eBay has expanded its international shipping programme to the UK to help small businesses, entrepreneurs and casual sellers reach customers overseas.
The company confirmed International Shipping will begin rolling out to UK sellers in August.
The service will give sellers access to more than 136 million buyers across over 195 countries and territories, while eBay handles customs documentation, tax and duty calculations, international delivery, carrier management and post-sale support.
Under the programme, sellers will only need to send purchased items to eBay’s UK shipping hub, with the marketplace managing the international leg of the delivery.
For the first time, eBay will also handle returns requested by international buyers. The buyer will be refunded at no cost to the seller, while the seller’s payout will be protected and the item will not be returned to them.
The new service builds on eBay’s existing Global Shipping Programme and follows previous launches in the US and Canada.
eBay said UK sellers already export millions of products each year, with Australia, Germany and Switzerland recording the strongest increases in buyer demand over the past 12 months.
However, the marketplace said administrative and regulatory barriers continued to discourage smaller companies from selling overseas.
It cited research showing that 64 per cent of small and medium-sized businesses trading with the EU had experienced difficulties with customs documentation, while 29 per cent reported a lack of information or clear guidance.
The programme will be available to both private and business sellers, including individuals selling unwanted items or operating a side hustle.
eBay said sellers would be able to access international customers at no additional cost, with international selling fees waived.
eBay UK general manager Eve Williams said: “We’ve listened to sellers’ feedback to make eBay International Shipping our most comprehensive international shipping solution yet, reinforcing eBay as the marketplace of choice for UK sellers.
“At a time when international trade can feel increasingly complex, we’re making global selling simpler, helping millions of UK sellers spend less time navigating logistics and more time growing their business.”
Fox Black owner Michelle O’Beirne, who sells through eBay, said international returns had previously been a significant barrier because arranging local return labels from overseas could be complicated and expensive.
“With eBay International Shipping, eBay will be handling international returns on my behalf, which makes overseas selling much easier and cost-effective to manage and lets me take on more international orders to support business growth,” she added.
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