How to Make Money on eBay for Beginners in 2023: 26 Tips

Item Pricing Tips to Make More Money on eBay

1.) Use Odd Numbers in Your Listing Price

My next trick is using odd numbers for EVERYTHING.

You'll notice in my example above on the shipping charges that all of my numbers are odd numbers. This is on purpose.

It has been proven that buyers perceive odd numbers as a pre-calculated break-even point for the seller.

For example, when you see something listed for $20, do you think the seller took the time to figure out the cost of the item, plus shipping, plus eBay fees, plus the profit they'd like to determine the price to charge? No. They came up with a random number in their head that “sounded good” and set it as the sales price.

As a buyer, you feel like they'd be ready to negotiate since they clearly didn't put much thought into their $20 number.

Now, if the seller had put $19.65 or $19.83, you'd subconsciously think that there's a reason for those precise numbers. You'd believe that the seller did calculations to come up with that exact price to charge that would make sense for their business.

As a buyer, you'd be less likely to negotiate, thinking they'd crunched numbers to arrive carefully at that number.

The moral of the story is always to use odd numbers…in your list prices, in your offers, in your Buy It Now prices, and in your shipping fees.

2.) Use .97, .95 or .89 Cents in Listing Prices

This trick means that instead of $12, you should do $11.95 or $11.97, or $11.89.

It not only uses the odd numbers rule I discussed above but also takes advantage of the cents. This rule is important for 2 reasons:

At $11.89, the buyer is likely to see the item as costing $11 instead of $12. In their head, because they see the $11, they'll often think $11.

The other reason is that you want to be the first item that comes up in a search.

For example, if a buyer searches for the item you listed and then selects “sort by lowest price”, you want to make sure that your item is below the other seller's items for $12.

At $11.89, you're getting almost $12, but your item is going to be listed before the other $12 items and it uses the odd numbers rule so you have a better chance at making the sale.

This brings me to my next trick…

3.) Research Your Competitors' Pricing and Charge a Few Cents Less

This is one of my favorite tricks!

One of the first things I do when I post a new item is check to see what it's already listed for on eBay.

Why? I do this because it doesn't matter what you want to sell it for. What matters is what someone will pay for it.

You want to research what the other sellers are charging for the same or similar item for a few reasons.

The first reason you'll want to do this is to know the approximate price to sell your item for. The other reason is that you want to price your item below the others.

If someone does a search for “Kate Sommerville Exfolikate”, they will most likely sort by the lowest price.

If the lowest price of the same item is currently $27, you want to price yours at $26.89. A buyer doesn't care if they're only saving 10 cents. They just want the cheapest item.

I can almost guarantee you'll get the sale before your competitors. I once sold 20 items of one product in a week because I priced it a penny lower than all of the competitors.

It works. Trust me.

4.) Put the Retail Price in the Description (or the reason it's higher than retail)

I love this tip! Always put the retail price of the item in your description. I often say something like:

Selling for $29.89. Retails for $46.

You want to remind the buyer that they're getting a great deal.

If you're selling the item for MORE than the normal retail price, remind the buyer why it warrants the higher price. Things like “collector's item” or “no longer sold” or “last one” or “hard to find” are great in the description and perfect to add to your title!

5.) Always Do “Buy it Now” or “Buy it Now and Auction”

I highly recommend always having Buy It Now options in your listings.

In fact, even if you want to do an eBay auction, always make sure to have Buy It Now as an option.

Buyers often want things they can purchase right away. They often don't want to wait or they forget, or accidentally miss the window of opportunity to bid on the item.

You can set your pricing for everything so you might as well set a “Buy It Now” price for an ideal (or even wishful) price you'd like to get. This way, if a buyer really wants it and doesn't want to wait for the auction, they can buy it right away (for likely way more than the auction will land at anyway). It's a win/win for you!

Item Listing Tips to Make More Money on eBay

6.) Offer 30 Day Returns

Offering returns to your buyers gives them trust when buying the product.

It gives them peace of mind knowing that if something is wrong with the item, you will take care of them.

Let's be honest, we all like purchasing from places where returns are easy.

If I can't return an item, I steer clear of it. I don't want to deal with the hassle if I don't like it. (This is why we all love Amazon and Nordstrom. Am I right, ladies?!)

