Last updated: 27 March 2026. Buyer Protection fees and benefits apply to purchases on eBay.com.au from 12 May 2026 (excluding Vehicles and Classified Ads).
Do you buy on eBay? Read our article about the Buyer Protection fee for buyers.
Are you looking for information about receiving your funds? See our articles on transaction holds and Getting paid for items you've sold.
A Buyer Protection fee applies to listings from sellers who:
- Have Australia as their registered address on eBay, and
- Don't have an eBay Pro plan
The Buyer Protection fee is added to the item price and paid by the buyer to eBay (excludes Vehicles and Classified Ads). The price that buyers see while shopping on eBay will always include the Buyer Protection fee, so there are no surprises at checkout.
Listings from Pro sellers include Buyer Protection - opens in new window or tab at no additional cost to buyers.
What does Buyer Protection include?
Buyer Protection includes:
- 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.
Learn more about Buyer Protection - opens in new window or tab.
You and your buyers still benefit from 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 Buyer Protection fee calculated?
When an Australia-based seller who doesn't have a Pro plan lists an item on eBay.com.au, we add a Buyer Protection fee to the listing price. This fee is paid by the buyer to eBay. You can review the listing price, the Buyer Protection fee, and the total item price the buyer will see before you complete your listing.
It may take some time to see the Buyer Protection fee reflected in your listing. Typically this delay is only a few minutes but may take up to 24 hours. Australian buyers will always see the total item price.
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
Any portion of the item price over $5,000 won't incur any additional fee.
If a buyer bids on an auction or makes an offer on a listing, the Buyer Protection fee is included in their auction or offer amount, so they know exactly how much they'll pay if they win the auction or if their offer is accepted. As a seller, you see the auction or offer price without the fee, so you know exactly how much you'll receive. As the Buyer Protection fee is variable, the fee amount that the buyer actually pays is calculated as part of the final auction selling price.
When a buyer sends a counteroffer, you'll see the buyer's price breakdown, including the amount you'll receive and the Buyer Protection fee paid to eBay, so you'll have all the information you need to accept or decline the counteroffer.
Refunds
When you refund the buyer in full for a cancellation, a return or an item that didn't arrive, we'll also refund the full Buyer Protection fee that was paid by the buyer to eBay.
If you provide a partial refund to the buyer, we'll provide a prorated refund of the Buyer Protection fee to the buyer. For example, if you refund 50% of the item price, we'll refund 50% of the Buyer Protection fee back to the buyer.
Frequently asked questions
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 international Buyer Protection fee pages for sellers: United Kingdom - opens in new window or tab | Italy - opens in new window or tab | France - opens in new window or tab