Guides / Selling
eBay fees for musical instruments in the UK (2026)
What eBay charges when you sell music gear, for private and business sellers, with worked examples. Fees checked October 2026.
The short answer: private sellers pay no selling fee on most items; the buyer pays a Buyer Protection fee on top. Business sellers pay 10.9% of the total (postage included), plus 0.35% and 40p per order, all before VAT.
Private sellers
eBay UK now charges private sellers no final value fee on most items, music gear included. Instead the buyer pays a Buyer Protection fee, added at checkout:
| Part of the item price | Buyer Protection fee |
|---|---|
| Every item | 10p flat |
| Up to £20 | 7% |
| £20 to £300 | 4% |
| £300 to £4,000 | 2% |
| Over £4,000 | Nothing more |
You don't pay it, but buyers see the total. On a £300 item they pay about £12.70 extra, so price with that in mind.
Business sellers
For Musical Instruments & DJ Equipment, without an eBay Shop:
- Final value fee: 10.9% of the total sale, postage included.
- Regulatory operating fee: 0.35% of the total sale.
- Per-order fee: 40p (30p on orders of £10 or less).
- VAT: these fees are quoted before VAT. If you aren't VAT-registered, you pay 20% VAT on top of them.
Worked examples
| Sale | Private seller pays | Business seller pays (before VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| £80 pedal + £8 postage | £0 (buyer pays £3.90 protection fee) | £10.30 |
| £300 synth + £15 postage | £0 (buyer pays £12.70 protection fee) | £35.84 |
To run your own numbers, with postage and repairs, use the flip profit calculator.
Am I a private or a business seller?
If you buy gear to resell at a profit, eBay and UK consumer law may treat you as a business seller, even part-time. Clearing out your own gear is private selling. eBay explains the difference in its help pages, and it's worth reading before you register. This isn't legal or tax advice.
Separately, eBay and other marketplaces report sellers to HMRC once they pass 30 sales or about £1,700 in a calendar year. Reporting doesn't mean tax is owed, but keep records of what you paid and sold for.
eBay or Marketplace?
- Facebook Marketplace: no fee for a local, cash-on-collection sale. Best for heavy gear: amps, monitors, digital pianos.
- eBay: a far bigger audience, and better for small, valuable gear that posts easily: pedals, interfaces, mics, modules.
- Reverb: a music-only marketplace with buyers who know the gear. It charges a selling fee plus payment processing, so check its fee page.
What a model actually sells for matters more than the fee. The used gear price guide has UK ranges for popular gear.