In other words, buyers will be put off by your listing if they don't trust that you're a good seller giving them peace of mind and standing by your product.

Plus, 9 times out of 10, they will not return it anyways so it's really no big deal.

7.) Fill in All Fields

Make sure you fill in all fields of your listing. Research the item online, get dimensions, and a summary.

In fact, the more details you put in your listing, the more chance a buyer will be able to find you.

For example, if a buyer types in “light pink dress size small” and your listing is for a “pink dress 2”, your listing won't show up in their search results. If you described your item as light pink in the description and fields and then also said that it is similar to a size small, it would have showed up in the search results.

Be as descriptive as possible, especially with the drop-down columns.

For example, buyers will choose “blue” in their filter criteria and if yours doesn't have “blue” selected from the drop-down field, it definitely won't show up.

8.) Add in Item Number/SKU

If you have the SKU/Item Number, definitely add it to your listing!!

Often, buyers know exactly what they want and will just search for the SKU or Item number. If you don't have it in your listing, your item won't show up in their search results.

9.) Add the Item Condition in the Title

In the listing title, make sure to put the condition of the item/description of the item by using one of the abbreviations above.

10.) Keep Your Listing Title Simple

Make it simple, easy, and descriptive.

I've found that buyers are looking for 5 things: Brand, color, type of item, condition, and size. Therefore, list your items with only those things (for the most part). For example, I will list “Michael Kors Black Dress NWT Size Small”.

In fact, buyers are looking for those 5 specifics when looking for an item so keep it simple and short.

No exclamation points. No “buy it now”. Make it easy to read and short.

11.) Include at LEAST 3 Pictures (5 is ideal) and TAKE GOOD PICTURES

Customers like to know EXACTLY what they are buying. Include as many pictures as possible, but aim for at least 3 and if possible, 5. The more, the better! I've noticed when I have at least 3, I get faster, easier sales for more money. Take pictures of everything, including tags, flaws, front, back, etc.

Also, TAKE GOOD PICTURES!!! I always think this is an obvious one, but I've seen thousands of terrible ebay pictures.

Put your item in good lighting, with a neutral backdrop. I like to lay my item on a white bedspread or a marble counter or a hardwood floor, etc. Just make sure the background is one color.

If you need to, brighten up the pictures in a phone app. You want them bright and catchy. If they don't catch your eye, they sure as heck won't catch the buyers. You can brighten your photos in a free app called Lightroom.

Shipping Tips to Make Money on eBay

12.) Change Your Shipping Strategy Based on the Item Cost

Should you charge a fee for shipping?

Should you offer free shipping, but increase the price of an item to cover your shipping cost?

Great questions!

For me, it depends on the item. It's a marketing strategy. I do both, but for different items.

I charge shipping for high cost items and offer “free shipping” for low cost items.

It makes no difference to you cost-wise because you will be charged the eBay % fee on the total amount (item plus shipping). This is about marketing your item to attract the highest-quality buyer.

Related Article: Poshmark vs EBay: Which One Makes You More Money?

Free shipping is great because the buyer only has to focus on the cost of the item. I use free shipping for my smaller, lower-cost items.

I'd say anything under $20-$30, I will offer free shipping. It's easier for everyone, including myself.

Charging for shipping should be a tactic used for more expensive items. (Side note: Almost all of my items can be shipped for $3-5 so I make sure to always charge enough for a profit and shipping cost.) Therefore, any additional amount I make via shipping charges goes straight into my pocket.

I typically will put a $7.35 rate for items $30-$50 and a $12.23 shipping rate for items over $50.

In these instances, the buyer will see the $7.35 and automatically think $7 in their head. They'll quickly verify in their head that $7 would be the normal cost of shipping and hopefully go forward with their order.

For the higher-end items, buyers that see the $12.23 shipping rate for an item over $50 will usually think $10 in their head.

It's all about perception and marketing.

If I have a $70 item with $12.23 shipping, I'll be getting $82.23, but the buyer will feel like they are purchasing a $70 item with the cost of shipping that can't be avoided.

At the most, they'll subconsciously round down to $80. Meanwhile, you're selling them an item at $82.23 and your actual cost for shipping is $3-$5 so you profit some extra cash.

