Buyer protection fee

scott_cnp
Community Member

on ‎06-06-2026 10:46 AM

Hi, if anyone can help me with the following, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

I recently had a buyer offer of $15 on one of my ‘buy it now’ items. While I rejected the offer, I received the attached sale break-up from eBay, saying that I would be charged a $1.39 ‘Buyer protection fee’. Essentially, I would receive $13.61 from a $15.00 sale.

 

I don’t have a pro account and so was under the impression that the buyer would pay this fee. I’ve checked my plan and it’s definitely ‘free selling’.

 

Perhaps I’ve misunderstood the process and I’m being about thick. I’ve tried using eBay’s help option, but I didn’t find it very helpful at all.

 

Thanks.

IMG_1136.jpeg

 

0 Helpful

twyngwyn
Community Member

on ‎06-06-2026 12:08 PM

Hmmm…the buyer protection fee is paid by the buyer….so, savvy buyers will get around that by making an offer (which is total cost). 
I don’t do ‘offers’, so this is my guess.

View solution in original post

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twyngwyn
Community Member
In response to twyngwyn

on ‎06-06-2026 12:19 PM

This is what I see, after clicking on ‘buy it now’

IMG_2236.png

 

 

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scott_cnp
Community Member
In response to twyngwyn

on ‎06-06-2026 01:26 PM

Thanks for your reply, twyngwn. It appears as you’ve suggested that buyer offers aren’t covered under the fee free terms.

 


That’s really helped me out. Much appreciated.

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*casey*
Community Member
In response to scott_cnp

‎06-06-2026 01:30 PM - edited ‎06-06-2026 01:34 PM

"buyer offers aren’t covered under the fee free terms"

 

"If a buyer bids on an auction or makes an offer on a listing, the Buyer Protection fee is included in their auction or offer amount, so they know exactly how much they'll pay if they win the auction or if their offer is accepted.

 

As a seller, you see the auction or offer price without the fee, so you know exactly how much you'll receive. As the Buyer Protection fee is variable, the fee amount that the buyer actually pays is calculated as part of the final auction selling price"

 

https://www.ebay.com.au/help/selling/selling/pricing-items/buyer-protection-information-sellers?id=5...

*casey*
Community Member
In response to *casey*

‎06-06-2026 01:52 PM - edited ‎06-06-2026 01:54 PM

"buyer offers aren’t covered under the fee free terms"

 

They are .

 

Your example  shows  the buyer offer of  $15 which is what the buyer would  pay.

 

The buyer protection fee of $1.39   would  be paid to ebay and you receive the balance

 

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twyngwyn
Community Member
In response to *casey*

on ‎06-06-2026 02:02 PM

I wonder how widespread ‘make an offer’ is?

The upshot of all this is the seller ends up paying the buyer’s fee, if they accept an offer….how lucrative for eBay 🤑💰

 

How many infrequent sellers will get caught? Get ready for umpteen threads…

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*casey*
Community Member
In response to twyngwyn

on ‎06-06-2026 02:34 PM

Make an offer is very common.

 

It's still fee free as far as selling fees go.

 

BUT eBay's done it very sneakily.

 

Free Selling  sellers like the OP are fully aware when listing an item that a buyer protection fee is added on.

 

The total price  is what the buyer sees  and is what the buyer would pay on a Buy It Now.

 

 eBay hides the  fact that the price includes a buyer protection fee until they get to checkout !   Why ?

 

With offers, most sellers would  initially assume it was added on to an offer , not taken from the offer.

 

But eBay knows buyers would query that !

 

So I guess you could say the seller's paying the fee.

scott_cnp
Community Member
In response to twyngwyn

on ‎06-06-2026 02:37 PM

“How many infrequent sellers will get caught? Get ready for umpteen threads…”

 

Glad to have gotten in first. LOL.

domino-710
Community Member
In response to *casey*

on ‎06-06-2026 02:48 PM

So to all intents and purposes - free selling - is not ' free selling '. ??