eBay vs Amazon for sellers: fees, rules and where to sell

Before you start

In shortThese steps compare eBay.com and Amazon.com for items you own and ship from the US.

eBay vs Amazon at a glance

In shortEight differences decide where an item sells best. Each row links to the step that explains it.

eBay vs Amazon for sellers in 7 steps

1. Step 1 of 7: Work out the fees on your own item

   In shortCount each marketplace’s fees on the same item, price and box, with the label you pay.

   The headline rates mislead. eBay’s main fee is 13.6% in most categories, plus $0.40 an order over $10. Amazon’s referral fee is 15% in Home and Kitchen and many other categories, with a $0.30 minimum. But each counts a different total.

   • eBay counts the sales taxThe fee is a percent of the total the buyer pays: price, shipping, handling and sales tax.
   • Amazon counts price and shippingIts total is the list price, shipping and any gift wrap.
   • Amazon adds a planIndividual costs $0.99 per item sold. Professional costs $39.99 a month, however many you sell. eBay has no plan, and your first 250 listings each month are free to list.

   Here is one made-up item counted four ways. The Practice KS-1 kitchen scale sells new for $30.00 with free shipping. It weighs 12 oz in a 9 × 6 × 2 inch box.

   How you sell	Fees	Label	Money left
   eBay, no Store, you ship	$4.81	$8.24	$16.95
   Amazon Individual, you ship	$5.49	$8.24	$16.27
   Amazon Professional, you ship, 40 sales a month	$5.50	$8.24	$16.26
   Amazon Professional with FBA, 40 sales a month	$10.56	Amazon ships	$19.44

   On Amazon, the referral fee is $4.50 in every row. Professional at 40 sales a month adds $1.00 a sale. It is cheaper than Individual from 41 sales a month.

   With Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), Amazon stores the scale, then packs and ships each order. Its fulfillment fee replaces your label.

   Real weight, 12 oz	0.75 lb
   Size weight: 9 × 6 × 2 ÷ 139	0.78 lb
   Fee for the heavier one (12+ to 16 oz)	$4.89
   Fuel and logistics surcharge, 3.5%	$0.17
   FBA fee per sale	$5.06

   For most box sizes, Amazon charges the greater of the two weights. At its real 12 oz, the scale would pay $4.48. A big, light box can move an item into a dearer FBA tier. Before the peak, the same tier cost $4.60.

   The FBA row leaves the most, $19.44. But it leaves out monthly storage, shipping your stock to Amazon and placement fees. Amazon’s Revenue Calculator estimates fulfillment and storage for your own item. For eBay, the eBay fee calculator does the same.

   Result: Fees and money left for your item on eBay, Amazon with your own shipping, and Amazon with FBA.

   Mark this step as doneNext: Check what each one asks to start

2. Step 2 of 7: Check what each one asks to start

   In shortAmazon asks for more documents, holds your money longer and sets the return window for you.

   Both ask who you are before you sell. Amazon asks for more up front, and its rules on money and returns are stricter.

   Step	eBay	Amazon
   Who can sell	Anyone with a verified address in a country on eBay’s list	An individual or a business, no company needed
   What you provide	An eBay account, then seller registration and verification	Government ID, credit card, bank account, proof of address and tax information
   Identity check	Verification is part of registration	A photo of you with your ID, or a video call. Usually 3 business days or less
   Limits at the start	A monthly selling limit, and limits in new categories	Approval for some brands and categories (step 3)
   Getting paid	Funds are ready 1 to 2 days after the buyer pays. Payouts can be daily	Funds are held until 7 days after delivery
   Returns	Your choice: no returns, 30 days or 60 days	At least Amazon’s own: most items 30 days after delivery

   On eBay, find your limit in Seller Hub’s Overview tab, under Monthly limits. Active and sold listings both count. Never list in the wrong category to get past a limit. eBay counts that as search manipulation. The eBay seller account guide walks through registration.

   Plan your cash for Amazon. Amazon says it is normal for a new seller to have all funds held at first. You pay for the next stock before that money arrives.

