Over 130 million users from all corners of the world visit eBay every month. Access to such an immense audience enables online sellers to thrive and expand their businesses beyond their domestic markets.
Still, the platform has 18.3 million active seller accounts, so reaching your brand’s target audience is anything but easy when you first start selling internationally.
This task is even more challenging for sellers who offer their products on international markets, but despite these difficulties, 49% of eBay’s revenue comes from international operations.
Expanding beyond your domestic eBay market can ensure your brand’s long-term growth and increase its profitability.
However, the path to eBay’s international buyers isn’t straightforward, so this guide will cover all you need to know about international selling on one of the most visited online marketplaces in the world.
Get our 2025 ecommerce calendar to stay one step ahead of your competitors on eBay’s domestic and international markets.
Key takeaways
- eBay operates on more than twenty international markets and delivers products to 190 countries.
- 75% of eBay sellers are based in the US, the UK and Germany.
- The majority of sales on eBay are made from mobile devices.
- There are 2.1 billion active listings on eBay sites.
- eBay’s GMV for the Q3 of 2024 was $18.4 billion, slightly over the platform’s GMV in 2023.
- Sellers can set the international and domestic shipping preferences for each of their listings.
- Home décor, smartphone accessories, and apparel are some of the most popular product categories among eBay’s international buyers.
Overview of eBay’s international markets
eBay is one of the oldest online marketplaces that has shaped the ecommerce landscape for nearly three decades.
Moreover, it is also one of the pioneers in international selling, as its sites in the UK and Germany were launched in 1999, only four years after the platform’s launch in the US.
The company has steadily expanded its presence in the international market, but despite perpetual growth, the US, the UK, and Germany remain among its largest markets.
Consequently, market penetration is difficult for novice international sellers due to fierce competition and high market saturation. It is essential to bear this in mind when choosing an international eBay market or markets you’d like to enter.
So, expanding your operations to Mexico instead of trying to gain a foothold on eBay’s European markets might be easier and more profitable if you’re a US-based seller since the number of sellers on eBay’s Mexico site is considerably lower than the number of sellers on eBay’s United Kingdom or Germany markets.
Meeting the requirements for international selling on eBay
Contrary to what you may think, you don’t have to be an accomplished eBay seller to start selling internationally, but maintaining good seller performance is crucial. This option is available to all sellers who meet the following requirements:
- Have an eBay account in good standing
- Collect ten or more feedback points as a seller
- Three months have passed since their first sales on eBay
You only have to meet these three conditions to start selling internationally on multiple eBay sites. Remember, products from specific categories are ineligible for international sales. Hence, you cannot sell video games or car parts outside your domestic eBay market.
It’s also worth noting that all products you want to sell on eBay’s European markets must meet the GPSR requirements.
Additionally, you must either obtain the information about the EU responsible person from your suppliers or appoint the EU responsible person and add their information to your listings before offering products on any of the EU’s online markets.
The market research stage involves much more than checking the legal and tax compliance requirements you must meet in order to place your brand’s product on a particular market.
You must also understand its cultural nuances and shopping habits and analyze the competition in your niche to determine whether expanding your brand’s operations to that market would be profitable.
Choosing the products and creating international listings
Identifying opportunities on eBay’s international markets requires laser focus and attention to detail. According to the latest data, there are 2.1 billion live listings on eBay, indicating that sellers on all of eBay’s markets are facing tough competition.
As a result, choosing the products you’ll offer on a new international market can be more complex than it seems because you may not be able to achieve competitive pricing due to international shipping costs and other fees.
You must consider the product’s size and weight, available shipping options, and how much it would cost to deliver such an item to potential customers or one of eBay’s International Shipping hubs.
Besides finding the most cost-effective shipping solution, you must also ensure that each listing you place on an international market is adequately localized. This involves:
- translating product descriptions
- converting product sizes and currencies,
- SEO listing optimization, and much more.
