Founded in 1995, eBay pioneered online auctions and still maintains the treasure-hunt excitement that hooked early internet shoppers. Since its first days, the platform has evolved into a full-fledged marketplace for second-hand and brand-new products, and both auction and instant-purchase options. The site boasts hundreds of millions of monthly visits and connects over 134 million active buyers, with about 17.6 million sellers worldwide. There are more than 2.3 billion listings live on eBay at any time—if you can think of a product, someone on eBay’s probably selling it.
eBay enables entrepreneurs to start selling with minimal investment—you can list a few thrifted items to start and scale from there. It’s a low-barrier online marketplace that lets anyone profit from reselling used items, while also supporting fully developed businesses with branded products and manufacturer relationships.
How to make money on eBay
- Find lucrative niches and trending products
- Source your inventory strategically
- Use eBay’s search algorithm to your advantage
- Price strategically and factor in selling fees
- Try promoted listings and discounts
- Deliver excellent customer service
- Expand through multichannel selling
- Pursue international buyers
Whether you’re a casual reseller or a growing small business, the key question is how to stand out and maximize your profits on eBay’s marketplace. Here are eight tips to help you make money selling on eBay:
1. Find lucrative niches and trending products
It’s easier to break into eBay if you find sought-after products that aren’t widely listed already. Sophia Amoruso famously built Nasty Gal from an eBay store into a fashion empire by sourcing one-of-a-kind vintage pieces others had overlooked. Her early success shows that discovering your ideal product niche—the items you can uniquely source and market better than others—can turn a simple marketplace account into a lucrative business.
Start by using eBay’s research tools to find ideas. For example, you can check the eBay Trending Deals page for insight into what’s popular at the moment, and use the advanced search tool to search for “sold items” to see how similar items have sold in the past 90 days. Completed listings are useful for judging how long items sit at auction, and they also show the prices buyers are willing to pay.
Tools like Terapeak Product Research (available for free in eBay’s Seller Hub) go further by providing historical data and sell-through rates for specific keywords or product categories. If an item shows a 10% sell-through rate on Terapeak, it may be too slow-selling to bother with, but an 80% sell-through is a sign of strong demand.
2. Source your inventory strategically
Aim to find initial inventory at the lowest cost possible (or even for free). Successful eBay sellers often get creative in sourcing products. Common inventory sourcing strategies for profitable items include:
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Thrifting and yard sales. Find undervalued secondhand items locally (antiques, collectibles, brand-name clothing, etc.) and resell them for a profit online. Many eBay flippers start by selling items from second-hand shops, estate sales, or garage sales.
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Wholesale and liquidation lots. Buy products in bulk from wholesalers, liquidation auctions, or clearance blowout sales. The bulk savings result in a lower cost per item, which increases your profit margin when reselling individually on eBay.
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Dropshipping. eBay dropshipping allows you to list items on the platform without purchasing or storing any inventory—when you make a sale, you purchase the product from a third party who ships it directly to the buyer. If you go this route, use reputable dropshipping suppliers and adhere to eBay’s dropshipping policy.
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Handmade crafts. If you’re artistically inclined, consider selling your handcrafted creations like jewelry, decor, and artwork. These unique creations can be made in small batches to test out market demand before you scale production.
3. Use eBay’s search algorithm to your advantage
Cassini, eBay’s internal search algorithm, determines which listings show up (and in what order) when buyers search for a keyword. The algorithm uses a best match system, considering factors such as how closely your title and keywords match the search query, your item’s popularity and sales history, pricing, listing completeness, shipping speed, and your seller performance.
Keyword research can help you create titles and descriptions that use the same terms buyers use. eBay listings with titles of more than 60 characters are 1.5 times more likely to sell, so be as specific and descriptive as possible. Setting buyer-friendly terms will also impact your visibility on the platform because Cassini tends to favor listings with generous return and shipping terms. Seventy-one percent of purchases on eBay are shipped for free, and offering free shipping (or at least reasonable shipping) can improve your conversion rate.
Cassini also heavily factors in listing performance metrics. For example, how many people click your listing when it appears (click-through rate) and how many end up buying (conversion rate) both influence your ranking. To boost these metrics, ensure you have eye-catching photos (eBay lets you add up to 24 photos) and clear pricing and consider running sales or coupons to entice buyers. Sales history matters too: Listings that have sold more units rank higher, so some sellers price aggressively at first to build up a positive sales track record. Conversely, poor seller performance (late shipments, many defects) will hurt your search standing. Ultimately, if you excel in these areas (SEO, pricing, service), Cassini will reward you with higher visibility.
4. Price strategically and factor in selling fees
Start by researching the going rate for your item: Check sold listings for similar-condition items and note the average price. This gives you a realistic benchmark for what buyers will pay.
Next, factor in all your costs. eBay selling fees are roughly 13.6% of the total sale price on most categories (that percentage will vary slightly by category). For a $100 sale, that means eBay keeps about $13.60, plus a fixed order fee of around 30¢. If you offer free shipping, remember it isn’t free to you—build that cost into your price. The same goes for any Promoted Listings ad rate (e.g., a 5% ad fee on a $100 sale is $5).
