The eBay insertion fee is a listing fee eBay charges when a seller exceeds their monthly free listing allowance. Casual sellers receive 250 free fixed-price listings and 250 free auction listings per month. Each additional listing beyond the free allowance costs $0.35 in most categories. Insertion fees apply at the time of listing, not at the time of sale. A listing that expires without a buyer still incurs the insertion fee. Store subscribers receive larger free listing allowances and pay lower per-listing fees on additional listings.
eBay defines the insertion fee as a non-refundable per-listing charge applied when a seller creates a listing beyond the monthly free allowance. The fee covers the cost of indexing and displaying the listing on the eBay marketplace. Store subscribers at the Basic tier pay $0.25 per additional listing in most categories, compared to $0.35 for casual sellers. Premium Store subscribers pay $0.10 per additional fixed-price listing. Anchor Store subscribers pay $0.05 per additional fixed-price listing.
When Does the eBay Insertion Fee Apply?
The eBay insertion fee is a per-listing charge that applies when a seller creates a listing beyond their monthly free listing allowance. Casual sellers receive 250 free listings per month and pay $0.35 per additional listing in most categories. The insertion fee is charged when the listing goes live, not when the item sells.
The insertion fee applies each time a listing is created. A listing that expires without selling and is relisted generates a new insertion fee on the relist date. A Good Till Cancelled fixed-price listing renews automatically every 30 days. Each renewal counts as a new listing for the purpose of the free allowance. If the renewal falls within the free allowance, no insertion fee applies. If the renewal exceeds the free allowance, the $0.35 insertion fee applies to that renewal.
The insertion fee is separate from the Final Value Fee and the per-order fee. The insertion fee applies regardless of whether the item sells. The Final Value Fee applies only when the item sells. Both fees can apply to the same listing.
Most categories charge $0.35 per insertion for casual sellers. Heavy equipment listings in select Business and Industrial categories cost $20.00 per insertion, regardless of whether the seller has a store subscription.
How Does the Insertion Fee Work for Auction Listings?
Auction-style listings incur the same insertion fee structure as fixed-price listings. Casual sellers receive 250 free auction listings per month. Listings beyond 250 cost $0.35 per auction in most categories. Store subscribers receive their tier-specific auction listing allowance: Basic Store subscribers receive 500 free auction listings per month, Premium and Anchor Store subscribers receive 1,000 free auction listings per month, and Enterprise Store subscribers receive 2,500 free auction listings per month.
Auction-style listings have durations of 1, 3, 5, 7, or 10 days. Each duration is a separate listing and counts as one listing against the free allowance. A 1-day auction listing and a 7-day auction listing each count as one listing. The 1-day and 3-day auction durations cost an additional $1.00 per listing as an optional listing upgrade, separate from the insertion fee.
What Are the Insertion Fee Amounts for Each eBay Store Tier?
Insertion fees per listing beyond the free monthly allowance range from $0.05 to $0.35 depending on store tier. Casual sellers without a store pay $0.35 per additional fixed-price listing. Anchor and Enterprise Store subscribers pay $0.05 per additional fixed-price listing, which is the lowest available insertion fee on the eBay platform.
The table below shows insertion fees per additional listing for each seller type, based on the eBay fee schedule effective February 14, 2025.
| Seller Type | Monthly Price | Free Fixed-Price Listings | Free Auction Listings | Additional Fixed-Price Fee | Additional Auction Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casual Seller (no store) | $0 | 250 | 250 | $0.35 | $0.35 |
| Starter Store | $4.95 (annual) | 250 | 250 | $0.30 | $0.30 |
| Basic Store | $21.95 (annual) | 1,000 | 500 | $0.25 | $0.25 |
| Premium Store | $59.95 (annual) | 10,000 | 1,000 | $0.10 | $0.15 |
| Anchor Store | $299.95 (annual) | 25,000 | 1,000 | $0.05 | $0.10 |
| Enterprise Store | $2,999.95 (annual) | 100,000 | 2,500 | $0.05 | $0.10 |
The Starter Store reduces the per-additional-listing insertion fee from $0.35 to $0.30 but does not reduce the Final Value Fee. Sellers who list more than 250 items per month save $0.05 per listing with the Starter Store, which costs $4.95 per month. A seller listing 350 items per month saves $5.00 per month ($0.05 times 100 additional listings), which exceeds the $4.95 Starter Store subscription cost by $0.05.
