Skip to main content
My eBaySellCommunityCustomer Support
eBay
Site Map
  Home > Help Topics >Selling & seller fees>Selling basics>Selecting a selling format
Help
Browse help
Enter your Help search terms (Example: “contact seller”)  Search Help PagesTips
Selecting a selling format

Selecting the best selling format for your item is key to having the greatest success with your sale. Consider:

  • How the format works

  • The listing duration

  • Fees

  • eBay services such as Feedback and what type of protection is offered if you have problems

A quick comparison

You can quickly compare eBay selling formats in the following table. Read on after that for details about each one.

Selling format

Highlights

Auction-style listing

Sell to the highest bidder or offer Buy It Now or Best Offer.

Duration: 1, 3, 5, 7, or 10 days. Real estate: 30 days

Fees: Insertion, Final Value, and upgrade fees depend on the item and listing options used

eBay services: Complete access to eBay services such as Feedback and problem resolution

Fixed-Price listing

List items at a set price, so buyers can purchase right away (with no bidding). Best Offer is also an option.

Duration: 3, 5, 7, 10, or 30 days, or Good 'Til Cancelled. eBay Store owners can also choose 30 days or Good 'Til Cancelled duration.

Fees: Insertion, Final Value, and upgrade fees depend on the item and listing options used. Good 'Til Cancelled Insertion Fee is charged every 30 days.

eBay services: Complete access to eBay services such as Feedback and problem resolution

Classified Ad

Advertise on eBay just as you'd use a traditional classified ad. You state a price, the buyer contacts you, and you handle the transaction personally.

Duration: Most run for 30 days with the option of Good 'Til Cancelled. Good 'Til Cancelled Insertion Fee is charged every 30 days.

Real Estate ads: 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 30, or 90 days

Fees: Vary by category

eBay services: No access to eBay services such as Feedback and problem resolution

Auction-style listing

How It Works
You receive bids on your item and sell to the highest bidder. You can also include a Buy It Now price in your auction, which lets the buyer purchase the item before the listed end date for the auction.

  • You can list one item or by lots.

  • Your listing appears in the eBay category (or categories) you choose and in search results.

Duration
You can list auction-style for 1, 3, 5, 7, or 10 days. Real estate auctions may also run for 30 days.
Fees

  • You're charged an Insertion Fee to list your item.

  • You're charged a Final Value Fee after the sale.

  • There are fees for optional features and upgrades.

  • See eBay.com fees for details.

eBay services
You have complete access to eBay services such as Feedback and problem resolution.

Fixed Price listing

How it works
You list your items at a set price, so buyers can purchase right away (with no bidding).

  • You can include the Best Offer option in your Fixed Price listing and choose among buyers who name their highest offer.

  • You can offer one item or multiple items for sale at the Buy It Now price anytime during the listing.

  • Your listing appears in the eBay category (or categories) you choose and in search results.

Duration
You can list for 3, 5, 7, 10, or 30 days, or Good 'Til Cancelled. Good 'Til Cancelled renews automatically every 30 days unless all of the items are sold, you end the listing, or the listing violates an eBay policy.
eBay Store owners can also choose 30 days or Good 'Til Cancelled duration. Good 'Til Cancelled renews automatically every 30 days until the item sells or you end the listing.
Fees

  • You're charged an Insertion Fee to list your item.

  • You're charged an Insertion Fee every 30-day period for Good 'Til Cancelled listings.

  • You're charged a Final Value Fee after the sale.

  • There are fees for optional features and upgrades.

  • See eBay.com fees for details.

eBay services
You have complete access to eBay services such as Feedback and problem resolution.

Classified Ad

How it works
You can advertise on eBay just as you'd use a traditional classified ad. You state a price, the buyer contacts you, and you handle the transaction personally.
You can create an ad for these categories:

Businesses for Sale

  • Advertising Inventory

  • Home-Based Businesses

  • Internet Businesses & Websites

  • Manufacturing

  • Marketing

  • Patents & Trademarks

  • Retail & General Stores

  • Service Businesses

  • Vending & Coin-op

  • Wholesale Trade & Distribution

  • Other

  • Construction - Buildings, Modular & Pre-Fab

Trade Show Displays

  • Banner Systems & Signage

  • Pop-Up & Booth Displays

  • Tabletop & Portable Displays

  • Literature Stands & Racks

  • Trade Show Counters & Tables

  • Tradeshow Booth Lighting

  • Travel & Carrying Cases

  • Trade Show Display Accessories - Other

  • Trade Show Displays - Other

Real Estate

  • Commercial

  • Land

  • Manufactured Homes

  • Timeshares for Sale

Specialty Services

Travel

  • Airline

  • Cruises

  • Vacation Packages

  • Travel - Other

Everything Else

  • Advertising Opportunities

  • eBay User Tools

  • Funeral & Cemetery

  • Caskets

  • Cemetery Plots

  • Funeral & Cemetery - Other

  • Information Products

  • Memberships

  • Reward Pts, Incentive Progs – Other

Duration
Most Classified Ads run for 30 days with the option of listing Good 'Til Cancelled. Good 'Til Cancelled renews automatically every 30 days until the item are sold, you end the listing, or the listing violates an eBay policy.
Real Estate ads can run for 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 30, or 90 days.
Fees

  • The Insertion Fee for ads varies by category.

  • Insertion Fees are charged every 30-day period for Good 'Til Cancelled listings.

  • There's no Final Value Fee.

  • There are fees for optional features and upgrades.

  • See Classified Ad fees for fees for most classified ads.

  • See Real Estate fees for details on Real Estate fees.

eBay services
Because classified ads are posted on eBay but the transaction takes place off eBay, you don't have access to eBay services such as Feedback and problem resolution.

Contact Customer Support
If you have an additional question about this subject, email us at Customer Support.
If you would like to ask a question on another subject, please use the Contact Us page.
Contact us

Have a question? We can help.

 Contact us

Ask eBay members

Get help from other eBay members. Visit the Answer Centre to post a question.

Related Help topics