Buyer Protection is included at no cost when purchasing from business sellers. The Buyer Protection fee, if applicable, is already included in the item price that you see when browsing on the site and in any bids or offers you make, so there are no surprise fees at checkout. You'll see a breakdown of your order total, including the Buyer Protection fee per item (if applicable), at checkout and also in your order details.
What does Buyer Protection include?
With Buyer Protection, you benefit from:
- 24/7 customer service: Get support around the clock if you need help.
- Private sellers paid after delivery: When you purchase from a private seller, payment is sent after the order has been successfully delivered.
- Secure transactions: All payments are encrypted end-to-end and handled by our trusted payments partners.
Learn more about Buyer Protection - opens in new window or tab.
You still benefit from free leading services like eBay Money Back Guarantee - opens in new window or tab, as well as Authenticity Guarantee - opens in new window or tab (for eligible items and categories).
How is the fee calculated?
When purchasing from UK-based private sellers, the Buyer Protection fee is calculated as:
- A flat fee of up to £0.75 per item, and
- 4% of the item price up to £300, and
- 2% of any portion of the item price from £300 to £4,000
There is a cap on the total fee amount you'll ever pay. Any portion of the item price over £4,000 will not incur any additional fee. When purchasing multiple quantities within a listing, the flat fee up to £0.75 is only charged once.
Examples of how we calculate the Buyer Protection fee
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Listing for wireless headphones
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Item price set by the seller
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£20
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Buyer Protection fee variable (4% of £20)
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£0.80
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Buyer Protection fee fixed
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£0.75
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Price that buyer sees for the listing
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£21.55 + postage
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Listing for a used designer handbag
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Item price set by the seller
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£1,500
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Buyer Protection fee variable (4% of £300, + 2% of £1,200)
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£36.00
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Buyer Protection fee fixed
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£0.75
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Price that buyer sees for the listing
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£1,536.75 + postage
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Listing for two identical t-shirts (quantity = 2)
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Item price set by the seller (£20 per item)
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£40
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Buyer Protection fee variable (4% of £20, x 2)
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£1.60
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Buyer Protection fee fixed (only charged once)
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£0.75
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Price that buyer sees for the listing
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£42.35 + postage
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Buyer purchases two different items from the same seller
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Item price set by the seller (item 1)
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£60
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Item price set by the seller (item 2)
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£20
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Buyer Protection fee variable for item 1 (4% of £60)
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£2.40
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Buyer Protection fee variable for item 2 (4% of £20)
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£0.80
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Buyer Protection fee fixed (£0.75 x 2)
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£1.50
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Price that buyer sees at checkout
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£84.70 + postage
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Listing for a rare watch
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Item price set by the seller
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£7,500
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Buyer Protection fee variable (4% of £300, + 2% of £3700, + 0% of $3500)
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£86.00
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Buyer Protection fee fixed
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£0.75
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Price that buyer sees for the listing
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£7,586.75 + postage
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Refunds
When you receive a full refund for a cancellation, a return, or for an item that didn't arrive, the Buyer Protection fee will also be refunded in full.
If you receive a partial refund, your refund will include a prorated refund of the Buyer Protection fee. For example, if you receive a refund from the seller of 50% of the item price, you'll be refunded 50% of the Buyer Protection fee that you paid.
Example of how we calculate a partial refund of the Buyer Protection fee
A buyer purchased a vintage dress for £21.55 from a private seller. When the buyer received the item, they contacted the seller to let them know that there was a stain on the sleeve that hadn't been disclosed in the listing. The buyer wanted to keep the item, so the seller offered them a refund of £5 of the item price, which the buyer accepted.
If you return an item and the seller deducts from your refund based on the item condition, the full Buyer Protection fee will be refunded.
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Original item price set by seller
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£20
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Buyer Protection fee (4% of £20 + £0.75)
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£1.55
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Original total paid by buyer
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£21.55
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Item refund to buyer (25% of original item price)
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£5.00
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Buyer protection fee refund to buyer (25% of £1.55)
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£0.39
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Total buyer refund
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£5.39
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Frequently asked questions
Who pays the Buyer Protection fee?
The buyer pays the fee to eBay when purchasing from UK private sellers (excluding Cars, Motorcycles & Vehicles, Classified Ads and Property).
Buyer Protection is included at no cost to the buyer when purchasing from business sellers, or from private sellers based outside the UK.
Is this fee optional?
The Buyer Protection fee is applied to all items listed by UK-based private sellers*. It's not an optional fee, as we want everyone to be able to benefit from these protections.
*Excludes Cars, Motorcycles & Vehicles, Classified Ads, and Property
Why do some items include a buyer fee and others don't?
We've made it free to sell for private sellers. To support this change, we charge a buyer fee to cover Buyer Protection services and help ensure a trusted experience when purchasing items from private sellers. For listings by business sellers, Buyer Protection is added at no extra cost. Business sellers already pay transaction fees with each item that sells.
Buyer Protection is included at no cost for purchases of listings from private sellers not registered in the UK.
Buyer Protection is not included on Cars, Motorcycles & Vehicles, Classified Ads and Property listings.
How is this fee calculated for Auctions and Offers where the final selling price isn't known?
The auction or offer price you see on the site will always include the Buyer Protection fee. As the Buyer Protection fee is variable, the amount that you actually pay is calculated as part of the final auction selling price, so there won't be any surprises when you go to pay at checkout.
When will the seller receive payment?
Sellers' funds will typically be made available to UK-based private sellers after the order is considered delivered or complete, which is determined by the delivery method:
- For tracked deliveries, the seller will receive payment 2 calendar days after eBay receives confirmation from the tracked delivery service that it was successful.
- For local collection, the seller will receive payment when you exchange the 6 digit code or QR code with your seller.
- If the item includes Authenticity Guarantee, the seller will receive payment after the item is successfully authenticated.
- For items sent via the Global Shipping Programme, the seller will receive payment after the item is delivered to the UK Shipping Centre.
- For untracked deliveries, or tracked deliveries with no delivery confirmation, the seller will receive payment 14 days from the order date.
Payments for purchases from business sellers, and private sellers not registered in the UK, may be sent before we confirm delivery or in-person collection. Business sellers are required to offer returns in most cases.
How will I know if my order is tracked or untracked?
When tracking information is available, you'll see the delivery information in your order details, and funds will be made available to private sellers after the item is considered delivered.
How do I know if I'm buying from a private or business seller?
You can find if the item is being sold by a private seller or business seller from the item page. On the eBay app, you'll see 'Registered as a private seller' or 'Registered as a business seller' under 'About the seller'. From the website, you'll see 'Private' or 'Business' next to the seller's username.
Other terms and conditions
- The Buyer Protection fees displayed on this page are inclusive of UK VAT at 20%
- Depending on the tax legislation of the country where the buyer is located or where the order will be delivered, local Value Added Tax (VAT), Goods and Services Tax (GST) or similar consumption tax might apply on the Buyer Protection fee instead of UK VAT. We will collect tax when we have an obligation to do so. Any tax collected will be included in the buyer's order total at checkout.