How eBay Shipping Works
By Corbin HartwickUpdated on March 14, 2022
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If you’ve read through some of our eBay course, by now you know a lot about what eBay is and how it works, how to bid for items, and how to make purchases. But when you win the bid for an item, but how exactly does the shipping on eBay work, and how is it calculated?
eBay shipping basics
eBay shipping rates and times depend upon factors primarily determined by the seller. These include the weight and dimensions of the items sold, where the seller is in the world, what shipping options are available in the seller’s country, and — of course — where you are located relative to the seller.
eBay shipping calculator
If you’d like to get information on shipping in advance:
1. Go to www.ebay.com in your web browser and go to an item’s details page.
2. Scroll down and click the Shipping and Payments tab.
3. Use the text boxes and drop-down menus to enter the quantity of items that you want, the country where you live, and your mailing code (so eBay can determine where in the country you live).
4. Click Get Rates.
5. Information will appear below that will show you the cost of shipping and handling, the type of shipping being used, and the estimated delivery date of the item (including when it is expected to ship).
Sometimes, you will have more than one option available, so keep that in mind when you’re ready to check out with your order.
eBay international shipping
As we explained in the last section of our How to Buy on eBay tutorial, the ecommerce website has its own special international shipping program. It will often ship items to local global couriers in the U.S. and U.K. first when said items need to be shipped to certain countries. However, this only applies to certain countries and items, and may involve extra customs fees and taxes.
eBay free shipping
There are parameters that you can use in its search functions (both basic and advanced) that let you search only for items that you can get free shipping on.
Well, that’s some quick information for you about eBay shipping! Check out our article on tracking eBay orders to learn about how to track your packages once they have shipped.