Everyone wants to know, "How can I make more money on eBay?" Increasing profit isn't always about increasing sales. You can also increase profits by decreasing expenses. Sometimes you cannot eliminate a cost, but you can reduce it, or find a way to get more from a cost to increase your profit. Here are some easy ways to reduce small costs that add up over time.
Study and analyze eBay Insertion Fees and the tiered pricing. For example, pricing an item between $1 and $9.99 will cost 35 cents (in all categories except media - Books, Music, DVDs & Movies, Video Games). Pricing an item between $10 and $24.99 will cost 55 cents. Decide if it is more cost effective to set your starting price in the lower tier to save money on your insertion fees. If your item sells, pricing the item at $9.99 will cost less in fees than pricing it at $10.
Click here to see the eBay insertion fee chart.
Relist unsold items to receive relisting credits. You can relist unsold items by selecting the "relist your item" button on the item page for the ended listing. If the relisted item sells, eBay will credit the Insertion Fees back to your account. You may want to drop your price when you relist the item.
Always file Unpaid Item Disputes when customers don't pay. Check your Selling Manager a few times a week to keep on top of unpaid items. If buyers don’t pay within the allotted time, eBay will refund your Final Value Fees.
File Mutual Withdrawals when customers contact you and want to back out of the transaction. Maybe they really did make a mistake. eBay will refund your FVFs if you file a mutual withdrawal, and your transaction will end on a more pleasant note for both you and the customer. You also get your fees back immediately with no waiting. (
Click here for instructions on how to file a mutual withdrawal.)
Pay close attention your packaging. The more packaging you add, the more your item will weigh, and the more you will pay in postage. In some cases, reducing your packaging by just one ounce can mean the difference in a few dollars per package. (
Click here for a tip on using Flat Rate USPS Envelopes to save your customers money on shipping.)
When you are shipping items USPS Priority Mail, use the paper Tyvek envelopes instead of a box whenever possible. The boxes weigh more than the envelopes, and you will be paying more for the shipping if you use a box. Not every situation lends itself to a Tyvek envelope, but you may be able to substitute them for a box in some cases.
Click here for more tips on how to reduce shipping expenses.
When you pay your eBay fees, use a credit card with a cash back program. Examine your credit cards and use the one with the highest cash back program.
Apply for a lower rate on your Paypal Account. If more than $3,000 a month is processed through your Paypal account, you may qualify for the Merchant Rate. Paypal users must apply for this rate, it is not automatically offered to you.
Click here to apply for the Paypal Merchant Rate.
Get a Paypal debit card. When you use your Paypal Debit Card as a credit card at checkout, and actually sign your name for a purchase rather than entering your PIN, you get 1% cash back. A debit will still show on your Paypal account, even though the payment terminal recognizes the card as a credit card. Use your Paypal debit card as a credit card as often as you can!
Click here to read more about how to use your Paypal debit card as a credit card.
Do you have any ideas on how to decrease eBay selling expenses? If so, please share them below in the comments section.
Happy Selling,
