Last updated: 27 March 2026. Buyer Protection fees and benefits will apply to purchases on eBay.com.au from 12 May 2026 (excluding Vehicles and Classified Ads).
A Buyer Protection fee applies when purchasing from sellers who:
- Have Australia as their registered address on eBay, and
- Don't have an eBay Pro plan
Buyer Protection is included at no additional cost when purchasing from Pro sellers.
Tip
The Buyer Protection fee, if applicable, is already included in the item price that you see when browsing on the site and in any bids or offers you make, so there are no surprise fees at checkout. You'll see a breakdown of your order total – including the Buyer Protection fee per item (if applicable) – when you check out and also in your order details.
What does Buyer Protection include?
With Buyer Protection, you benefit from:
- 24/7 customer service: Chat live with a real person whenever you need help
- Risk monitoring and fraud detection: We actively monitor marketplace activity to identify risk and potential fraud and take action to keep you protected
- Secure transactions: All payments are encrypted end-to-end and handled by our trusted payments partners
You still benefit from additional free leading services like eBay Money Back Guarantee - opens in new window or tab, as well as Authenticity Guarantee - opens in new window or tab (for eligible items and categories).
How is the fee calculated?
When purchasing from Australia-based sellers who don't have a Pro plan, the Buyer Protection fee is calculated as:
- A flat fee of $0.30 per item, and
- 8% of the item price up to $20, and
- 6% of any portion of the item price from $20 to $500, and
- 4% of any portion of the item price from $500 to $5,000
There's a cap on the total fee amount you'll pay. Any portion of the item price over $5,000 won't incur any additional fee.
Examples of how we calculate the Buyer Protection fee
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Listing for a t-shirt
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Item price set by the seller
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$10
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Buyer Protection variable fee
(8% of $10)
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$0.80
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Buyer Protection flat fee
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$0.30
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Price that buyer sees for the listing
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$11.10 + postage
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Listing for wireless headphones
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Item price set by the seller
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$38
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Buyer Protection variable fee
(8% of $20, + 6% of $18)
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$2.68
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Buyer Protection flat fee
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$0.30
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Price that buyer sees for the listing
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$40.98 + postage
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Listing for a used designer handbag
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Item price set by the seller
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$2,500
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Buyer Protection variable fee
(8% of $20, + 6% of $480, + 4% of $2,000)
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$110.40
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Buyer Protection flat fee
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$0.30
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Price that buyer sees for the listing
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$2,610.70 + postage
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Buyer purchases two separate items listed by the same seller
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Item price set by the seller (item 1)
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$60
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Item price set by the seller (item 2)
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$20
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Buyer Protection variable fee for item 1
(8% of $20, + 6% of $40)
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$4
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Buyer Protection variable fee for item 2
(8% of $20)
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$1.60
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Buyer Protection flat fee
($0.30 x 2)
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$0.60
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Price that buyer sees at checkout
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$86.20 + postage
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Listing for a rare watch
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Item price set by the seller
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$7,500
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Buyer Protection fee variable
(8% of $20, + 6% of $480, + 4% of $4,500, + 0% of $2,500)
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$210.40
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Buyer Protection flat fee
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$0.30
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Price that buyer sees for the listing
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$7,710.70 + postage
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Refunds
When you receive a full refund for a cancellation, a return or an item that didn't arrive, the Buyer Protection fee will also be refunded in full.
If you receive a partial refund, your refund will include a proportional refund of the Buyer Protection fee. For example, if you receive a refund from the seller of 50% of the item price, you'll be refunded 50% of the Buyer Protection fee that you paid.
Example of how we calculate a partial refund of the Buyer Protection fee
A buyer purchased a vintage dress for $60 and paid a Buyer Protection fee. When the buyer received the item, they contacted the seller to let them know that there was a stain on the sleeve that hadn't been disclosed in the listing. The buyer wanted to keep the item, so the seller offered them a refund of $15 of the item price, which the buyer accepted.
