Guides

When should you lower your price on eBay?

Short answer: lower your price when a listing has had a fair chance and the market is telling you no — not on day two, and not after three silent months. A practical rule: start at or near what the same item has actually sold for, give it one to two weeks, then drop in small steps (about 5–10% at a time) on a fixed schedule until it sells or reaches the lowest price you decided on before you listed. If people are watching but not buying, try an offer before a public price cut. If nobody is even looking, the problem may be the title or photos, not the price.

Step 1: check that the price was right to begin with

Most "should I lower it?" questions are really "did I price it right?" questions. Before you cut anything, search eBay for your exact item and turn on the Sold items filter (on the app it's under Filter). Look at the last few weeks of sales for the same model and the same condition, with the same accessories.

• If your price is well above recent sold prices, the drop isn't a failure — it's a correction. Bring it into the sold range now rather than waiting.
• If your price is inside the sold range, be patient. Sold listings only show items that found a buyer; how long they took varies.
• If there are almost no sales, your item is slow-moving. Expect to wait longer, and lean on Best Offer so buyers can tell you what they'd pay.

Ignore active listings when you set the price. Asking prices are what sellers hope for; sold prices are what buyers paid. Remember to compare total cost too: a buyer sees your price plus shipping.

Step 2: read the signals before you cut

eBay shows you views and watchers on each listing in Seller Hub. They point to different fixes.

Step 3: use offers before a public price cut

A price cut applies to everyone. An offer goes only to people who already showed interest, so it's often the better first move.

• Offer to buyers. On fixed-price listings, eBay lets you send an offer to people who are watching the item or have it in their cart. According to eBay's help pages, the offer must be at least 5% below your Buy It Now price, it lasts up to 96 hours on eBay.com, and it goes to up to 30 of the most recent interested buyers. You can also set eBay to send these offers automatically.
• Best Offer with automatic limits. Turn on Best Offer and set an auto-accept price and an auto-decline price. Offers at or above the upper limit are accepted for you; offers below the lower limit are declined for you; anything in between waits for your answer. Buyers don't see your limits. Unanswered offers expire after 24 hours.
• Counter with a real number. If someone offers low, counter at a price you'd actually accept rather than ignoring it.

One thing to watch: if you've set eBay to send offers automatically and you then lower the price below that offer amount, eBay pauses those offers. Check your offer settings after any price cut.

Step 4: a simple price-drop schedule

The best schedule is one you decide before you list, so you aren't guessing every few days. Write down three numbers: your starting price, how much to drop each time, and your floor — the lowest price you'll accept after fees and shipping.

Adjust the pace to the item. Popular, fast-selling things (current phones, common games) either sell quickly at the right price or tell you fast that it's wrong, so a shorter wait is fine. Rare, collectible or seasonal items can take longer to meet the right buyer, so be slower to cut — and list seasonal things (coats, holiday décor) before the season, not at its end.

How much to lower each time

Small, regular steps work better than one big panic cut. A step of around 5–10% of the price is a common rule of thumb among sellers; for cheap items a flat $1–3 makes more sense, and for expensive ones $10–25. Whatever you choose, never go below your floor. Work out the floor from the money you'd actually keep: subtract eBay's fees and your real shipping cost from the price first.

Things that matter more than the price

• Shipping cost. A high shipping charge can make a fair price look high. Weigh the packed item and use calculated shipping or a fair flat rate.
• Photos. Clear, bright photos from every side, including flaws, do more than a few dollars off.
• Honest condition. Listing the flaws up front keeps buyers from passing — and from returning it as "not as described." See our checklist for avoiding "not as described" returns.
• Returns. Offering returns can make buyers more comfortable with a used item. Decide based on what you're selling.

Questions

How long should I leave an eBay listing before lowering the price?

If the price is in line with recent sold prices, about one to two weeks is a reasonable first wait. If it's clearly above sold prices, there's no need to wait — fix it now.

Do watchers find out when I lower the price?

Watchers see the current price whenever they look at their watch list, so a lower price is visible to them. If you want to reach them directly, sending an offer to interested buyers is the tool eBay provides for that.

Is it better to end and relist instead of lowering?

Sellers disagree. Relisting gives a fresh listing, but a price that's out of line with the market won't sell any better as a new listing. Fix the price, title and photos first.

Can the price drops be automatic?

Yes. If you list on eBay through SnapSold (Seller or Pro), you can set "Lower by" an amount every 3, 7 or 14 days with a lowest price. We email you each time it drops, and it stops when the item sells or reaches your lowest price.