International Fee?

[fishing-101]

Why did I get charged an International Fee, for selling an item in the US and shipping it to buyer in the US.

[comics-scifi-collectibles]

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@fishing-101 wrote:

Why did I get charged an International Fee, for selling an item in the US and shipping it to buyer in the US.

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@fishing-101. Because the buyer is using a forwarding service and is actually located in another country. 

Paypal charged 1.5%  Managed payments fee is 1.65%

[ryanrobyn]

This is one of the reasons I  stopped international selling besides shipping taking a long time and some counties don't verify delivery. I took too many hits from foreign buyers.

[m60driver · Accepted solution]

There is both an "international fee", whatever the heck that imagined cost means, as well as a currency exchange fee.  There is nothing you can do but bend over when you are selling an item on a BIN and someone uses a freight forwarder in the US but is registered overseas.  But you should keep these added fees in mind when dealing with offers.  Best just to assume that it is an additional 5% in your costs if the buyer is outside the country.  So always verify as much information about the buyer as you can when dealing with offers where you have some control.

[kare-bearb]

In addition to @comics-scifi-collectibles 's response

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/fees-credits-invoices/selling-fees-managed-payments-sellers?id=482...

International fee

If your registered address is in the US, we charge an International fee if either:

• The delivery address for the item (entered by the buyer during checkout) is outside the US, or
• The buyer's registered address is outside the US (regardless of the delivery address for the item)

This fee is calculated as 1.65% of the total amount of the sale and is automatically deducted from your sales.

[comics-scifi-collectibles]

@m60driver wrote:
"There is both an "international fee", whatever the heck that imagined cost means, as well as a currency exchange fee.  There is nothing you can do but bend over when you are selling an item on a BIN and someone uses a freight forwarder in the US but is registered overseas.  But you should keep these added fees in mind when dealing with offers.  Best just to assume that it is an additional 5% in your costs if the buyer is outside the country.  So always verify as much information about the buyer as you can when dealing with offers where you have some control."

The international fee and the seller currency exchange rate are two different things.  You are lumping them together in your 5% example.  

The seller CURRENCY conversion only applies if you list on a site that has a different currency than your payout currency, for example, you list an item directly on the UK site.  Ebay.co.Uk

This does NOT mean that you pay the seller currency conversion if a buyer from the UK buys on an item that was listed on the US site.   

You would just pay the INTERNATIONAL FEE of 1.65% if a seller in another country buys your item.  

Seller currency conversion charge
If your registered address is in the US, when you list on an eBay site with a listing currency different to your payout currency, eBay may convert the value to your settlement currency using a "transaction exchange rate" we set for the currency exchange. The transaction exchange rate is adjusted regularly and includes a currency conversion charge of 3% applied on a base exchange rate. The base exchange rate is based on rates within the wholesale currency markets on the conversion day or the prior business day; or, if required by law or regulation, set at the relevant government reference rate(s). The currency conversion charge will be automatically deducted from your sales.

If your registered address is not in the US, please refer to the fee page for your country of residence for your Seller currency conversion charge information.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/fees-credits-invoices/selling-fees-managed-payments-sellers?id=482...

@fishing-101 

[eunster1313]

(Paypal charged 1.5% Managed payments fee is 1.65%)

eBay charges a 3% currency conversion charge.

The new International Fee is a separate fee of 1.65% they added on.
3% + 1.65% = 4.65%

[kare-bearb]

@eunster1313 

This seller is located in the US.

They sold their item on eBay.com, the US$ site.

Currency conversion would not be an issue for the OP (seller) in this case.

The buyer would have been responsible for paying in currency of the listing, US$.  

The buyer was non-US (resulting in the international fee).

If they did not have a US$ payment source, currency conversion would have been their responsibility, not the seller's.

[comics-scifi-collectibles]

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@eunster1313 wrote:

(Paypal charged 1.5% Managed payments fee is 1.65%)

eBay charges a 3% currency conversion charge.

The new International Fee is a separate fee of 1.65% they added on.
3% + 1.65% = 4.65%

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@eunster1313   As your example shows they are TWO different fees.  Unless the USA seller lists directly on another eBay site then the seller conversion fee does not apply.  