Rounding is key when selling online. You want buyers to “round down” in their head subconsciously.

Every extra dollar you make adds up over time.

13.) Offer 1-2 Day Handling

Customers want their items quickly so try to offer 1-2 day handling on all of your items.

This is no skin off your back because you'll likely get it out that quickly anyways.

If you're out of town when a sale comes through, just send them a quick message telling them when you can ship it. The buyers are always really nice about it and will tell me it's no problem at all.

They don't want to wait 4-5 days before the item is shipped and you'll risk sales if your handling time is too long.

This brings me to my next tip.

14.) Ship Quickly

This goes hand in hand with the reasoning behind number 9. Buyers don't want to wait for their items. They're excited to get it. That's why they bought it.

Choose the lowest cost shipping service that will ship the quickest.

Get their item to them quickly so they can start enjoying it!

15.) Confirm the Shipping with the Buyer

Right after I ship the product, I'll send my buyer a message typically saying something like this:

Hi NAME,

Thank you so much for your purchase of XYZ! I just wanted to let you know I've shipped your item! I hope you enjoy it! Thank you so much again and have a wonderful day! =)

Lisa

This gives a personal experience for the buyer.

In addition, it gives you a better likelihood of getting a positive review from the buyer. They're more likely to review you and you want as many reviews as possible to gain trust in the buying community!

16. ) Make Your Shipment Aesthetically Pleasing

Buyers like to open something that feels like a present.

If you're shipping clothing or a small item, wrap the item in cute tissue paper. On the contrary, if you're shipping something larger, write a kind note! Give it a personal touch.

Also, make sure your item is shipped in decent packaging. Don't reuse the same packaging from other packages over and over.

The buyer wants to get an item they feel like is clean and well taken care of.

17.) Yes to the Global Shipping Program

I always choose to participate in the Ebay Global Shipping Program.

This is a no-brainer tip for how to make money on eBay as this will open your listing up to international buyers!

It makes no difference to you. You will get the same amount of money for your listing.

The Global Shipping Program just means that your item will go to Ebay's warehouse when it's sold and they will send it to the international buyer.

Therefore, it doesn't matter to you either way because you are shipping the item to somewhere in the USA.

Marketing Tips to Sell Items Fast on eBay

18.) Promote Your Item

If you go to your seller dashboard, you can likely click on an item's info and it will ask you if you want to promote your item.

I typically like to promote my items and the best part about this feature is that you choose the price you want to pay AND you only pay if someone purchases your item through that ad.

It's a win-win because if you only want to pay 1% for the ad, then eBay will post your ad accordingly.

However, you won't pay the 1% unless someone buys your item through that ad.

I see it as a no-brainer because even if someone does buy it through the ad and you have to pay 1%, most likely, that buyer wouldn't have bought your item anyways.

They saw your item advertised and were compelled to buy it. You get the sale for an item you wouldn't have sold to that same buyer. It makes sense.

Related: How I Make $500 A Month on Ebay

19.) Send Offers to Buyers

When you go to your seller dashboard, you may sometimes see an option to send offers to watchers.

Watchers are people that have favorited your item and are an active audience interested in your item. This audience is GOLD to you.

By using this eBay feature to send a personalized offer to your watchers, only they will get the deal.

They have 24 hours to act on the deal so it gives a sense of urgency to the buyer.

Oftentimes, they'll take the deal and you make a sale!

Seller Tips to Make More Money on eBay

20.) Increase Your Review Rating by Buying Things on eBay

Having a high review rating as a seller will help you sell more items. All buyers want to buy from reputable sellers.

Did you know you can increase your positive reviews and number of reviews by just buying items on eBay? It doesn't have to just be through selling.

This is a key tip to drive more reviews, build more trust with buyers, and ultimately make more money on eBay.

To get your reviews higher and build more trust for prospective buyers, make a point to buy things on Ebay (and hope that the seller will give you a good review).

I had a friend that needed 35 reviews on eBay so that she could sell designer items as a trusted seller (I believe that rule has now changed). I advised her to start buying her everyday items, gifts, etc.

We got her reviews up in no time!

Buying and selling reviews count toward the same review bucket in the eyes of eBay.

21.) Always Call Out ALL FLAWS