buying it from another retailer or marketplace that ships directly to your buyer is not allowed, and eBay may remove listings, restrict activity or suspend the account. Read the policy on eBay.co.uk and eBay.com. Whatever your supply route, you stay responsible for safe delivery within the time stated in the listing and for the buyer's satisfaction.

What to do next

1. List every destination you currently offer and remove any you cannot deliver to reliably within your stated time.
2. Get real postage costs for each zone, at the weights you actually send.
3. Find the fee table that applies to your account (private or business, UK or US) and note any international fee and currency conversion charge.
4. Recalculate your international postage charge so it covers postage plus the extra percentage fees on the whole order, as in the worked example.
5. Add a clear line to your listings saying who pays import duties and taxes for overseas buyers.
6. For listings on a site in another currency, set a cautious exchange rate and a date to review it.
7. Check your delivery estimates against your late delivery rate in Seller Hub after the next monthly evaluation.