What's up with the eBay USPS shipping discounts?
Summary: sean_coinstx expressed concerns about inconsistencies in USPS shipping discounts via eBay, noting that recent shipments had varying discount rates. Participants in the discussion explained that USPS has implemented new rate changes, including increased rates for shipping to rural areas and differences based on weight. sanman8753 mentioned that a bug in eBay's calculation might be affecting label prices, while others clarified that the fluctuating discounts are due to the commercial rates provided by USPS. Many sellers in the thread voiced frustration over the impact of these changes on their businesses, and some suggested exploring alternative shipping options like FedEx or third-party services. Overall, the consensus highlights confusion and dissatisfaction with the current USPS pricing structure and eBay's handling of the situation.
Yesterday I did some USPS ship outs via eBay, and the first two orders only had a 10% discount, and each ship out cost me $7.69 ea. That's about $2 more than normal for each ship out. The third ship out had a 30% discount and was back to about normal for the charge. Today I just had an order, and the shipping was back to just 10% off. This is not good news for me and my eBay store.
lawnmowerpartsstore2
·5 days agoYa how about those shipping fees ???
mozartbach1971
·6 days agoI'm not sure why, however I've noticed my international sales seem to have decreased since this rural rate increase.
quicksilverdiecast
·6 days agoThe bottom line here is simple if they can calculate the costs to the buyer before payment to seller, then that calculation should automatically be applied to the buyer. Sellers should not be penalized because ebay is not correctly assessing the shipping quote to the buyer, which ebay is not doing. I am sure we all remember how great the brainchild of ebay envelopes worked...If USPS wants to squeeze the rural address then let the rural address people pay it...and let them start making the phone calls of disapproval. If this is allowed to continue on ebays part I will simply start cancelling orders as problem with buyers address, which is very accurate reason.
quicksilverdiecast
·6 days agoI am getting the same thing, so ebay is either going to have to cough up some money, or fix their shopping cart to charge the "special" buyers the increase. 1-4 oz, I am based in Ohio and banged me for a parcel to Pa the 7.69 cost, yet it can go to the left coast for the normal 1-4 oz costs....I do not think this is a USPS issue, I think it is an ebay issue...or we as sellers should be able to tack on the additional overcharge, or cancel the order due to inaccurate ebay shipping calculations.
markbu
·2 weeks agoThe USPS has no problem driving 50 miles to deliver one piece of unsolicited bulk business mail ( junk mail) that no one asked for, but charge extra for a parcel that someone wants. Since junk mail is the majority of mail being delivered, it would make more sense to raise that postage price instead.
a_happyhoarder
·2 weeks agoExactly!
wrldstencils
·2 weeks agoI dont understand why there are no option from the platform to charge buyers more for their zip codes? 100% of us are loosing money.
I would rather cancel the order than paying for the chipping with almost no profits :(( I wish Ebay could update the shipping profiles
ulster-relic
·2 weeks agoafter 4 long days of long agonizing phone calls with eBay, none of them could explain the different "discount" rates as of 7/12, just a game of Who's ON FIRST and "DOHH" Homer Simpson style for answers. my plan is to look at SHIPSTATION, Pirate & others for labels and maybe if eBay can't fix the mess by NEGOTIATING with USPS like a business is expected to do, then maybe it's time to shop around even more for shipping alternatives. we sellers are getting swatted like a rented house fly with these new bloated ship fees
tsme35
·2 weeks agoOuch just looked up shipstation, not cheap. Pirate-ship rates for USPS are most of the time the same but a lot cheaper for UPS.
prettynice444
·2 weeks agoI started complaining to and about ebay many years ago, when it was obvious First Class was going up by leaps and bounds because:
usps was too stupid to understand how to compete w/UPS and Fedex for all sizes of packages, so decided to double down on what they had left: First Class!
ebay was too ??? or cowardly to LOBBY against the USPS on behalf of small business sellers everywhere!!!
mystic.mana.crystals
·2 weeks agoIts KILLING my eBay business as I sell mostly small lightweight items, jewelry, some crystals & seeds - wish that they would stop increasing shipping prices, especially when people expect free shipping. Dont know whether I should just block all the "rural" zip codes so they cant order from me or absorb the extra $2+ increase in shipping? Either way I will be losing $/business in an economy & sales environment that is already on a signifigant decline.
wrldstencils
·2 weeks agoIt would be great if Ebay added an extra fee for such "rural" zip codes. I'm loosing so much money now too.
And even if I increase the shipping - Ebay will take more fees from it and I will lose more :((
thekulamoa
·3 weeks ago · EditedIn short, USPS decided to start acting like a scummy, exploitative business, rather than a service for the people (yes, I am aware USPS IS a business technically, but it's also a government organization whose sole purpose should be of the people, for the people). Low-income people in rural areas are going to be screwed over, and people shipping free to rural areas are going to be screwed over.