Test psychological pricing strategies: If others charge $50 plus $5 in shipping costs, you might offer $55 with free shipping—the total is the same, but “free shipping” can be more enticing. Experiment with auction-style listings instead of relying solely on fixed-price formats, as setting a low starting price can attract more initial bidders, creating buzz that can drive items to sell for higher final values.
For a fee, you can set a reserve price above your starting price to reflect the minimum amount you’re willing to sell an item for. Unlike the starting price, the reserve price remains hidden from buyers—they can only see whether or not it has been met. If the final bid is below your reserve price threshold, you don’t have to sell the item.
Lastly, decide if you’ll accept best offers (which allow for negotiation on Buy It Now listings), and set auto-decline rules to filter any lowballs.
5. Try promoted listings and discounts
To accelerate sales, take advantage of eBay’s marketing tools. If you sign up for Promoted Listings, eBay takes a commission to promote your listing in search results and charges a fee if a buyer clicks on your promoted listing and purchases within 30 days of that click. Ad rates are flexible (the higher the commission, the more aggressively eBay promotes your product); even a modest ad rate (say 2% to 5%) can increase impressions, especially in competitive categories. Monitor your campaigns and adjust the ad rate to find a sweet spot where the extra sales outweigh the eBay fees.
Beyond paid ads, you can use eBay’s built-in promotions to drive purchases. The Discounts Manager in Seller Hub lets you run deals like order discounts (e.g., “Buy 2 get 10% off”), coupons, or sale events where your items show a strikethrough price. These promos create urgency and incentivize buyers to choose your listings over others. For example, offering a multi-item discount can encourage larger orders. Promotions attract bargain-hunters and can also boost your item’s engagement metrics (clicks, watchers, sales), which positively impacts organic search placement over time.
6. Deliver excellent customer service
While customer satisfaction matters for every business, eBay particularly incentivizes positive feedback by directly incorporating your rating percentage into search visibility through its Cassini algorithm. eBay also rewards top-notch sellers. If you maintain excellent metrics (low defects, fast handling) and offer generous return policies, you can earn a Top Rated Plus seal on your listings, which comes with a 10% final fee discount and a boosted search ranking. Even without that badge, the same rule applies: Great service leads to great feedback and ratings.
Respond to buyer questions promptly, be honest and detailed in descriptions (to set correct expectations), and ship orders on time (or ahead of schedule). Pack items securely and provide customers with tracking and shipping details. If something goes wrong (like a damaged or delayed item), handle it professionally and offer a fair solution (like a refund or replacement) to turn a negative experience into a positive one.
7. Expand through multichannel selling
Once you’ve found success with your eBay store and built a recognizable brand, consider expanding your reach by selling on multiple channels. You might migrate from eBay to Shopify for full control of the customer experience, including the option to email customers directly with special offers and further build your own distinct brand. Or, you could maintain both channels to maximise exposure.
Shopify’s eBay integration (available as a third-party tool through the Shopify App Store) lets you sell on two platforms simultaneously, capturing both eBay’s audience and your own branded storefront visits. This connection syncs inventory in real time and funnels all eBay orders directly into your Shopify dashboard, creating a unified view of your online sales regardless of where customers purchase. This means if an item sells on one platform, stock levels update on the other automatically, preventing overselling. You’ll also save time by managing product info, messages, and fulfillment from one place. By listing on multiple platforms, you put your products in front of more shoppers.
8. Pursue international buyers
Another way to grow your eBay profits is to sell internationally. eBay’s marketplace is truly global: Your listings can be visible to buyers across 190 countries. By opening up your shipping to international destinations (or listing on eBay’s international sites), you massively increase your potential customer base.
eBay’s international shipping program helps minimize the hassle of international online selling by handling customs and import fees for you, and even covering returns—once you ship the item to eBay’s domestic hub, they take care of delivery to the buyer and will process any international returns on your behalf.
How to make money on eBay FAQ
How do beginners make money on eBay?
Beginners can start making money on eBay by selling items they already own or utilizing sources of inexpensive inventory (like thrifted goods or wholesale purchases) to learn the ropes. Focus on popular products, create clear and attractive listings, and provide great customer service—as you gain experience and positive feedback, you can gradually scale up your eBay shop and determine how much inventory to keep on hand.
How much does eBay take from a $100 sale?
It depends on the category, but generally eBay will take roughly 13.6% of the total sale price. For a $100 item, expect around $13.60 in final value fees (including any payment processing fee), plus a small fixed order fee (about 30¢).
How much can I realistically make with eBay?
Your earnings on eBay can range from a few extra dollars a week to a full-time income—it really depends on what you sell and how much effort you put in. Many casual sellers make a few hundred dollars a month flipping used items, while dedicated entrepreneurs (with the right products and volume) can scale to thousands in profit per month.
