Pack the item, weigh and measure the packed box, then select Get shipping label beside the order in Seller Hub. Enter the weight and size, pick the service the buyer chose, buy and print the label, and drop the package off within your handling time. Tracking uploads to the order automatically.
Most shipping guides start when the item sells. Mine starts earlier than that, while I'm still writing the listing.
I've sold on eBay for over 25 years. Shipping mistakes cost you after the sale: a box that's heavier than you entered turns into a charge weeks later, and a package that sits too long turns into a late shipment on your account. A routine prevents both.
This is the routine I actually use, step by step, from the scale at listing time to the post office. At the end I'll show what shipping really cost me across 724 orders from January 1 to November 4, 2026.
Prefer to watch? Here's the whole routine on video, with my real eBay screens:
Quick Checklist: Shipping an eBay Order
- Weigh the item when you list it — and pick the box it will ship in, so the shipping price in the listing is real.
- Set the shipping in the listing — package weight, box size, the services you offer and handling time.
- Pack it so nothing moves — bubble wrap for anything fragile, filler around it.
- Weigh the packed box again — before you buy the label, not after.
- Buy the label on eBay — so tracking uploads to the order on its own.
- Drop it off on a set daily routine — tied to something you already do, so you never miss your handling time.
Before It Sells: Shipping Starts When You List
When I list an item, I've already taken the photos, and I weigh the item on my scale. I pick the box size by what kind of item it is and by looking it over. So by the time I get to the shipping section of the listing, I already know roughly what the box size and weight will be.
That matters because of how calculated shipping works. eBay describes it as a cost that varies based on the buyer's location, and it needs the package weight and dimensions to work it out. If those numbers are guesses, the price the buyer pays is a guess too, and you're the one who covers the difference.
Three more things I sort out before it sells:
- The carrier. USPS is my normal, cheapest route. For anything big, I always offer FedEx in the listing, because it's a lot cheaper.
- A $2 handling fee on every order. eBay's shipping policy lets shipping charges include handling costs, like packaging materials. (It also says not to add handling fees on top of free shipping.) I explain why in my post on shipping mistakes.
- Big items get packed ahead. Sometimes I box up bigger items before they sell, so when one does, it's ready to go. Small items are easy to pack, so I don't usually bother with those.
It Sold: Pack It So Nothing Moves
Once the buyer has paid, I go find the item, grab the box and the tape gun, and pack it up.
If it's sensitive, like electronics or a camera, I wrap it in bubble wrap and make sure it's really protected. Then it goes in the right size box, and I add packing material around it so it doesn't move at all during shipping. That's how I avoid damage.
Use more tape than you think
Most people put one strip of tape across the seam on the top and the bottom. Over the years I've found that isn't enough. During shipping, other boxes sit on top of yours, and if the corner of a heavy box presses down beside that one strip, it can pull the tape off the seam and the box opens. I've had boxes reach the buyer with the item gone.
So I use a 3-inch tape gun and run three strips on the top and three on the bottom: one across the middle seam and one on each side of it. By the time I've wrapped the ends down the sides, about three quarters of the box is covered in tape.
For heavy items, like anything metal or anything that could poke through the side of the box if it shifts around, I tape the entire box, sides included.
Weigh it again before the label
Once it's taped up, I bring it back to the scale to recheck that I didn't go over the weight I listed. That's the step that keeps extra charges away. The carrier measures your package in its own network, and if it's heavier or bigger than the label says, eBay bills you the difference later. I wrote about how those label adjustments showed up on my own account, including one for $37.13 on a sewing machine.
eBay's own advice is to enter accurate weight and dimensions rounded up to the nearest whole number.
Buying the Label on eBay
Then I sit down at my computer and buy the label through eBay. I use a thermal printer with 4x6 labels. Here's how it works, from eBay's label help page:
- Go to Seller Hub > Orders (or My eBay > Orders) and select Get shipping label beside the item.
- Enter the package weight and dimensions, and check the addresses.
- Pick the ship date, the shipping service the buyer chose at checkout, and any extras. (eBay's shipping policy says you have to use the service the buyer selected.)
- Choose the label format and print size: 8 x 11 in or 4 x 6 in (2 x 7 in for USPS only). You can only change the size before you buy.
- Review the cost and buy it. Tracking uploads to the eBay order automatically.
