eBay Selling Trends 2026: Growing Categories, Fees and Profit
Which categories eBay says are growing, what eBay UK charges in each one, and how to work out the profit on an item before you buy stock.
No one publishes profit figures by eBay category. Profit depends on what you paid for the stock, and only you know that. Two things are published: eBay reports where buyer spending is growing, and eBay’s fee page shows what eBay charges in each category. This guide sets out both and then shows how to work out the profit on an item yourself.
Where buyer spending is growing
eBay’s most recent results cover April to June 2026 and were published on 5 August 2026. Sales through eBay were $22.4 billion in those three months. That is 14% more than a year earlier, after adjusting for exchange rates.
eBay calls some categories its focus categories. Sales in the focus categories grew 26% and were more than 40% of all sales on eBay for the first time. Since total sales grew 14%, sales in the other categories grew by less than 10%. eBay named these areas of growth:
- Collectables. This was the largest contributor to growth. eBay said trading cards drove it, both sports cards and collectable card games.
- Vehicle parts and accessories. eBay Motors added about two percentage points to growth, mostly from parts and accessories.
- Fashion. eBay said luxury and pre-loved items led the growth.
- Sales by private sellers. These grew by more than 20%, faster than sales on eBay as a whole.
These are worldwide figures. Sales in the United States rose 24%. Sales in all other countries together, including the UK, rose 6%. eBay does not publish category figures for the UK. eBay also told investors to expect slower growth in the next three months, partly because trading card sales a year earlier were already high.
What eBay has reported about the UK
eBay published its Recommerce Report in November 2025. It surveyed about 16,000 consumers in nine countries. In the UK, 46% of people surveyed said they buy pre-loved goods at least once a month. That was the highest share of the nine countries. In the UK results, 72% said they buy pre-loved clothing and 35% said they buy pre-loved tech. Saving money was a reason for 79%, and 92% said they plan to spend the same or more on pre-loved goods.
UK private sellers have paid no final value fee since October 2024. In its 2026 results, eBay said the number of active UK sellers was at its highest since 2023. In a separate survey of eBay sellers for the same report, 86% said they sell their own belongings.
A UK business seller of used goods therefore competes with private sellers who pay no final value fee. The private versus business seller guide shows the difference on an example sale.
What eBay charges in each category
The table shows eBay UK’s final value fee for a business seller, and the total fees on a £50 order and a £500 order. The totals include the 0.35% regulatory operating fee and the £0.40 per-order fee. They are before VAT and do not include advertising or an international fee.
| Category | Final value fee | Fees on £50 | Fees on £500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile phones, laptops and tablets | 6.9% up to £1,000, then 3% | £4.03 (8.1%) | £36.65 (7.3%) |
| Video game consoles | 6.9% up to £400, then 2% | £4.03 (8.1%) | £31.75 (6.4%) |
| Vehicle parts and accessories | 9.5% up to £750, then 3% | £5.33 (10.7%) | £49.65 (9.9%) |
| Books, music, films and video games | 9.9% | £5.53 (11.1%) | £51.65 (10.3%) |
| Collectables, trading cards, toys and sports memorabilia | 10.9% | £6.03 (12.1%) | £56.65 (11.3%) |
| Clothes, shoes and accessories | 11.9% | £6.53 (13.1%) | £61.65 (12.3%) |
| Home, furniture and DIY | 11.9% up to £500, then 7.9% | £6.53 (13.1%) | £61.65 (12.3%) |
| Business, office and industrial | 12.5% | £6.83 (13.7%) | £64.65 (12.9%) |
| Women’s bags and handbags | 12.9% up to £800, then 7% | £7.03 (14.1%) | £66.65 (13.3%) |
| Watches | 12.9% up to £750, then 3% | £7.03 (14.1%) | £66.65 (13.3%) |
| Jewellery | 14.9% up to £1,000, then 4% | £8.03 (16.1%) | £76.65 (15.3%) |
The lowest final value fee in the table is 6.9% and the highest is 14.9%. Several categories charge a lower rate on the part of a sale above a set price. A £1,500 watch pays £124.90 in fees, which is 8.3% of the sale. A £50 watch pays 14.1%. Trainers are charged 11.9%, or 7% when the item sells for £100 or more.