That’s why planning all aspects of your brand expansion to a new eBay market is vital for its long-term success.
The key facts about eBay’s International Shipping Program
The logistics management of getting products you sell on eBay’s international markets can be overwhelming for most SMBs, even if they already have a reliable domestic shipping solution, and cause them to hesitate to expand beyond their domestic markets.
That’s why eBay International Shipping and Standard International Delivery programs have been expanding to encourage top-rated sellers to start selling internationally.
The eBay International Shipping program is available to US sellers and has been gradually rolled out to include sellers from other parts of the world. US-based sellers must meet the following criteria to be considered for this program:
- Have top-rated or above-standard seller performance
- Have an eBay account registered in the US
- Meet the eligibility requirements for Seller Protection
- Full compliance with eBay’s policies and rules
- Have Low or Average Service Metrics Rating
Moreover, sellers cannot ship products through this program to worldwide shipping locations unless their items meet these requirements:
- All products must be based in the US (only applies to US sellers)
- The product must be eligible for export, and its value must not exceed $2,500.
- The package’s maximum size is 84 inches in length and girth or 48 inches in length.
- The package’s maximum billable weight for all countries except Canada is 44 lbs. The maximum billable weight for Canada is 66 lbs.
eBay hasn’t made the eligibility criteria for participation in the International Shipping Program for non-US sellers public.
Currently, participation in this program is by invitation only for international sellers, which makes it hard to know when or if you can rely on it as your go-to shipping solution.
eBay sellers can benefit from joining this shipping service program because they don’t have to fill out customs forms and pay duties, refunds, or handle payment disputes and returns. Moreover, participants aren’t responsible for damaged items and late deliveries.
Eligible sellers can choose their shipping preferences by specifying whether they want to ship a product worldwide, to a specific region, or a country for each listing or using the ‘As a standard rule’ option to automatically set the shipping destinations for all listings you create.
You can still sell your products on multiple eBay markets even if you’re not eligible for the International Shipping Program. All you need to do is explore shipping options, find a 3PL solution that meets your needs, and add international self-shipping to your listings from the Seller Central page.
Managing payments from international buyers on eBay
If you already have an eBay account, you already know that all sellers must allow eBay to manage payments for them. Opting into this program also enables sellers to sell their products abroad in foreign currencies and receive payments in their account’s default currency.
Sellers can choose whether to receive funds on their bank or Payoneer accounts and set a weekly, biweekly, or monthly payout schedule.
Using the managed payment option allows sellers to offer buyers a wide range of payment options and choose whether they want to accept payments from PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or credit and debit cards.
eBay handles currency conversion for all funds in foreign currency into your account’s default currency, so it’s worth keeping in mind that the amount you’ll receive may be lower than your actual earnings due to exchange rates and fees.
The currency exchange fee depends on the product’s price, shipping costs, and taxes. That’s why it’s advisable to learn more about the applicable fees for the eBay market you want to start selling on in advance so that you can avoid potentially costly transactions.
Expanding your online business to new eBay markets
Selling internationally on eBay markets broadens your audience and sets the table for your brand’s growth.
Still, you must conduct thorough market research and carefully plan the expansion into a new market to understand which of your products have the best chances of attracting high numbers of shoppers and boosting your international sales.
You should also strategically approach advertising, listing localization, and optimization, as well as domestic and international shipping options to ensure you provide your customers with high-quality service.
Hence, prior to placing products on a new eBay marketplace, you must be certain that your business has the infrastructure necessary to promote, sell, and deliver products abroad. Webinterpret can help you increase sales on eBay’s international marketplaces.
Contact us to learn more about our solution for eBay sellers.
About Webinterpret
Webinterpret supports merchants selling on eBay.
Our AI-based solutions enable more effective selling through automated listing localization, advertising, and returns and ensure all products placed on EU markets are GPSR-compliant.
By giving your international customers a full, end-to-end local shopping experience, Webinterpret improves your conversion and helps establish your business globally.