Buying through eBay is what makes that last step automatic. The buyer sees tracking, and eBay sees when the carrier scanned your package, which matters for the next section.
eBay says all its carrier partners, USPS, FedEx and UPS, offer a QR code option. You still enter the weight and dimensions and pick the service, but instead of printing, you get a QR code by email. A clerk at a participating drop-off location scans it and prints the label. Check that your nearest location supports QR codes first. And once a QR code is scanned, the label counts as used and can't be canceled. (If you need to cancel a printed label instead, here's how to make sure you get the money back.)
Drop-Off: Attach It to Something You Already Do
I take packages to the post office once a day. I made it part of my routine before I pick my kid up from school: I leave a little early and stop at the post office on the way.
That's the real tip here. Tie your drop-off to something you already do every day, so it never depends on remembering. Handling time is a promise in your listing. eBay's shipping policy says sellers must ship within the handling time stated in the listing.
Here's how eBay decides what counts as late. According to its seller standards policy, with tracking from an integrated carrier, a shipment counts as late only when it's delivered after the latest estimated delivery date and there was no carrier scan within your handling time. So the scan at the counter is what protects you. For Top Rated status, eBay allows no more than 5 late shipments, or 3% of transactions.
That's why I always make sure the clerk scans my packages right away. I used to just drop them on the counter and leave, but countless times they went into a bin and didn't get scanned until the next day, or two days later.
Why I don't use scheduled pickups
USPS and FedEx both offer pickups. I've used them, and sometimes the carrier just doesn't show up. If your regular carrier is off that day, the fill-in can miss your stop, and your package goes out late. Enough late shipments add up on your account. So now I drop everything off myself on my daily run.
My post office is right around the corner. For FedEx boxes, I usually drive to the nearest FedEx, about 15 minutes away.
What Shipping Actually Cost Me So Far in 2026
Here's what that routine adds up to. From January 1 to November 4, 2026, I bought eBay labels for 724 orders.
about $2 on a typical order: my handling fee
Buyers paid $8,446.75 for shipping on those orders, and the labels cost me $6,515.77, so $1,930.98 was left over. On the typical order, shipping came out exactly $2 ahead, which is my handling fee. On 32 orders, the label cost more than the buyer paid for shipping.
That's the point of all the weighing. When the listing has the real weight and box size, the buyer pays what shipping actually costs, plus the handling fee for the box and packing material. When it doesn't, the difference comes out of your profit.
How Autotabit Keeps Track of It
Shipping is a big part of whether a sale actually made money. For labels bought through eBay:
- Every order shows both sides. The order shows the shipping the buyer paid, and its details show what the labels cost, so you can spot the orders where shipping lost money.
- Later label charges land on the right order. Underpaid postage and return labels that eBay charges weeks later are added to the order they belong to on the next sync, and that order's profit updates.
- It catches orders with no label cost. If an order shipped 7 or more days ago and no label cost came through from eBay, it shows up in the Dashboard To Do, so its profit isn't left too high.
Autotabit reads label costs from eBay, so it only knows about labels you bought through eBay. If you buy labels somewhere else, you can type what you paid from the Dashboard To Do (Shipped with no shipping cost). It also can't weigh a box or tell you which box to use. That part is still your scale.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I ship an item I sold on eBay?
Pack the item, weigh and measure the packed box, then go to Seller Hub > Orders (or My eBay > Orders) and select Get shipping label beside the item. Enter the weight and size, pick the service the buyer chose, buy and print the label, and drop the package off within your handling time. Tracking uploads to the order automatically.
Can I ship on eBay without a printer?
Yes. eBay says USPS, FedEx and UPS all offer a QR code option. You get the code by email, and a participating drop-off location scans it and prints the label for you. Once it's scanned, the label can't be canceled.
What size shipping labels does eBay print?
8 x 11 in or 4 x 6 in, plus 2 x 7 in for USPS only. You choose the size before you buy the label and can't change it after. I use a thermal printer with 4x6 labels.
When does an eBay shipment count as late?
With tracking from an integrated carrier, eBay counts it as late when it's delivered after the latest estimated delivery date and there was no carrier scan within your handling time. A scan within your handling time protects you.
Can I charge a handling fee on eBay?
eBay's shipping policy lets shipping charges include handling costs, such as packaging materials and insurance. It says not to add handling fees when you offer free shipping. I add $2 to every order.
Should I schedule carrier pickups?
Both USPS and FedEx offer them. I've used them, and sometimes the carrier doesn't show up: a fill-in carrier can miss the stop, and the package ships late. Now I drop packages off myself once a day.
See What Shipping Really Costs You
Autotabit puts the shipping your buyer paid next to what the label cost on every order with an eBay label, and adds late label charges to the right sale.
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