Shipping discounts let you offer buyers savings on shipping when they purchase multiple items from you. Offering a shipping discount may encourage buyers to buy additional items from you.
Listings with shipping discounts appear to buyers with the message: "Save on shipping." When buyers pay for more than one item and your shipping discounts are set up and activated, eBay will automatically calculate the shipping discount and deduct it from the total shipping cost. The shipping discount will be shown to your buyers when they complete payment.
Note: To offer shipping discounts, you must offer combined payments. For more information on combined payments, see Using combined payments. You set your shipping discounts in My eBay Preferences.
You can offer shipping discounts whether you sell many similar items or a wide variety of items. If you want to expand a rule to fit your needs better, you can create profile names. Profile names are a way for you to manage your shipping discount rules. See more information on managing profiles.
You can specify the following for shipping discounts on combined purchases:
Set shipping discounts
To set up shipping discounts:In My eBay, click the Site Preferences link in the Account section.
Click the Show link to the right of the Shipping Preferences section.
Click the first Edit link.
Click the Create or Edit links under the shipping discount rules to add rules or make changes.
Note: To exclude an individual item from shipping discounts, clear the Combined shipping discounts check box in the shipping section when you list your item. A buyer may still send a combined payment to you, but a shipping discount will not be applied.
Flat shipping rules
Flat shipping rules will apply to all listings for which you specify flat shipping costs and combined shipping discounts. Select one rule, and then apply profiles to the rule.
Charge the buyers the shipping cost for the item with the highest shipping cost, and then add an additional cost for each item that they purchase from you. Select the Add an amount for each additional item option, and then enter a shipping cost for each additional item.
Example: A buyer purchases 3 items with a shipping cost of $5.00 plus $2.00 for each additional item. The combined shipping cost for these items would be $9.00 ($5.00 + $2.00 + $2.00).
Charge the buyers the shipping cost for the item with the highest shipping cost, and then ship free of charge any additional items that they purchase from you. Select the Add an amount for each additional item option, and then select the Free shipping check box.
Example: A buyer purchases 3 items with a shipping cost of $5.00 plus $0.00 (free shipping) for each additional item. The combined shipping cost for these items would be $5.00.
Charge the buyers the shipping price for the item with the highest shipping cost, and then subtract a shipping cost for each additional item that they purchase from you. Select the Subtract an amount from each additional item option. Then, select the Dollars option. Enter the amount that you want to subtract from the original shipping cost.
Example: A buyer purchases 3 items with a shipping cost of $5.00 minus $2.00 for each additional item. The combined shipping costs for these items would be $11.00 ($5.00 + $3.00 + $3.00).
Charge the buyers the shipping price for the item with the highest shipping cost, and then subtract a percentage for each additional item that they purchase from you. Select the Subtract an amount from each additional item option. Then, select the percentage option. Enter the percentage that you want to subtract from the original shipping cost.
Example: A buyer purchases 3 items. One item has a shipping cost of $7.00, another has a shipping cost of $5.00, and another has a shipping cost of $3.00. You specified that the buyer be charged the highest shipping cost and receive 50% off shipping for each additional item. The combined shipping costs for these 3 items would be $11.00 ($7.00 + $2.50 + $1.50).
Calculated shipping rules
Calculated shipping rules will apply to all listings for which you specify calculated shipping and combined shipping discounts.
Calculate the shipping price by the individual weight of each item. This rule assumes you are shipping all items separately. Select the Do not combine item weights (no discount) option.
Calculate the shipping price by the combined weight of each item. This rule assumes you are shipping the items in a single package. Select the Combine all item weights option.
Calculate the shipping price by the weight of each item, and then subtract a specified number of ounces for each additional item that a buyer purchases from you. You may want to select this option when you've added packaging weight (such as boxes and other packing materials) for individual items that won't be needed when the items are combined in a single package. Select the Combine all item weights and subtract an amount option. Then, enter the number of ounces that you want to subtract from the package weight.
Example: You have listed 3 items and each item weighs 1 pound. You have specified U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail as your shipping service. The shipping cost for each individual item is $4.80. A buyer purchases 3 items and you have specified that 8 ounces be subtracted from each additional item purchased. The total weight for the items would be 2 pounds (1 pound + 8 oz. + 8 oz.) and so the total shipping cost would be between $4.80 and $8.25 depending on the buyer's location. The buyer could save between $1.15 and $3.25 by combining the package weights and subtracting ounces.
If you specify a handling cost, it's added to the calculated shipping cost. The handling cost is not displayed to buyers separately – it's included in the shipping cost.
The options for handling costs are:
Charge a handling cost for each item. This adds a handling cost to each item in the package. Select the Specify your handling cost in the Sell Your Item form option.
Charge a handling cost for the entire order. This will add one handling cost for a package of combined items. Select the Specify a handling cost for an order option, and enter a handling cost.
Change a handling cost for each additional item. This lets you add or subtract a handling cost to each additional item in a package. Select the Specify a cost for each additional item option. Then select whether you want to add or subtract a handling cost from each additional item, and enter an amount.
Promotional shipping rules
Promotional shipping rules apply to all listings that have combined shipping discounts (for both flat and calculated shipping costs). When buyers qualify for your promotional shipping rule, the promotion takes priority over existing flat and calculated shipping rules.
Spend a specified amount on 2 or more items and shipping is free or discounted.
Example: You can specify that if a buyer purchases 2 items for a total of $25.00, the buyer receives free shipping. Or you can specify that if a buyer purchases 2 or more items for a total cost of $25.00, the buyer pays only $2.00 for shipping.
Buy a specified number of items and shipping is free or discounted.
Example: You can specify that if a buyer purchases 4 or more items from you, the items will be shipped free. Or you can specify that if a buyer purchases 4 or more items from you, the total shipping cost will be $2.00.
Charge a maximum shipping amount for a single order.
Example: You can specify that a buyer be charged no more than $5.00 for shipping if the buyer purchases more than one item from you.
Managing profiles
Profiles are a way for you to manage your combined shipping discount rules. When you select a rule for your shipping discounts, you can specify the amount you want to charge for shipping each additional item. One way to manage shipping discounts is to name your profile something easy for you to identify and remember.
Example 1: You use flat shipping and name one profile “Light items” and specify $1.00 as the additional cost per item. You name another profile “Heavy items” and specify $3.00 as the additional cost per item.
Example 2: You use calculated shipping and name one profile “Light items” and specify 3 ounces as the weight for each additional item. You name another profile “Heavy items” and specify 5 ounces as the weight for each additional item.
You select the profile name in the Sell Your Item form when you add shipping discounts to your listing.
To create a combined shipping discount rule with a profile name:In My eBay, click the Site Preferences link in the Account section.
Click the Show link to the right of the Shipping Preferences section.
Click the first Edit link.
Click the Create or Edit link under the shipping discount rules to add rules or make changes.
If you want to add profiles to your rule, click the Create profiles (advanced) link.
Enter a name for your profile that's easy for you to remember.
Enter the information for your discount, and click the Finish button.
To apply shipping discounts:In the shipping section when you list your item, select the Combined shipping discounts check box.
If you have profile names, select the profile that you want to apply to the listing.
Note: When you delete profile names, listings with that profile name will no longer have combined shipping discounts. However, if the listing has any activity, such as a bid, then the combined shipping discount profile will still apply.
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