Should I accept an eBay offer?

Start with the offer price

Compare the buyer's offer with your original asking price, but do not stop there. A GBP 5 discount on a high-margin item may be fine. The same GBP 5 discount on a low-value item can wipe out most of the profit.

Use the eBay Offer Calculator to enter the asking price, buyer offer and minimum profit target. This shows estimated profit and a minimum offer for your chosen target; it cannot predict whether the buyer will accept a counter-offer.

Include the boring costs

• What you paid for the item.
• The postage label you will actually buy.
• Packaging, tape, labels and printing costs.
• Promoted listing rate, if the item is promoted.
• Any seller fee assumption that applies to your account or category.

Small costs matter more on small items. If you regularly accept offers, it is worth keeping a default packaging cost and a default minimum profit target.

Private seller mode

The calculator includes a UK private seller mode where the seller fee percentage and fixed fee fields are not used. That is a planning shortcut, not a promise that every eBay situation has no seller cost.

If eBay shows a seller fee, if you sell as a business, or if the listing has special treatment, use the custom fee fields and copy the numbers from the final eBay screen.

When to counter instead of accept

If the offer is below your target, try entering a counter-offer price. You are looking for the lowest price that still covers costs and leaves a profit you are happy with.

It can also help to check parcel size before replying. If the packed item is likely to jump from large letter to small parcel, the offer may be worse than it first looks.

Compare the offer with a counter-offer

Suppose an item cost £12, postage costs £3.29, packaging costs £0.45 and the buyer pays £3.49 postage. With no seller fee, promotion or return allowance, a £25 offer leaves £12.75 before tax. A £28 counter-offer would leave £15.75: £3 more if it sells. Neither figure tells you the chance of making that sale.

Keep the cost assumptions the same when comparing offers. If the buyer adds another item or asks for different delivery, recheck the packed parcel and postage before comparing the totals. A lower item price alone does not change its dimensions or weight.

Think about the time cost too

Profit is not only a spreadsheet number. A very small profit may still be fine for clearing space at home, but it may not be worth photographing, packing, messaging, posting and handling a possible return if you are selling regularly.

For repeat sellers, a minimum profit target keeps decisions calmer. For example, you might decide that low-effort items only need a small profit, while bulky, fragile or awkward items need a larger margin because they take more time and carry more risk.

Clearing space and trading are different comparisons

For an item bought specifically to resell, purchase cost belongs in the profit calculation. When clearing out an item bought for personal use years ago, the amount originally paid may help describe the overall loss, but it is not new cash you must pay to accept today's offer. Keep sale proceeds after today's selling costs separate from profit after the original purchase cost.

For example, a £25 offer plus £3.49 postage, less a £3.29 label and £0.45 packaging, leaves £24.75 before other fees. Subtracting the £12 purchase cost gives £12.75 profit. They answer different questions, so label the figure you use.

Examples checked 1 September 2026. Fee rules and the promotion basis are explained with source links on the calculator page. Estimates do not include income tax or the value of your time.

Useful seller tools