eBay will default to passing shipping discounts on to buyers
Starting October 1, 2026, eBay will by default pass discounts on shipping labels purchased through the platform on to buyers. Sellers must opt out by September 25.
What are the key facts?
- 1Effective October 1, 2026
- 2Opt-out deadline: September 25, 2026
- 3eBay Labels
- 4Shipping discounts passed on to buyers
What happened?
eBay issued sellers a notice about its shipping-label policy, covering discounts generated when transportation labels are purchased through eBay Labels. Under the new arrangement, starting October 1, 2026, the relevant discounts will by default be passed directly to buyers and reflected in the shipping charges shown to them. Sellers who do not want to participate must opt out through their account preferences by September 25, 2026. eBay said the adjustment is related to product competitiveness during the fall and holiday sales season, and that the platform wants to support sales through more attractive shipping displays for buyers. The policy applies to sellers using the platform’s shipping labels and changes how discounts are shown and applied to order shipping charges.
What does this mean for cross-border sellers?
The change in how eBay Labels shipping discounts are allocated will directly affect products whose profitability depends on shipping-cost differences. If sellers review only product prices without recalculating total order costs, shipping can erode profits more easily during promotional periods. Highest-priority action: This week, review shipping settings and the account opt-out option item by item, then recalculate order profit for core products.