How eBay International Shipping works.

It is an eBay program that handles the international part of a sale for you. When an item sells to a buyer in another country, you send it to a shipping hub inside the US, and eBay manages international delivery, customs and returns from there.¹ eBay says the program makes your items available to buyers in almost 200 countries.¹

eBay currently offers it to eligible sellers in the US and Canada only, and says it plans to expand it to more sellers.¹ If you sell from another country, this program is not available to you today, so check eBay's page for the current list before you plan around it.

Eligibility has two layers: the seller and the item. For the seller, eBay lists these requirements:¹

• Above Standard or Top Rated seller performance.
• Eligibility for seller protections.
• Low or Average service metrics.
• Compliance with eBay rules and policies.

For each item, these conditions apply:¹

• The item is physically in the US and listed on eBay.com.
• The item is eligible for export.
• The order total, including shipping, does not exceed $2,500 USD.
• The package is no more than 48 inches long and 84 inches in length and girth combined.
• The billable weight is no more than 44 lbs. For Canada the maximum billable weight is 66 lbs. Billable weight is not the same as actual weight.

eBay also says transaction limits may apply to some accounts, and points sellers to the full program terms.¹ Each order should fit in a single package that meets the weight and size limits.¹

When the program applies to your listings, eBay opts you in. The program becomes your default international option when you offer no other international service, and eBay adds it to your current listings automatically.¹ If you already offer your own international shipping on a listing and the item qualifies, buyers can pick whichever option they prefer. To ship only through the program, eBay says you may need to remove your own international options from those listings.¹

1. An international buyer purchases. eBay tells you when an item sells to an international buyer and gives you the address of the domestic shipping hub.¹
2. You pack the item. Pack it to survive the trip, because you are responsible for getting it safely to the hub. Our fragile items shipping guide and the shipping supplies guide cover packing materials.¹
3. You ship to the hub with tracking. Add tracking details and put the reference number on the label. If you create the label on eBay, this is done for you. Hubs are in several locations, so the address on your label can differ between orders.¹
4. eBay takes over. Once the hub receives the item, international tracking is added so you and the buyer can follow it.¹ International delivery, customs clearance and returns are handled on your behalf.¹

If you buy shipping insurance, you only need to cover the leg to the domestic hub. eBay says that if the item is lost during international delivery, it refunds the buyer and you keep the sale.¹ For handling time and tracking deadlines on the domestic leg, see how long sellers have to ship on eBay.

Once the hub accepts your item, eBay lists several protections for you:¹

• You are not obliged to refund the buyer for loss or damage during international shipping or at the hub.
• The sale is protected from eBay Money Back Guarantee cases, payment disputes, and item not received claims and chargebacks.
• Open Not as described returns do not count against your service metrics.
• Negative or neutral feedback about item handling during international shipping is removed.

These protections depend on the item reaching the hub safely, which is why packing and tracking on your side still matter. If an item is damaged before it gets to the hub, that is a normal domestic shipping problem.

eBay says there is no extra charge to ship with the program and you are not charged an international fee. For the fees and selling costs that apply to you, eBay sends sellers to its selling fees page.¹

The buyer pays the US domestic shipping and handling cost you set, the international shipping charge, and other fees eBay determines. Import fees such as customs duties, taxes and brokerage can be collected from the buyer at checkout or on delivery.¹ That means the international leg is not paid out of your pocket, but the domestic charge you set is what covers your label to the hub, so price it to cover your real cost.

To see what a sale leaves you after eBay's normal fees and your shipping label, run the numbers in the eBay fee calculator. This guide does not state how final value fees treat the shipping amount under the program, because we have not confirmed that on an eBay page; check eBay's selling fees page for that.

When a buyer purchases several items from you, eBay combines the order automatically if it is eligible. Combining does not happen when the order costs more than $1,000 USD, the listing is auction style, the item was bought through Best Offer or a seller offer, or the items exceed the program's package limits. It is also skipped if the buyer pays import fees at checkout for some items and on delivery for others.¹

Items covered by eBay's hazardous, restricted or regulated materials policy, or that break its international trading policy, cannot ship through the program. eBay also lists categories it cannot ship because of export limits, including standalone lithium batteries, flammable fragrances, aerosols, high value jewelry, drones, stamps, coins and paper money, and firearm parts. eBay says the list is not exhaustive and may change, so read the full list on its page before relying on it.¹

If you exclude certain shipping locations, you can choose whether eligible items still ship to those places through the program. In Shipping Preferences, select Edit next to Exclude shipping locations and adjust the toggle at the top; when it is On, eligible items ship to your excluded locations through the program.¹ If you use shared settings across listings, the business policies guide explains how policies work.

Items shipped to the UK must comply with applicable UK rules, and some goods sent into the US need a Consumer Product Safety Commission certificate. Check the program page for the current details.¹

eBay processes international returns for you. Because buyers can return items up to 30 days after delivery under international legal requirements, eBay automatically applies a 30 day return policy to items shipped through the program. When a buyer opens a return, eBay refunds the buyer and you keep the sale. Returns go to an inspection hub first, and eBay usually issues the refund within 5 to 7 business days of the item arriving there.¹

Returned items, and items that could not be delivered, may not come back to you.¹ Factor that into which items you are comfortable sending abroad, especially pieces you cannot replace.

You can opt out at any time, and eBay asks for a reason.¹ For the broader picture of eBay shipping choices, see our eBay shipping guide for resellers.

1. Go to My eBay and select Account.
2. Select Shipping Preferences.
3. Select Opt Out on the right side of eBay International Shipping.
4. Select Done.

To rejoin, wait 24 hours after opting out, then select Enroll next to eBay International Shipping in Shipping Preferences.¹ If you opt out, your shipping exclusions stay the same for both program items and your own international shipments.¹

Strooply does not run eBay International Shipping or work out its fees, hub labels or import charges. You manage the program in eBay's Shipping Preferences. What Strooply does is take a photo, identify the item and pull live eBay listings for the same thing, so you can judge what an item is worth before deciding whether it is worth shipping abroad. Its profit tracking, based on your eBay sync, helps you see what each sale left after costs. See how Strooply works.