eBay

legalnurseconsultant · ‎12-14-2023

My buyers are responsible for paying shipping. Today, I just happened to look at the payment.

Under WHAT THE BUYER PAID is the cost of the item, taxes, and shipping label.

Under WHAT YOU EARNED is ORDER TOTAL (including all of what the buyer paid) minus SALES TAX, TRANSACTION AND SHIPPING FEES.

Why am I paying shipping fees when the buyer paid them??

Am I missing something?

Thanks!!

soh.maryl · ‎12-14-2023

When a buyer makes a purchase from a seller, he pays the item cost, the shipping cost, and the state sales tax if applicable.

The seller, in turn, uses the money the buyer paid him for the shipping cost to pay for the label.

Strange question from a very successful seller who's been here since 1999.

jerseyboymusic · ‎12-14-2023

No different than if I give you some money and ask you to go to the post office and get me some stamps.

You use the cash I gave you to buy the stamps.

Is it your money? No ... it's mine.

Buyer pays you for shipping, you use that money to buy the shipping. It is their money, not yours

You never noticed this in the almost 25 years you have been on Ebay? Just curious

dbfolks166mt · ‎12-14-2023

Agree with soh.maryl that this seems like an odd question from a veteran seller. In addition the money the buyer paid you for shipping should also be part of your gross revenue on your taxes just as the actual shipping label cost should be part of your deductions. Often there is a difference between what the buyer paid you for the shipping and what the label actually cost you. That is net revenue that you pay taxes on.

lonebuck-books · ‎12-14-2023

They buyer paid you to buy the shipping label. It's just like if someone gave you cash to go to the post office and pay for stamps. You have to pay for the stamps. No different here. The buyer pays you for postage and you in turn then must buy the postage to ship it. You aren't losing anything unless you undercharged for the postage.

monica-sells · ‎12-14-2023

I "think" what @legalnurseconsultant is referring to is the details page and confusing that with the final payout figure.......

In this screenshot, it details my shipping label cost (Paid by Paypal) and the resulting earnings for that sale. The "payout" totalled 25.54 for this transaction, NOT the 19.42 "Earnings" as reflected by this detail page.

(it is somewhat confusing due to the terminology they are using)

Sellers are noticing this entry recently, even though they may obtain their shipping through paypal (and not their processing funds) and utilize ebay shipping labels.

This entry does not appear if you use off-site vendors for labels.

inhawaii · ‎12-14-2023

Yes, you are missing something.

You sell an item for $20 + $10 shipping.

The buyer pays you $30.

You have to buy a shipping label with that money.

Papa Was A Rolling Stone - The Temptations

gloryglorygifts · ‎12-14-2023

You created the shipping label, you pay for it. You had the customer pay shipping to offset that cost.

fern*wood · ‎12-14-2023

@legalnurseconsultant wrote:

Under WHAT THE BUYER PAID (to you) is the cost of the item, taxes, and shipping label.

bill.purvis2012 · ‎12-14-2023

SIMPLE: All money in - all money out.

mybigsale · ‎12-14-2023

@legalnurseconsultant

Don't forget eBay pays you the money for shipping AFTER eBay takes out their fees and any charges for eBay ads (if any). So, if the buyer pays you the actual shipping cost, eBay will give you the actual shipping cost minus eBay fees (what you receive from eBay for postage may not cover the full postage cost). You determine what the buyer pays you for shipping. If you purchase postage through eBay, pirateship or other provides you may be purchasing postage at a discounted rate.

farmalljr · ‎12-14-2023

Sorry, but this is a common sense thing. I don't see how this is so confusing to anyone who has EVER bought something online, mail order or any other way you need to pay for shipping.

The buyer pays YOU for the label. YOU pay the carrier for the label with the money the BUYER paid YOU. YOU are not paying for the label, the buyer did. The money passes from the buyer, to you, to the carrier. Not the buyer to the carrier. You are not taking money from YOUR pocket to pay for labels, unless you offer free shipping.