Save Money: How to Combine Shipping on eBay!
LAST UPDATED: March 19, 2023 | By Conrad Golly
Are you tired of paying high eBay fees for multiple items on eBay?
The good news is that you can a combined shipping discount and save time by combining shipping on multiple items.
This article will take you through a step-by-step guide on how to combine shipping on eBay, as well as highlighting the advantages of using combined shipping.
In addition, we’ll provide tips for finding great bargains and communicating effectively with your sellers or buyers.
Table of Contents
What is Combined Shipping?
Combined shipping is the practice of buying multiple items from a seller and having them shipped together to have a combined shipping rate on shipping fees.
This is incredibly beneficial for those who buy multiple products from the same seller, as shipping costs usually decrease with each additional item.
Benefits of Combined Shipping
There are several benefits to combining shipping on eBay:
Save money on shipping fees:
Consolidating your orders is a great way to keep your hard earned money and save on a combined invoice.
When you purchase multiple items from the same seller and request them to be shipped together, it saves more than buying each product individually! This obviously gives you substantial savings on delivery costs every time.
Receive items faster:
By bundling your shipments, you are able to save time and streamline the tracking process of all items arriving at once.
Shipping together not only increases efficiency but also allows for a single delivery in one package.
Easier to track items:
Consolidating shipping allows you to keep an eye on a single package rather than having to monitor multiple packages.
This is not only simpler but also guarantees that your possessions will make it safely and securely.
Support small businesses:
By combining your purchases from multiple small business sellers on eBay, you can get the same great value of low-cost shipping without breaking the bank.
Many small businesses may not have the resources to provide free or reduced shipping, but through bundling orders together it’s now possible for buyers to stretch their money further and still enjoy a much lower cost solution.
How to Find Combined Shipping Deals on eBay
- Check the seller’s profile: Before you purchase any item, make sure to inspect the seller’s profile and check their combined shipping policies. Many sellers have a special section that outlines these guidelines for your convenience.
- Search for the items you want: Maximize the eBay search bar to find your desired items. To ensure that you get the best deal, be sure to include relevant keywords like “bundle,” “lot,” or “combined shipping” in your search.
- Check the item’s listing: Before you add anything to your cart, look over the item’s listing carefully. Quite often sellers make note of combined shipping options in either their product title or description, so it pays off to do a bit of research! Doing this could save you plenty on shipping costs and may even score you some additional items for free!
- Use a shipping calculator: Save yourself time and money by taking advantage of eBay’s easy-to-use shipping calculator! To get started, simply add the items you’d like to purchase into your cart, then click on the “estimate shipping” link. With a few quick clicks and virtually no effort at all, you can quickly estimate your combined shipping cost without breaking a sweat!
How to Combine Shipping on eBay
How to combine shipping fees if the buyer hasn’t paid yet
If a buyer orders more than one item from you and hasn’t already benefitted from a shipping discount, they can click the Request Total option in their shopping cart.
That way, it’s the best deal possible!
If you enable combined invoices on your account, you can easily email customers a new invoice with the total cost. Here’s how to verify if this is enabled:
1. Head to My eBay, select the Account tab, and locate Shipping preferences in the Selling section for an easy start.
2. Visit the Shipping Preferences page and click on ‘Edit’ beside ‘Allow combined payments and shipping’.
3. Select the checkbox next to “Allow buyers to send one combined payment for all items purchased” in order to enable this feature.
4. To combine your payments for purchased items, select the time period you prefer and click ‘Save’ to confirm.
To issue a singular invoice for your buyer’s purchases, simply:
1. Locate the items you’d like to combine payments for today!
- In Seller Hub, select Orders
- In My eBay, select Sold
2. To include an item in the invoice, select ‘Send Invoice’ beside it.
3. On the subsequent webpage, every item bought by that customer will be shown. If there are items you do not want to add in the invoice, simply uncheck them.
4. Add shipping charges.
5. Craft a message to your buyer (optional) and select the payment methods you accept for maximum convenience.
6. To ensure accuracy before sending the invoice, preview it by simply selecting “Preview Invoice.”
7. To get paid, click on the Send invoice button.
After the buyer has completed their payment, you have the option to create a shipping label from one of the orders and upload that same tracking number for all items within the new combined order.
This will save time and ensure accurate delivery of products.
How to Combine Shipping on eBay After Payment
If your customer has already paid for shipping separately, there is still an opportunity to offer them discounts on combined items.
All you need to do is issue partial refunds via My eBay’s Orders tab or Seller Hub.
Then click ‘Purchase and Print Label’ or ‘Print Shipping Label’, so that labels can be printed for the newly consolidated order, don’t forget to upload tracking information (with a corresponding tracking number) for each item included in the shipment!
Shipping Discounts
Shipping discounts can be a valuable tool for both buyers and sellers.
As a seller, offering shipping discounts can help to increase sales and customer loyalty by providing a cost-saving incentive.
Additionally, shipping discounts can help to reduce the overall cost of shipping for the buyer, which can be a deciding factor when they are considering a purchase.
To implement shipping discounts, sellers will first need to opt-in to offering combined shipping.
From there, they can set up rules that will automatically apply a discount to the shipping cost when a buyer purchases multiple items.
It’s important to note that the method for applying shipping discounts may vary depending on whether the seller offers a flat shipping rate or uses calculated shipping.
For sellers who use a flat shipping rate, discounts may be applied based on the total number of items purchased. For sellers who use calculated shipping, discounts may be applied based on the total weight or value of the items purchased.
Additionally, you can offer carrier-specific discounts, as well as make use of it as a promotional tool in your listings, this could increase the visibility and encourage customers to make the purchase.
It’s recommended that the sellers evaluate their shipping costs and policies regularly to ensure that they are offering the best possible rates for their customers and to ensure their own profitability.
The Bottom Line
If you’re an eBay shopper, combining shipping can be a great way to save time and money.
With the easy-to-follow steps outlined in this article, you’ll find deals on combined shipments quickly while communicating with sellers confidently.
Before making your final payment, make sure to double check all of the shipping details, and don’t forget to leave feedback when your items have arrived.
Enjoy shopping without burning holes in your pockets!
Additional Resources
FAQ’s
Are There Any Limitations To Combined Shipping On EBay?
Some sellers may not be able to combine shipping for certain items due to size or weight constraints, or they may have different policies regarding combined shipping, so it’s best to check with the seller before making the request. Also note that combining shipping can result in longer delivery time as the items will be shipped together.
Will I Receive A Refund If I Combined Shipping On EBay?
If you have already made payment and the seller agrees to combine shipping, they will typically issue a refund for the excess shipping costs through the original payment method you used. Once the refund has been processed, the shipping cost on the invoice will be updated to reflect the new combined shipping cost.
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