All sellers on eBay.co.uk are required to specify a domestic P&P for deliveries within the UK.
There are limits to P&P charges in certain categories for deliveries within the UK. New listings for which P&P charges exceed these limits will be blocked.
Offer free or discounted P&P
Listings with free P&P or multiple-item postage discounts are attractive to buyers, and can encourage buyers to purchase additional items from you.
To offer free P&P, tick the box next to Free P&P when you list your item. Learn more about specifying your postage costs and locations.
More reasons to offer free P&P:If we can confirm a buyer did not pay for postage, you'll automatically receive a 5-star detailed seller rating for Postage and packaging charges.
When buyers search for items, they can sort results by Price + P&P. Items with free P&P or low postage costs will rank higher.
If your item's likely to arrive within 3 working days, it can qualify to be promoted with eBay FAST & FREE.
Offer a fast delivery option
Even if you offer a free postage option, buyers appreciate the choice of being able to pay for faster delivery. So it's a good idea to offer an express delivery option. For large or heavy items, you should also consider offering the option of collecting the item in person.
Get help with finding a postal/delivery service available to UK sellers
When you list your item you can choose from several postage services and estimated transit times.
Here are the fast delivery methods that are available on the listing form:
Postal/delivery service name |
Delivery speed |
Royal Mail 1st Class Standard |
Standard: 1-2 working days |
Royal Mail 1st Class Recorded |
Standard: 1-2 working days |
ParcelForce 48 |
Standard: 1-2 working days |
Other 48 Hour Courier |
Standard: 1-2 working days |
Royal Mail Special Delivery™ Next Day |
Express: 1 working day |
Royal Mail Special Delivery™ 9:00 am |
Express: 1 working day |
Royal Mail Tracked Next Day |
Express: 1 working day |
ParcelForce 24 |
Express: 1 working day |
Other 24 Hour Courier |
Express: 1 working day |
Express delivery from outside UK |
Other services: 1-4 working days |
Tip: If you offer a fast delivery method with free P&P, your item may qualify to be promoted with eBay FAST & FREE.
Specify the location of the item
You should accurately describe the location of your item using the postcode where it's located. Accurately describing where your item is located makes it more attractive to buyers in your area, because they could save on postage and get their item more quickly.
You'll especially benefit if you're selling large, heavy, or fragile items that need to be collected in person.
Remember that misrepresenting the location of your item is against our policies.
Make sure your postage costs are reasonable
If you're not sure, check our selling practices policy. Use our Postage Estimator tool or visit the Postage Centre to work out the actual cost of posting your item.
Tip: If you offer to post an item internationally, provide the buyer with an accurate delivery estimate. This will make your item more attractive to international buyers. Find out more about posting internationally.
Provide an accurate dispatch time
Dispatch (or handling) time is the time between when the buyer's payment clears and when you send the item. We add your dispatch time to the transit time for the delivery service(s) you offer to give buyers an estimated delivery time and to work out which items qualify for eBay FAST & FREE.
Always include an accurate dispatch time in your listing. Buyers expect items they purchase online to be delivered quickly. It's best to try and dispatch all your items within 1 working day of the buyer's payment being cleared. If possible, dispatch the same day you get the buyer's payment.
Tip: Buyer dissatisfaction increases significantly when dispatch times are longer than 3 days. We strongly encourage dispatch times of 3 days or less.