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Original item price set by seller
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$60
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Buyer Protection fee
(8% of $20 + 6% of $40 + $0.30)
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$4.30
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Original total paid by buyer
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$64.30
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Item refund to buyer
(25% of original item price)
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$15.00
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Buyer protection fee refund to buyer
(25% of $4.30)
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$1.08
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Total buyer refund
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$16.08
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If you return an item and the seller deducts from your refund based on the item condition, the full Buyer Protection fee will be refunded.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays the Buyer Protection fee?
The buyer pays the fee to eBay when purchasing from Australia-based sellers who don't have a Pro plan (excluding Vehicles and Classified Ads).
Buyer Protection is included at no additional cost to the buyer when purchasing from Pro sellers, or from sellers based in other countries.
Is this fee optional?
The Buyer Protection fee is applied to all items listed on eBay.com.au by sellers registered in Australia who don't have a Pro plan (excluding Vehicles and Classified Ads). It's not an optional fee, as we want everyone to be able to benefit from these protections.
Why do some items include a buyer fee and others don't?
We've made it free for Australia-based sellers with up to $25,000 in annual total sales to sell on eBay.com.au. This means they don't pay transaction fees when their item sells. To support this change, we charge a buyer fee to cover Buyer Protection services and help ensure a trusted experience when buying on eBay.
When purchasing from Pro sellers or from sellers whose registration address is outside Australia, Buyer Protection is included at no additional cost. These sellers already pay transaction fees with each item that sells.
Buyer Protection is not included on Vehicles and Classified Ads.
How is this fee calculated for auctions and offers where the final selling price isn't known?
The auction or offer price you see on the site will always include the Buyer Protection fee. As the Buyer Protection fee is variable, the amount that you actually pay is calculated as part of the final auction selling price, so there won't be any surprises when you go to pay at checkout.
What is a Pro seller?
An eBay Pro plan gives sellers access to advanced selling features, including a branded storefront on their profile page, as well as expanded postage and payout options. These sellers also pay transaction fees when their item sells.
Pro sellers includes sellers who have chosen to subscribe to an eBay Pro plan in order to access advanced selling features, as well as those whose total sales in the preceding full 12 months exceeds AU $25,000 (which automatically triggers the Pro Starter plan as their default selling experience). Learn more about eBay Pro - opens in new window or tab.
How do I access 24/7 customer support?
You can easily get in touch and connect with an agent by chat or email any time of day or night. To make sure you get the right help, an automated assistant will ask a few questions before connecting you with a team member.
You can also talk to eBay Customer Service on the phone during business hours (9am – 6pm AET Monday to Friday).
How does eBay monitor risk and detect fraud?
Our technologies and programs are designed to regularly monitor and flag suspicious activity, including potential fraud, and take action to prevent harm before it happens.
We also enforce a comprehensive set of policies designed to create a fair, safe and efficient marketplace for both buyers and sellers. These policies cover various aspects of the customer journey, from listing an item to post-sale obligations.
One of the ways we protect customers is through how we manage funds availability. We typically make funds available to sellers registered as individuals only after the order is considered delivered or complete, which is determined by the delivery method. When the seller has met the required criteria, including number of sales and cases, they can receive their funds faster. We may also place a hold on funds in certain circumstances, for example, if there's an open case or dispute on a transaction, if a buyer reports a problem with the order, if the seller's account is flagged as restricted or suspended, or if the seller has a negative account balance.
What does 'secure transactions' mean?
Payments are encrypted end-to-end and handled by our trusted payment partners, whose secure technology processes transactions safely and reliably.
Other terms and conditions
- The Buyer Protection fees displayed on this page are in Australian dollars and are inclusive of Australian GST at 10%
- Depending on the tax legislation of the country where the buyer is located or where the order will be delivered, local Value Added Tax (VAT), Goods and Services Tax (GST) or similar consumption tax might apply on the Buyer Protection fee instead of Australian GST. We will collect tax when we have an obligation to do so. Any tax collected will be included in the buyer's order total at checkout.
- Buyer Protection fees may also apply to purchases completed on other eBay sites. For more information, see our Buyer Protection fee page on eBay.co.uk - opens in new window or tab