   “No returns” on eBay still has a limit. A buyer can return an item that does not match the listing, under the eBay Money Back Guarantee. On Amazon, returns within the window are approved for you. The eBay return policy for sellers guide covers the settings.

   Result: A list of what you still need for each marketplace, your eBay monthly limit and when each one pays you.

   Mark this step as doneNext: Check brand and category approval

3. Step 3 of 7: Check brand and category approval

   In shortSearch each item in Amazon’s Add Products tool. On eBay, check the brand’s rules instead.

   Amazon asks for approval before you list some products. It can apply to a single product, a brand, a brand within a category, a category or a sub-category. Some products need more than one approval.

   To check, open Add Products in Seller Central and search the item. Amazon shows one of three answers:

   • Sell this productNo approval needed.
   • Apply to sellApproval needed. Amazon reviews it in 2 to 7 business days.
   • Not AvailableYou cannot list it.

   An application asks for purchase invoices dated within 180 days, photos of every side, and a brand letter where one applies. Some categories also need $1 million liability insurance. “Your account does not qualify” is final. Amazon says it cannot be appealed.

   The eBay pages read for this guide name no approval step like this. On eBay, a new category can start with a selling limit. Rights owners can have listings removed through eBay’s Verified Rights Owner (VeRO) program, so a brand’s rules still apply. The wholesale suppliers for eBay guide shows how to check a brand before you buy stock.

   Result: Each item marked: sell now, apply first or not allowed on Amazon, and any brand rule for eBay.

   Mark this step as doneNext: Decide where used and one-of-a-kind items go

4. Step 4 of 7: Decide where used and one-of-a-kind items go

   In shortBroken, rare and barcode-free items fit eBay. Amazon wants working items matched to a product page.

   Amazon sells most items on a shared product page. A used item joins that page with a condition: Used – Like New, Very Good, Good or Acceptable. Collectible items must add value, such as an autograph or an out-of-print edition.

   Amazon refuses an item that needs repair, is missing essential parts or is hard to use. eBay has a condition for exactly that: For parts or not working. Electronics on eBay also take Open box and Seller refurbished.

   One-of-a-kind items are harder on Amazon. A new product page needs a barcode (UPC, EAN or ISBN). Without one, you apply for a GTIN exemption with photos of all six sides. It is open to handmade, private-label, generic and bundled products. On eBay, you list the item with your own photos and pick its condition.

   Describe every flaw and pick eBay’s condition name for your category. The reselling on eBay guide shows how to price used finds.

   Result: Each item sorted: fine for both, eBay only (broken, rare, no barcode), or Amazon after an exemption.

   Mark this step as doneNext: Compare how buyers find your offer

5. Step 5 of 7: Compare how buyers find your offer

   In shortOn Amazon you compete for one Featured Offer. On eBay each listing ranks on its own in Best Match.

   On Amazon, sellers of the same product share one product page. The offer next to Add to Cart is the Featured Offer, often called the Buy Box. Other offers sit in a list a click away.

   Amazon picks it by total price, delivery promise, free shipping, free returns and seller performance. Since September 2026, every seller’s offer is eligible. Amazon says FBA and Prime do not count by themselves: an offer you ship yourself can win if it is as good.

   On eBay, every seller writes a separate listing. eBay search sorts them by Best Match. It weighs how well the listing matches the search, popularity, price, listing quality and completeness, your terms and your record as a seller.

   eBay also lets you sell by auction, where buyers compete for rare or unique items. Amazon’s seller pages list no auction option. For an item with no clear price, an auction lets buyers set it.

   So on Amazon, price and delivery win the page. On eBay, the listing itself does the work. The eBay listing optimization checklist covers each part.

   Result: For each item: what wins on Amazon (price, delivery) and what to improve on eBay (the listing).

   Mark this step as doneNext: Sell the same stock on both

6. Step 6 of 7: Sell the same stock on both

   In shortKeep one stock count, update both marketplaces when it changes, and ship each order as its rules ask.

   Selling the same stock on both works if each sale updates the other marketplace. Otherwise you sell one item twice. eBay warns that cancelling an order because you ran out can affect your seller standing.

