eBay International Shipping (eIS) is eBay’s program for selling to buyers in other countries without handling international shipping yourself. When an international buyer orders, you ship the item to a domestic eBay hub, and eBay takes care of customs, international delivery, import charges, and returns. It replaced eBay’s Global Shipping Program (GSP), which launched in 2013.

• You ship domestically. You send the item to an eBay hub with a domestic label.
• The buyer pays the international costs. That includes international shipping and import charges.
• There is no extra fee. eBay says there is no extra charge to use the program and no international fee. Your usual selling fees still apply.
• eBay handles returns. After the hub accepts your item, you’re protected from most claims, and you keep the sale.
• Eligibility depends on you and the order. Sellers need above-standard performance, and orders must be $2,500 or less, including shipping, and fit eBay’s package limits.

This guide explains how eBay International Shipping works, who is eligible, what it costs, how it differs from the Global Shipping Program, and how it compares with Amazon FBA. Details reflect eBay’s US help page and UK Seller Centre as of October 2026. For wider advice on selling abroad, see our guides to ecommerce international shipping and cross-border selling.

What is eBay International Shipping?

eBay International Shipping lets eligible sellers offer their listings to buyers in almost 200 countries. eBay acts as the exporter, so you don’t need to prepare customs paperwork, choose an international carrier, or collect import charges.

It replaced the Global Shipping Program. eBay began rolling eIS out to US sellers in late 2022 and moved sellers over in phases. It started replacing the Global Shipping Program for eligible international sellers on March 31, 2023, and UK sellers are being enrolled in phases from August 2026. If you still see the Global Shipping Program, or the UK’s Global Shipping Programme, in older guides, they describe the earlier version of the same idea.

How eBay International Shipping works

1. A buyer abroad orders an eligible item. They see the item price, your domestic shipping and handling charge, international shipping, and import charges before they pay.
2. eBay tells you the order is international. eBay notifies you and gives you the address of a domestic shipping hub.
3. You ship to the hub. Add tracking and put the reference number on the label. This happens automatically if you create the label on eBay.
4. eBay takes over. After the hub receives the package, eBay adds international tracking, clears customs, and delivers the order.
5. eBay handles returns and refunds. If the buyer opens a return, eBay refunds them, and you keep the sale.

The hubs are in multiple locations, so you may see different addresses on your labels. If you buy shipping insurance, you only need to insure the package to the hub. If the item is lost during international delivery, eBay refunds the buyer, and you still keep the sale.

Who pays for what

Cost	Who pays
Domestic shipping to the hub	You, usually covered by the shipping and handling charge you set
International shipping	The buyer
Import duties, taxes, brokerage, and fees	The buyer, collected at checkout or on delivery
eBay selling fees	You, as on any sale
Extra charge for the program, or an international fee	None
International returns and refunds	eBay handles them

Who is eligible?

eBay International Shipping is currently available for eligible sellers in the US and Canada, with UK sellers being enrolled from August 2026. eBay says it will expand the program to more sellers.

Seller requirements

• Above Standard or Top Rated seller performance
• Eligibility for eBay’s seller protections
• Low or Average service metrics
• Compliance with eBay’s rules and policies

Item and order requirements

• The item is physically in the US, listed on eBay.com, and eligible for export.
• The order cost doesn’t exceed $2,500, including shipping.
• The package is no more than 48 inches long and 84 inches in length and girth.
• The billable weight is no more than 44 lbs, or 66 lbs for shipments to Canada. Billable weight can be higher than actual weight.

Items covered by eBay’s hazardous, restricted, or regulated materials policy can’t ship through the program. Categories such as knives and swords, drones, standalone lithium batteries, flammable fragrances, high-value jewelry, and stamps, coins, and paper money are also excluded. See eBay’s program page for the full list.

How enrollment works

If you’re eligible, eBay opts you into the program. It becomes your default international shipping option when you don’t offer other international services, and eBay adds it to your current listings. If your listings already offer self-shipping international options, buyers can choose which service they prefer. To use only eBay International Shipping, you may need to remove those options.

You can opt out at any time in Shipping Preferences. If you change your mind, you can enroll again 24 hours after opting out.

