Straight to the good news: eBay (finally!) built a process for sellers to deal with nonstandard/irregular packaging. It's a pretty straightforward design for most** package types.
The new feature ensures buyers will be charged accurate rates when using calculated shipping, and provides sellers a way to pay these surcharges upfront with eBay labels instead of dealing with carrier cost adjustments after the fact.
For this process to be effective, sellers need to inform themselves on what qualifies as nonstandard with their chosen carrier(s). Sellers that don't utilize these new features when buying labels through eBay's platform or when setting up calculated shipping rates on their eBay listings will continue to see carrier cost adjustments and experience buyers underpaying for shipping.
This is a long post with a lot of screenshots because I tried to cover every detail, but I'll break it down into a few basic sections.
1. How to apply the irregular package designation in both the listing and label flows.
2. What each carrier considers nonstandard (hint: USPS launched nonstandard package type surcharges a few days ago).
3. The part of the process that requires a work-around.
4. Useful links & tips.
----------
1. How to apply the irregular package designation in both the listing and label flow.
eBay finally activated functionality behind that "irregular package" designation in the listing flow. Up until now, checking that box was nothing more than decoration. Checking that box today means nonstandard surcharges will be added to buyer-facing shipping rates when using calculated shipping, and it means a nonstandard package designation will automatically be applied in the eBay label flow.
Unified/Business listing tool
Super easy - just check the irregular package box under your package weight / dimensions. If you don't see that option, expand the shipping options using the button on the top right and toggle the slider.
Basic listing tool
Click the arrow on the package size specs, then check the irregular package box on the pop-up.
App listing tool
Unfortunately I am not seeing this on the latest app version released July 13. As this feature already exists on the app label flow, I am guessing eBay will add it to the app listing tool in the near future, hopefully next week.
Bulk Edit tool
This is a little tricky because there's a design flaw. Irregular package is nested under dimensions which means to add or remove the irregular package designation in bulk, you also have to overwrite the package dimensions. My hope is eBay will read this post and improve the process, separating Package Type into its own section within Package Details.
For now, your best option is to bulk edit in batches based on items shipping in packages that are the same dimensions. That way you can enter package dims and check/uncheck the irregular package box as needed. Use your Seller Hub Active Listings category filters to assist.
---
Moving on to labels. When you purchase labels you'll see the irregular packaging options in the same place where you can currently designate hazmat. Here are screens of what it looks like on different label flows.
As you can see, the selection for nonstandard package type is limited, which means you'll select "other" for anything other than tubes, cans, wood/metal boxes, and liquids. See below for information about shipping in polybags**.
Advanced label flow
Basic label flow
App label flow
Bulk label flow
With bulk labels you can add the irregular package designation on single transactions, or on multiple transactions with the bulk edit buttons as shown.
----------
2. What each carrier considers nonstandard.
USPS
As of July 13th, USPS added nonstandard surcharges for a few different package characteristics.
- Cylindrical tubes or rolls
- A can, or wooden or metal box
- A parcel containing more than 24 oz of liquid in glass containers, or 1 gallon or more of liquid in metal or plastic containers
- Other (for example, if the contents may cause the parcel to roll or not maintain the integrity of the packaging during processing).
The nonstandard characteristics surcharge is $4.00. If a seller does not select an irregular package type within the label flow and USPS audits the package in transit, the seller will be subject to a cost adjustment for the nonstandard characteristics fee of $4.00, and also the noncompliance fee of $1.50.
Note: USPS calls it a "dimension noncompliance fee" in their manual (previously it only applied if declared dimensions were understated) and the geniuses over there did not think to drop the word "dimension" with these changes. 🙄 This may cause confusion when APV cost adjustments are applied for package characteristics. Keep that in mind when assisting other sellers with their cost adjustment questions.
UPS
When purchasing labels through eBay, the current nonstandard packaging surcharge (as of July 2025) is a discounted $12.95. The surcharge is higher at retail.
- Is not fully encased in a corrugated cardboard shipping container, including tires
- Has an outer shipping container not made of corrugated cardboard, including but not limited to canvas, leather, metal, wood, hard plastic, soft plastic (e.g., plastic bag) or expanded polystyrene foam (e.g., Styrofoam)
- Is encased in a soft-sided pack (e.g., poly bags and bubble mailers) that exceeds 18 inches along its longest side or 14 inches along its second-longest side or 6 inches in height**
- Has an outer shipping container covered in shrink wrap or stretch wrap
- Is bound with metal, plastic or cloth banding, or that has wheels, casters, handles or straps (including packages where the outer surface area is loosely wrapped or where the contents protrude outside the container surface)
- Is cylindrical or triangular, including but not limited to barrels, buckets, cans, drums, mailing tubes or pails
- Is routed through UPS’s irregular package sortation process, including but not limited to packages 1 inch or less in height
- Requires special handling, as determined by UPS in its sole discretion
FedEx
When purchasing labels through eBay, nonstandard packaging surcharges match FedEx's retail rates which (as of July 2025) range from $25.00 - $31.50. Unlike the other carriers, FedEx's surcharge is not only much higher, it's also zone based; there is no fixed rate or discount.
