Skip to main content
My eBaySellCommunityCustomer Support
Français
Popular products
No suggestions.
Hide eBay suggestions
Advanced

2010 Fall Seller Update

Fall 2010 Update
Overview
Stay on top
Shipping enhancements
Buyer communications
Category, Item Specifics & Item Condition updates
Seller checklist
Tips & tools to edit listings
eBay.com announcement
Offer discounts in the Shipping Calculator

Offer more competitive shipping rates with the Shipping Calculator

Attract more buyers this holiday season with deals on shipping. Starting in October, you'll be able to specify shipping discounts through the Shipping Calculator and have them show up in search results and on the item page. Take advantage of this new functionality to pass along savings on domestic and international shipping.

Highlights
Take Action
Frequently Asked Questions


HIGHLIGHTS

Shipping Calculator no longer limited to "retail rates." Now you can use the Shipping Calculator to better reflect your true cost of shipping. Set a domestic discount and an international discount and pass the savings on to your buyer.

Offer competitive shipping for the holidays. Adding discounts you get from your carrier to the Shipping Calculator can decrease shipping costs on all your listings so you can be more competitive for the holidays.

Attract more customers. Buyers will see discounted calculated rates in search results and on the item page, driving more traffic to your listings.


TAKE ACTION
  • Check your carrier rates to determine your discount off the carrier's retail rate.

  • If you use eBay's Shipping Calculator in your listings, decide on a discounted rate for domestic and international shipments that can help make your listings more competitive and boost your holiday traffic.

  • When printing a shipping label from eBay, you can save 25% on Canada Post domestic shipments via Expedited Parcel™, and 25% on Canada Post US shipments via Expedited Parcel™-USA. Click here to learn more

  • If you do not use eBay's Shipping Calculator in your listings but think it makes good business sense with the discounts, follow the steps below to change your shipping preferences.


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is eBay's Shipping Calculator and what's changing?
eBay's Shipping Calculator automatically calculates Canada Post shipping costs for your buyers based on the size and weight of the packaged item and the location of the seller and buyer. Currently, the Shipping Calculator provides Canada Post's retail rate for shipping costs. With this change, you can specify a discount off the retail rates for both domestic and international shipments in the Shipping Calculator.
How do I use calculated shipping costs in my listings?
In the "Give buyers shipping details" section of the selling form, select "Calculated: Cost varies by buyer location."
 How can I benefit from this change?
Like many sellers, you may be receiving discounts from Canada Post off their regular rates. This change allows you to specify a discount to your buyers - one discount for domestic and one for international - to better reflect your true cost of shipping and make your listings more attractive to buyers.
 Can I set any discount or are there limits?
You can choose to apply a discount of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 50, 60, and 70 percent off of the retail domestic and international rates.
 How do I set up the discounts?
To set your discounts follow these steps:
  1. Go to the Account tab in My eBay and choose "Site Preferences"
  2. Find "Shipping Preferences" and click "show" on the right
  3. Find "Offer Discounts in the Shipping Calculator" and click "edit"
  4. Specify the type of discount and the amount of the discount and click "Save"
Your listings with the Shipping Calculator will be updated automatically.

 Can I set different discount rates for domestic and international shipping?
Yes. You can set one discount rate for domestic shipping services and a different discount rate for international shipping services.
 I use both Canada Post and UPS Canada for my shipments. Can I set one discount rate for Canada Post shipping and a different discount rate for UPS Canada shipping?
At this time, you can select one discount for Canada Post domestic and one for Canada Post international. UPS Canada rates are not currently available in eBay's Shipping Calculator.
I offer different levels of service, like Canada Post Expedited Parcel and Canada Post Xpresspost. Can I set discounts for different service levels from Canada Post?
No. You can select only one discount for domestic services, and one discount for international services. The discount rates you select will apply to all Canada Post services.
 I ship some items from within Canada and some items from within the United States. Can I set different calculated shipping discounts for my Canadian-origin shipments and my US-origin shipments?
Yes. You can set up your discounts for Canada Post calculated shipping on eBay.ca, and also set up discounts for USPS and UPS shipments with US points of origin on eBay.com.
 Do I have to edit my listings to take advantage of the discounts?
No. Once you set your discounts in My eBay they are automatically applied to all your listings with the Shipping Calculator.
What if I don't use calculated shipping?
This functionality is only applicable if you use the Shipping Calculator in your listings.
 What Canada Post and UPS Canada discounts are available to me as an eBay seller?
Some sellers have negotiated rates with carriers. Canada Post and UPS Canada offer special discounts for eBay sellers.
Do I have to offer shipping discounts if I use the eBay Shipping Calculator?
No. Offering shipping discounts is your choice. However, buyers may take shipping cost into account when they are choosing which listing to buy. Try testing a shipping discount in some of your listings to see how many additional sales it drives for you.