Sellers had a fear of the 3% fee when the help pages first became public for MP.  I know I sure did!  

 Since then we have learned that the 3% fee is NOT charged unless you list on another eBay site.  For example, I log out of ebay.com and log into the UK site and list an item for sale... THEN I would owe the 3% fee because my payout from the buyer would be in GBP.  

[pjcdn2005]

@eunster1313 

As comics stated, the only time that a US seller is charged a 3% conversion fee is if they are listing on an ebay site that has listings in a currency other than $US.   If you read the quote that you posted that is exactly what it says directly under 'seller currency conversion charge.' 

A seller is always paid in the currency that they list in. If I pay you in Canadian dollars you would receive the payment in $US and I the buyer would pay the currency conversion fee. That's how it is done in PP and that is how it is done in MP.  You would still pay the 1.65% international fee, but no conversion fee.

[pristine10_auctions]

Yep.  It needs to be reported to the CFPB.  CFPB requires transparency on ALL FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS.  This is a loophole these International Buyers are using, and it's absolutely wrong.  If we choose to NOT SELL to international buyers, it absolutely includes an International Buyer who is using a 3rd party as a mailing address, but using an international bank.  

Furthermore, you HAVE NO CONTROL OF WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT PRODUCT ONCE IT GETS INTO THE HANDS OF THE 3RD PARTY.  This is absolute a joke, and I hope more people report this to the CFPB, so they will investigate Ebay's shady processes.  

[baehrsden]

I just had this happen to me. A buyer did buyitnow and paid. I shipped the item to Florida. A while later when looking at my fees saw there was an International Fee. Called eBay, they told me I was charged because even though I shipped it to FL, my buyer's account is registered in the UK.  I have my shipping settings say I do not shipped International. But that doesn't matter. Ebay told me now before I ship the item, I have to check to see where the buyer is registered and if it's outside of the US I have to cancel the sale and refund the money!!!  If eBay want to charge these fees, there should be a setting for the seller to not allow International buyers or charge the buyer if they want to purchase/ship within the US. 

[sell-more]

I wish Ebay would just pass the cost onto the BUYER at the time of payment.   I cancel most my orders and I tell the buyer I am not paying your international fee.  I rather lose the sale than be jacked $

[payordontbid]

Just noticed the same issue! I am being charged international fees on a "TAX INVOICE" when I do NOT ship outside the USA, never have.  Now I see someone mentioned if a buyer has a forwarded non USA address that is why the seller is being charged international fees? THIS IS **bleep**!! How are sellers suppose to find out if a buyer has a forward international mailing address? Ebay is the only one who knows that information and they are charging the sellers for that???? ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!? Isn't Ebay responsible for collecting those fees to the person who is requesting the item be shipped outside the USA - which would be the BUYERS not the sellers????? I messaged Ebay about this and all I have got for answers is the run around and they will get back to me. Now I am wondering how many years they are been taking this money from the sellers? CHECK YOUR ACCOUNTS!!!

[comics-scifi-collectibles]

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@payordontbid wrote:

Just noticed the same issue! I am being charged international fees on a "TAX INVOICE" when I do NOT ship outside the USA, never have.  Now I see someone mentioned if a buyer has a forwarded non USA address that is why the seller is being charged international fees? THIS IS **bleep**!! How are sellers suppose to find out if a buyer has a forward international mailing address? Ebay is the only one who knows that information and they are charging the sellers for that???? ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!? Isn't Ebay responsible for collecting those fees to the person who is requesting the item be shipped outside the USA - which would be the BUYERS not the sellers????? I messaged Ebay about this and all I have got for answers is the run around and they will get back to me. Now I am wondering how many years they are been taking this money from the sellers? CHECK YOUR ACCOUNTS!!!

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@payordontbid   I understand that this is a concern for sellers but PayPal always charged a fee of 1.50% for this type of transaction in addition to their 2.9%.

The MP fee is higher at 1.65%.  

So for every $100 sale you pay a fee of $1.65 for the international fee under MP

For every $100 sale you paid a fee of $1.50 for the international fee with PayPal.  

So this is an increase of .15 cents.  

I think that many sellers just didn't notice the PayPal fee before.