If you want to give Jeff Bozo more money, you can use Veeqo, if you have an Amazon seller account. I checked it out and it's significantly cheaper, because they don't apply the rural rates. I can't stomach the idea of using it, personally. I'd rather pay PirateShip and the USPS the extra dough, rather than propping up Amazon. Honestly, to put on a tinfoil hat for a second, I think much of the horrible USPS policy over the past few years is to prop up Amazon. It's not a secret that Amazon would love to privatize the shipping sector.
EDIT: Looks like the Veeqo discount is officially gone. Don't use Veeqo, don't support Amazon. Amazon has an enormous influence on the USPS, and they're intent on doing to it what they did to small businesses everywhere. Undercut, outpace, destroy, then overtake.
a_happyhoarder
·3 weeks agoWELL SAID!
I am so frustrated!
a_happyhoarder
·3 weeks agoThis is KILLING my eBay business!!!
brazztazz
·3 weeks agoUSPS did two big changes everybody needs to be aware of.
First is now there is a Rural cost add-on. It could be $2-5 more to ship to those zip codes. USPS has not released what zip codes they consider rural. Your fix is to do FedEx calculated shipping and if USPS comes up cheaper ship it USPS.
Second USPS lowered the rate in many zip codes on 3(2.1)-5lbs to around $6 So if your package is say 1.5 add a little extra packing to get it to 2.1 and you will save around $3-5. "Don't" just change the label because USPS will submit a price adjustment to ebay and they will deduct it from your account.
The reason on the Rural is obvious it cost a lot more verse postage they collect to delivery there and they priced it right around what FedEx will charge.
The 3(2.1)-5lbs is a different story. USPS noticed ebay sellers sending a lot of packages in the 3-5lb range via FedEx because of their last price increase. Under 5lbs we always shipped USPS they were the cheapest. Since that last increase they became way higher than FedEx or UPS and we started to ship FedEx. USPS lost 10+ Billon in shipping postage with ebay sales only before they had that Oh moment. Hence the lowered rates.
Hope this info helps.
a_happyhoarder
·3 weeks agoWHAT???
I am SOOO angry!
Doesn't USPS go to their homes ANYWAY???
WOW!
This is ridiculous!
p3orionfe
·2 weeks agoI just received an almost $4 upcharge (the first ever in 26+ years selling on ebay) because I put 3lbs for my 1.9oz package. I won't make that mistake again. Larger boxes and extra padding in the future. Interestingly I'm sure I overpaid for postage in the past to be on the safe side when the weight was close to the next tier but never a refund for overpayment. Hmmm?
a_happyhoarder
·2 weeks agoAre you in the FaceBook group? Someone posted their upcharge for the same amount.
prettynice444
·2 weeks agoPlease tell me exact name of that group. I would feel more comfortable to say exactly what I think of this mess over there.
a_happyhoarder
·2 weeks agoeBay Resellers & Thrifters Group. I don't recommend it. LOT OF BULLIES. They should be kicked out because it is against the rules!
prettynice444
·2 weeks agoHappy, In general, I've found a LOT of bullies in ebay groups! I got kicked out of a big one - I forget the name - because I complained about them. Good riddance. But thanks for this - already learned some things from Pris poster!
a_happyhoarder
·2 weeks agoI noticed there are some incognito trolls on those groups who comment rude remarks on posts where people are just there to find answers.
It’s so unnecessary.
prettynice444
·2 weeks agoThat last paragraph is very helpful, thanks! We can't fight this until more info like this comes out. The USPS has ALWAYS been fighting the big boys since they lost the big business shipping accounts.
Now if some people would stop defending USPS -- they have always been the biggest enemy of small businesses.
98mac
·3 weeks agoHate to be negative but USPS has just gotten outrageous to ship anything, much less if it has any weight to it. I have lost sales because the shipping was showing so high on the buyer side, and I just can't afford to pay the shipping for my buyers.
a_happyhoarder
·2 weeks agoI sell mostly small items and this month has been horrible for me!
COINCIDENCE?
hazeld12
·3 weeks agoI also have been charged $2 more then the normal USPS rate for the same dimensions and weight. (example $5.60 now went to $7.86)
mam98031
·3 weeks ago@hazeld12
The rates for USPS GA increased a couple weeks ago for certain weights.
sean_coinstx
OP3 weeks agoI appreciate everyone’s comments and feedback. I’m aware of the recent USPS changes, and I know we’ve all been dealing with USPS rate increases over the past year or so. My main goal was to highlight the different discount rates being applied to the same USPS Ground Advantage label. I believe the discount should be consistent for all labels purchased—preferably 30%, as it has been. Prices may still be higher, but a fixed discount rate would make them more predictable.
christworks
·3 weeks ago@sean_coinstx Unfortunately that isn't how it works anymore. In fact, there has never, to my recollection, been a flat discount across all possible labels. The discount has always fluctuated based on the destinaton zip code.
stainlessenginecovers
·3 weeks agoBut that is exactly how USPS is charging more for Rural; by NOT discounting as much. Would you rather have Rural cost $12 and still give the 30%??