Benefits of eBay International Shipping

• More buyers. Eligible listings reach buyers in almost 200 countries.
• No international logistics. You ship domestically, and eBay handles customs, import charges, and delivery.
• No extra fee. There is no charge for the program and no international fee.
• Seller protection. You’re protected from the obligation to refund the buyer, eBay Money Back Guarantee cases, payment disputes, open Not as described returns in your service metrics, and negative or neutral feedback about international handling.
• Claims covered. Once the hub accepts your item, you’re protected against item not received claims and chargebacks.
• Returns handled for you. eBay processes international returns and refunds, and you keep the sale.

Challenges to consider

• Slower delivery. An extra stop at the hub adds days to delivery, and shoppers used to fast shipping may hesitate.
• Costs for buyers. International shipping and import charges can make low-value items less attractive, so check whether your buyers would pay them.
• Limits. The $2,500 order cap, package size and weight limits, restricted categories, and the US-location requirement mean not every item qualifies.
• Returned items may not come back. eBay says returned items and items that couldn’t be delivered may not be returned to you, though you keep the sale.
• Small, light items. For lightweight, low-value products, shipping directly may be cheaper for you and the buyer.

You don’t have to offer everything internationally. With inventory management software, you can see which products sell well abroad and decide which ones to offer.

Returns and refunds

International law means buyers can return items sent through the program for up to 30 days after delivery, so eBay applies a 30-day return policy automatically. When a buyer opens a return, eBay refunds them, and you keep the sale. Refunds usually reach the buyer within 5 to 7 business days of the return arriving at the inspection hub.

Is selling internationally on eBay worth it?

It depends on your products. International selling tends to work best for items with global demand, such as collectibles and niche products, and for heavier or higher-value items where buyers accept the shipping and import costs. It is harder for low-value, lightweight items, where those costs can exceed the price.

Start with a handful of products. Compare your margins with and without international shipping, watch sell-through, and expand from there.

eBay International Shipping for UK sellers

eBay describes eIS as an upgrade to the Global Shipping Programme in the UK. Starting in August 2026, eBay is enrolling eligible UK sellers in phases and sending an email when your account moves. Until then, you don’t need to do anything.

• Your listings update automatically. Eligible international listings move to eIS, and GSP is no longer available once you’re enrolled, even if you opt out of eIS. GSP shipments already in flight continue as before.
• You still ship to a UK hub. The hub address changes, so keep following the instructions for each order.
• The limits differ. Items must be located in the UK, listed on ebay.co.uk, and worth up to £900, not counting duties, the buyer protection fee, and delivery fees.
• Fees. eBay says there are no additional fees for sellers, and international selling fees are waived on eIS orders.
• One label per order. Ship all items in an order together in a single package, with a single domestic label.

eBay International Shipping vs the Global Shipping Program

	Global Shipping Programme	eBay International Shipping
Ship to a domestic hub	Yes	Yes
eBay handles customs and international delivery	Yes	Yes
Countries you can reach (UK comparison)	105	195+
Zero international selling fees	No	Yes
eBay handles international returns and you keep the payout	No	Yes

This comparison comes from eBay’s UK Seller Centre. Eligible sellers who used the Global Shipping Program move to eBay International Shipping, and their listings default to it.

eBay International Shipping vs Amazon FBA

These programs solve different problems, so they aren’t direct competitors. eBay International Shipping covers the cross-border leg of an order: you still store and ship the item domestically, and eBay handles customs and international delivery. Amazon FBA covers storage, picking, packing, and shipping from Amazon’s warehouses.

	eBay International Shipping	Amazon FBA
What it handles	International shipping, customs, import charges, and returns	Storage, picking, packing, shipping, customer service, and returns
Where your stock sits	With you, until you ship to the hub	In Amazon’s fulfillment centers
Sales channel	eBay	Amazon, plus other channels through Multi-Channel Fulfillment
Best for	Selling abroad without managing international logistics	Fast-moving products that benefit from Prime

Many sellers use both. If you sell on eBay and Amazon, one stock count across channels matters more than which program you use. See our Amazon FBA guide and our comparison of Amazon FBA vs 3PL.

Manage international orders with Linnworks

Selling internationally adds orders and stock movements to track. Linnworks connects eBay, Amazon, and 100+ native channel integrations, and syncs stock across them in under 10 minutes so you don’t oversell. Our shipping management tools handle carriers, labels, and tracking for your shipments, and multichannel selling keeps your listings and orders in one place. See also our guide to selling on eBay and eBay’s international sites.

Frequently asked questions