   • One stock countKeep one sheet or tool as the true count. Change both marketplaces from it, not one from the other.
   • The out-of-stock option on eBayIn Selling preferences, turn on Listings stay active when you’re out of stock. At 0, the listing hides from search and keeps its sales history. eBay ends it after 180 days at 0. The eBay out-of-stock option guide shows the setup.
   • A buffer for fast itemsList a little less than you hold on each marketplace, so two sales at once do not oversell.

   Ship eBay orders from Amazon’s warehouse

   Amazon’s Multi-Channel Fulfillment ships orders from other sales channels out of your FBA stock. It packs them in unbranded packaging by default. eBay allows third-party fulfillment of stock you own on three conditions:

   • You are named as the sellerYour name is on every packing slip and invoice.
   • The order ships as listedIt arrives within the terms your listing states.
   • The provider is bound by contractIt may use eBay order data only for that order.

   Check that Amazon’s packing slip names you before you rely on it.

   Set the item location to where the stock ships from. eBay requires the tracking number to match it.

   Move your Amazon catalog to eBay

   In Seller Central, go to Reports › Inventory Reports and request the All Listings report. It holds your active, inactive and incomplete listings, and needs the Professional plan. Open the file in a spreadsheet, and copy each item’s details into eBay’s bulk template. The eBay bulk listing guide shows the upload.

   Use your own photos and words, not another seller’s. eBay’s images and text policy needs written permission for content someone else made. A product page you share with other sellers on Amazon may hold their photos.

   Result: One stock count, eBay’s out-of-stock option on, and a plan for shipping and moving your catalog.

   Mark this step as doneNext: Choose eBay, Amazon or both

7. Step 7 of 7: Choose eBay, Amazon or both

   In shortPick by what you sell and how you want to ship, then test one marketplace before adding the other.

   You sell	Start on	Why
   Used, vintage or broken items	eBay	Conditions for every state, including For parts or not working. Auctions for rare finds
   One-of-a-kind items without a barcode	eBay	No product page or GTIN exemption needed
   A few items a month	eBay	No monthly plan. Amazon Individual adds $0.99 a sale
   New, barcoded stock in volume	Amazon, then eBay	FBA ships for you. Add eBay once one stock count feeds both
   Your own brand	Both	Amazon’s free Brand Registry needs a pending or registered trademark. eBay lets you write each listing yourself
   Gated brands or categories	eBay, while you apply	Amazon’s review takes 2 to 7 business days, or ends in a refusal. Check the brand’s rules for eBay too

   Not sure an item sells at all? Check it with eBay product research first. Add the second marketplace only once your stock count is reliable.

   Result: A first marketplace for each kind of item you sell, and when to add the second.

   Mark this step as doneNext: Mistakes that cost money

Mistakes that cost money when choosing

In shortWhen comparing eBay vs Amazon for sellers, each of these makes one marketplace look cheaper or easier than it is.

Common questions about eBay vs Amazon for sellers

How Productivo helps when you sell your own stock on eBay

In shortProductivo lists and counts your own stock on eBay. It does not connect to Amazon Seller Central.

Every step in this eBay vs Amazon for sellers guide works with each marketplace’s own tools. This part is about Productivo, the app behind this guide, for stock you own.

Guide step	What Productivo does
Step 1	Each eBay order shows what the buyer paid and the fees eBay billed. Record what the item cost on the order, and Reports counts the money left.
Step 4	A product you add by hand takes its own eBay condition and condition notes, so used items keep their flaws in the listing.
Step 6	Upload your own stock from one CSV file, up to 1,000 products per file, with SKU, price, quantity, condition, photo links and item specifics. The preview shows every row error before anything is saved.

Your own stock from one CSV file, in Productivo

Start from the template: SKU, title, price, quantity, category and photo links. Rows that already exist or have an error are shown, not imported.

Open the full screenshot (new tab)

What it does not do: Productivo does not read your Amazon listings, sync stock between Amazon and eBay, or send orders to Multi-Channel Fulfillment. A product you add by hand or by CSV keeps the price and quantity you give it. Once it is live, you change them on eBay.