A low fee does not mean a high profit
The fee is one of three numbers that decide your profit. The other two are what the stock cost you and how much of it sells.
The two examples below use made-up stock costs to show the calculation. Replace them with your own figures.
- A refurbished phone sells for £250 with free postage. Fees are £18.53. If the phone cost £200 and postage cost £5, the profit is £26.47. That is 10.6% of the sale price and 13% of the £205 you spent.
- A bundle of trading cards sells for £25 plus £1.50 postage. Fees are £3.38. If the cards cost £10 and postage cost £1.50, the profit is £11.62. That is 43.8% of the sale and 101% of the £11.50 you spent.
The phone pays a lower fee rate and makes more profit per sale. The cards pay a higher fee rate and make more profit for each pound spent on stock. The fee rate alone does not tell you which item is more profitable for you.
The four growing areas for a UK seller
Trading cards and collectables
The final value fee is 10.9%. In the Collectables category, the per-order fee is £0.10 on orders of £10 or less. eBay has extended its Authenticity Guarantee to UK trading cards worth more than £500. Card prices change with new releases and tournaments, and eBay itself expects slower growth. Buy at prices that still leave a profit if prices fall.
Pre-loved and luxury fashion
Clothing is charged 11.9%. Trainers are charged 7% when the item sells for £100 or more. Handbags are charged 12.9% up to £800 and 7% above that. eBay now authenticates more than 100 fashion brands in the UK and US. In July 2026 eBay completed its purchase of the resale app Depop for about $1.4 billion. On low-priced used clothing, a business seller competes with private sellers who pay no final value fee.
Vehicle parts and accessories
The rate changed on 12 February 2026 from a flat 8.9% to 9.5% on the first £750 and 3% above that. Tyres are charged 6.9%. In 2026 eBay launched a programme called Easy and Free Returns for UK parts. Check how that programme applies to your listings, and include the cost of returns when you work out your profit.
Refurbished tech
Phones, laptops and tablets have the lowest final value fee in the table, at 6.9%. In eBay’s survey, 35% of UK respondents said they buy pre-loved tech. The phone example above shows a profit of 10.6% of the sale price. At that margin, one faulty unit that has to be written off removes the profit from several sales.
Add the cost of advertising
From April to June 2026, advertising was 2.7% of everything sold on eBay, and eBay’s own ad products brought in $570 million, 25% more than a year earlier. If you plan to use Promoted Listings in a category, add the ad rate to the fees in the table before you work out the profit. The Promoted Listings guide explains how the ad fee is charged.
How to check a category before you buy stock
- Look at sold prices. Search for the item on eBay and filter by Sold items. Sold prices show what buyers paid. Asking prices do not.
- Compare the number sold with the number listed. Product Research in Seller Hub shows both. If one listing in ten sells in a month, your stock will take a long time to sell.
- Work out the profit from the sold price. Take the sold price and subtract the fees from the table, the postage and the cost of the stock. The break-even pricing guide has the formula.
- Buy a small batch first. Your first few sales show whether the item sells at the price you expected.
Sources
- eBay Inc. second quarter 2026 results, published 5 August 2026
- Value Added Resource: report on eBay’s second quarter 2026 earnings call
- eBay Recommerce Report, UK press release, 18 November 2025
- eBay UK selling fees for business sellers, last updated 30 September 2026
- eBay UK seller news: fee changes from 12 February 2026
Next guide
UK eBay Fees Explained goes through each fee eBay UK charges, with the full table of final value fees by category.
Market figures are those eBay published on the dates shown. They describe eBay as a whole, not any one seller. Fee rates are taken from eBay’s UK fee page as last updated on 30 September 2026 and can change. The stock costs in the examples are made up for illustration. This guide is general information, not financial advice. Growth in a category in the past does not mean it will grow in future.