How Do Insertion Fee Credits Work on eBay?
eBay issues insertion fee credits when a listing qualifies for a credit under specific conditions, including when eBay ends the listing due to a policy violation, when a seller relists an item that did not sell at auction, or when eBay offers a promotional insertion fee waiver. Credits are applied to the seller’s account, not refunded as cash.
The automatic relist credit applies to auction-style listings. When an auction-style listing ends without a sale, the seller receives one free relist credit for that item. The seller uses this credit when relisting the same item. The credit covers the insertion fee for the relist, not for any optional listing upgrade fees. The credit is valid for 90 days.
eBay runs periodic zero-insertion-fee promotions for eligible sellers. During these promotions, eBay waives the insertion fee for a defined number of listings above the standard free allowance. Promotion eligibility depends on seller performance level, feedback score, and account standing. eBay communicates these promotions via email and My eBay notifications.
Insertion fee credits do not apply to listing upgrade fees. A seller who uses a free relist credit still pays for optional upgrades such as Bold ($2.00), Gallery Plus ($0.35 for auction listings), or Subtitle ($1.50 for fixed-price listings, $3.00 for auction listings) if they include those upgrades in the relisted listing.
What Are eBay Listing Upgrade Fees Beyond the Insertion Fee?
eBay charges optional listing upgrade fees for features that enhance listing visibility and buyer engagement. Bold listing titles cost $2.00 for auction listings. Gallery Plus costs $0.35 for auction listings. Subtitles cost $1.50 for fixed-price listings and $3.00 for auction listings. Reserve prices on auctions cost $5.00 or 7.5% of the reserve, whichever is greater, up to a maximum of $250.
Listing upgrade fees are charged at the time the listing goes live. These fees are separate from the insertion fee and are not refunded if the item does not sell, unless eBay ends the listing due to a policy violation.
The table below shows optional listing upgrade fees for eBay sellers, based on the February 14, 2025 fee schedule.
| Listing Upgrade | Fixed-Price Fee | Auction Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Bold title | $2.00 | $2.00 |
| Gallery Plus (larger image) | Not applicable | $0.35 |
| Subtitle | $1.50 | $3.00 |
| 1-day auction duration | Not applicable | $1.00 |
| 3-day auction duration | Not applicable | $1.00 |
| Scheduled listing start | $0.10 | $0.10 |
| Reserve price | Not applicable | $5.00 or 7.5% of reserve, max $250 |
Reserve price is a minimum acceptable price on an auction-style listing. If the bidding does not reach the reserve price, the item does not sell and the seller owes no Final Value Fee. The reserve price fee applies regardless of whether the item sells. A reserve price of $100 costs $7.50 (7.5% of $100). A reserve price of $4,000 costs $250 (the maximum cap).
At What Listing Volume Does a Store Subscription Offset Its Monthly Cost?
A Starter Store subscription at $4.95 per month reduces insertion fees from $0.35 to $0.30 per additional listing, saving $0.05 per listing. The Starter Store pays for itself when a seller lists more than 99 additional listings per month beyond the 250 free allowance, equaling 349 total listings per month at the break-even point.
The break-even calculation for the Starter Store uses the $0.05 per-listing savings and the $4.95 monthly cost. Dividing $4.95 by $0.05 produces 99 additional listings. A seller listing 349 or more items per month saves at least $4.95 in insertion fees, covering the Starter Store subscription.
The Basic Store subscription at $21.95 per month provides 1,000 free fixed-price listings compared to the 250 free listings for casual sellers and the 250 free listings for Starter Store subscribers. A seller who lists between 251 and 1,000 items per month pays $0.35 per listing beyond 250 without a store. The same seller pays $21.95 in subscription with no additional insertion fees up to 1,000 listings. The Basic Store becomes cost-effective at 314 total listings per month, where the insertion fee savings on 64 additional listings ($64 times $0.35 equals $22.40) exceed the $21.95 subscription cost.