- Is not fully encased in an outer shipping container
- Is encased in an outer shipping container not made of corrugated fiberboard (cardboard) materials, including but not limited to metal, wood, canvas, leather, hard plastic, soft plastic (e.g., plastic bags), or expanded polystyrene foam (e.g., Styrofoam)
- Is encased in an outer shipping container covered in shrink wrap or stretch wrap or excessive packing tape
- Is encased in a soft-sided pack (e.g., courier packs, poly bags, and bubble mailers) that exceeds 18 inches along its longest side or 13 inches along its second-longest side or 5 inches in height**
- Is round, cylindrical or triangular, including (without limitation) mailing tubes, cans, buckets, barrels, tires, drums, or pails
- Is bound with metal, plastic, or cloth banding, or has wheels, casters, handles, or straps (e.g., a bicycle) (including packages where the outer surface area is loosely wrapped, or where the contents protrude outside the surface area) or could become entangled or cause damage to other packages or the FedEx sortation system
----------
3. The part of the process that requires a work-around as eBay didn't factor it in to the current functionality.
** Polymailers are not currently factored in to these new features. Unfortunately, eBay lists polybags as "standard" packaging which is not necessarily the case for UPS/FedEx. I'm hoping eBay will fix that pitfall in the future. In the meantime, there is an easy way to deal with this, but it relies on the seller knowing upfront whether their polymailer dimensions are considered nonstandard.
When you are shipping in a polymailer, take particular note the UPS/FedEx measurements provided above are "or" measurements, not "and" measurements, meaning only one of those dimensions needs to be exceeded for the surcharge to apply.
When your dimensions exceed UPS/FedEx limits for polymailers, do not choose the "standard" packaging option even though that's where this package type is listed. Instead, select the "other" option from the irregular packaging choices in the shipping label flow to factor in the appropriate nonstandard surcharge.
----------
4. Useful links & tips.
eBay integrated the irregular package designation into the eBay Shipping Calculator. Check the box and get rates with the appropriate surcharge factored in.
Reminder: the shipping calculator is a GIGO situation. Data that comes out depends on the data you enter. If your parameters are for a package subject to dimensional weight as the billable weight, the calculator will factor that in automatically.
eBay's Guide to Understanding Dimensional Weight
If your package is, for example, an artificial Christmas tree being shipped in the product packaging which has an external handle, that's nonstandard per UPS/FedEx guidelines; to see an accurate shipping rate with those carriers, you must check the "irregular package" indicator.
This help page is an excellent resource for sellers to better understand package characteristics. It has clear information along with relevant links for all carriers. Good page to bookmark as a point of reference whether you or other sellers have questions about package types or carrier adjustments.
Help > Selling > Shipping Items > USPS, FedEx, and UPS package types
Along those lines, this Seller Center page is also a good reference on preparing shipments and avoiding carrier adjustments.
Seller Center > Shipping > Preparing Your Shipment > Packing and Measuring
TIPS:
- When you check the "irregular package" designation in the listing flow, it will translate to the label flow. In label flow it will default to the first nonstandard option on the list: cylindrical tubes or rolls
- To avoid surcharges for tubes and polymailers, place them inside of a rectangular box. The increased rate based on the increased weight of an added box will typically be much lower than the nonstandard packaging surcharge, especially with UPS & FedEx.
- If shipping in a tube, make sure your label is applied in the correct direction so the barcode is scannable and not wrapped around the tube.
- As always, make sure your weight and dimensions are accurate. eBay bills accurate rates with surcharges for size & dimensional weight automatically included, as long as the weight and dimensions you enter are accurate.
- If your package gets skewed or squashed in transit, that can bump out the dimensions resulting in cost adjustments, so do what you can to make sure your packaging is pretty sturdy.
- When it comes to charging buyers calculated shipping rates, irregular package is designated at the listing level, not the carrier level. Meaning, if you plan to ship something that qualifies as nonstandard with UPS/FedEx, but not with USPS, you either have to apply the surcharge for all carriers in the listing flow or for no carrier in the listing flow then verify the setting is correct when buying your label based on the carrier the buyer selected at checkout. You can simplify the process by not offering a mix of carriers on items where the surcharge is not applied equally across different carriers.
----------
To sum it up: In addition to entering accurate weight and dimensions, check "irregular package" on both the listing form, and on the label flow to avoid after the fact carrier cost adjustments when using nonstandard packaging.
We sellers have been asking for this functionality for years - thank you eBay Shipping Team for finally making it happen!