Apples and Apples; all would come down to the same price.
luckythewinner
·3 weeks agoAgain .. the eBay "discount" is a fantasy.
eBay is simply giving you the commercial rate that the USPS gives eBay.
eBay does not "apply" a discount, they charge the lower USPS commercial rate.
In other words, eBay allows sellers to piggyback onto their commecial rates.
You are asking eBay to do something different - subsidize you by charging less than the label costs eBay.
That is simply not going to happen.
a_happyhoarder
·3 weeks agoI'm SOOO confused!
USPS online rates are typically 10% off.
This morning, my eBay label was only 10% on eBay but this afternoon it is 35% off.
eBay discounts fluctuate 5% +/- 30% but now they are only 10% without any fluctuation?
WHY?
a_happyhoarder
·2 weeks agoIt is a fantasy because eBay collects THEIR percentage of shipping AND tax they collect.
sanman8753
·3 weeks agoEbay has a bug in the calculation to fix, I reported it and others need to as well to get action. All USPS Ground Advantage prices are not affected for ebay sellers in the continental USA. Read the notice. Update as of 7/13/26
📦 Ground Advantage Pricing Update
eBay Labels USPS Ground Advantage shipments under 1 lb to rural ZIP codes, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, APO/FPO/DPO addresses follow the new USPS pricing rules.
For the continental United States, the tiered-weight structure remains in place. The United States Postal Service has announced rate and service updates effective July 12, 2026. We’ve highlighted the updates to eBay Labels below.
📦 Updates to USPS Mail & Shipping Service Pricing
Ground Advantage: although USPS is changing how it prices packages under 1 lb, the good news is eBay Labels will continue to offer the same four weight tiers with no rate increases at this time. Rates for packages over 1 lb are also unchanged.
christworks
·3 weeks ago@sanman8753 There is no pricing bug to fix. The rates are correct. All zip codes in the U.S. that USPS has defined as rural are impacted. You cannot go by the destination city, as some zip codes that post offices in larger cities deliver mail for have been defined as rural.
You can find the rural zip code list by clicking here and scrolling about halfway down the page.
sanman8753
·3 weeks agoI understand that, I had a few orders going to residential neighborhoods, not rural, that had the wrong pricing, it was the same rate as on the usps site. I believe they have now fixed it. I showed them proof on the order that no matter what weight I put in for the package the rate did not change so that meant that the four-tier pricing was intermittingly not working.
sanman8753
·3 weeks agoAccording to USPS Publication 28, the rural route number on a mailpiece must be shown as:
RR ## BOX ##
RR = Rural Route identifier (two letters)
## = the actual route number (no spaces, no punctuation)
BOX = the word “BOX” (not “RURAL,” “NUMBER,” “NO.,” or the pound sign #)
## = the actual box number (no spaces, no punctuation) Postal Explorer+1
Example:
RR 5 BOX 1234a_happyhoarder
·3 weeks agoI contacted Customer Service because 3 of my recent labels showed only a 10% discount where others were 30% +/-
These rural fees are RIDICULOUS since the USPS delivers envelopes anyway!
stainlessenginecovers
·3 weeks agoThe 'rural' thing is also in effect for 2 lb plus packages where most are $6-$7 but if you go Rural (like Paksatawny PA) it cost $15.75.
tsme35
·3 weeks agoWow, I just check sure enough, rural no longer get the bid discount for 3-5 lb packages
oregon_bins
·3 weeks ago · EditedThe day after they started giving a discount on the 2 +lb packages I posted on a few places a screenshot of two different packages going to Texas at the 3 lb rate and one was significantly discounted and the other was the normal high price. People that commented to me told me that it was because one of my addresses was a rural address in Texas and those weren't getting the promotional discount.
So basically rural addresses were never given that 3 lb plus promotional discount the entire time it's existed.
tsme35
·3 weeks agoI couldn't say, I don't ship much in that 3-5 lb range, I think I had 3 orders total and check a few others, that checked out, but they may not have be rural.
tsme35
·3 weeks agocheck ebay's announcements, HI AK and rural zips no longer are ounce base shipping. The shipping rate will be charge as 15.99 oz, even if the package is 2 oz
luckythewinner
·3 weeks agoThe "eBay" discount is really just the difference between the USPS retail rate and the USPS commercial rate.
It would be very easy to check the current USPS retail and commercial rates for those packages and see if they are correct.
My guess is that they are, and you are just seeing the new USPS rates that went into effect on July 12.
bonanza125
·3 weeks agoShipping cost went up this week so this will be the new normal where depending upon area you ship it to the cost will be different. Multiple threads have addressed this already.