Paypal vs. eBay shipping costs

[flowerpower510]

My last 3 sales I used Paypal for shipping.  It was about .40 more roughly than eBay's discounted rate.  If eBay takes 10% of the shipping cost, I am still ahead by using Paypal.  The shipping cost was roughly $13.00 through eBay, so if they take 10%, that's $1.30, about .80 more than using Paypal shipping label.  Am I missing something?

[myjunqueyourtreasure]

Yes

[Anonymous]

eBay takes their fee on the total price, including shipping charged to the buyer - it doesn't matter where you purchase the actual label. Go to your account settings and download your monthly invoices so you can understand exactly what fees eBay is charging.

[myjunqueyourtreasure]

ebay takes 10% of the LISTED shipping cost, regardless of where or for how much you actually purchase postage.

[nobody*s_perfect · Accepted solution]

As noted in the other posts, eBay's fee on shipping is based on what the buyer pays to you, not on what you pay to eBay for postage.

If you go to your itemized invoice and check on those sales where you purchased PayPal postage, you will see that you were charged the final value fee on shipping anyway.

Your postage cost on PayPal is a little bit higher when you purchase Priority Mail postage, because you are a Top Rated Seller.  TRS who purchase Priority Mail postage through eBay pay the Commercial Plus rate, which is about 3% less than the regular online rate (Commercial Base). PayPal charges the regular online rate.  Through both eBay and PayPal you would pay the exact same postage costs for other services (Media Mail, First Class packages, and Parcel Select).

[flowerpower510]

Thank you all so much!  Very helpful explanation, nobody'sperfect! 🙂

[berserkerplanet]

If approved (which it probably will be) the 2019 USPS price schedule going into effect 1/27/19 will no longer include any price difference between Commercial Base and Commercial Plus, which means your eBay label prices will be the same as the PayPal prices (unless eBay comes up with something.)

Just a reminder that might hopefully head off some of the flood of "where did my USPS discount go" posts here on Jan 27