Amazon vs eBay Australia for Sellers: Which Marketplace Suits Your Business?

Amazon suits sellers who want a catalogue-based marketplace with optional FBA fulfilment, brand tools and ads; eBay suits sellers who want a low-cost start with no monthly fee and are happy to ship orders themselves. Amazon.com.au costs A$49.95 a month excluding GST on its Professional plan. eBay.com.au's Pro Starter plan has no monthly fee, and its fees are displayed including GST. Many sellers use both. This page is as of October 2026, and you should confirm eBay's current rates on ebay.com.au.

What are the main differences at a glance?

The in-depth fee comparison, including how the fee bases differ, is on Amazon vs eBay vs Kogan seller fees. This page is about the whole decision, not only fees. eBay's final value fee percentages depend on category tier and Pro plan, so this page leaves them out, as the fees page does. Look them up on ebay.com.au for your category and plan.

Which has the lower entry cost?

Both let you start without a large fixed cost. Amazon's Individual plan charges A$0.99 per item sold excluding GST plus selling fees, and Professional is A$49.95 a month. Amazon suggests Individual for fewer than 50 items a month and Professional above that, as guidance and not a hard limit. eBay says all sellers get 250,000 free listings a month, with some limits and exclusions.

Compare the monthly fee to your volume. At 20 sales a month, Amazon Individual costs A$19.80 excluding GST in per-item fees (20 × A$0.99), before referral fees. Professional costs A$49.95 whether you sell 1 unit or 1,000 once you have active listings. The right plan depends on volume, as covered in Individual vs Professional.

Neither marketplace's headline fee is your real cost. Fulfilment, packaging, returns and ads usually exceed the commission.

What about GST?

Both marketplaces quote fees differently. Amazon says its fees are quoted excluding GST. eBay displays fees including Australian GST, and says 10% GST is payable on eBay fees, with tax-exempt status possible for registered sellers. When comparing, convert both to the same basis. Whether you can claim GST credits on fees depends on your registration; confirm with the ATO or a registered tax agent. This is general information, not tax advice. See GST for Amazon sellers.

How does fulfilment compare?

On Amazon you can use FBA: Amazon stores your stock, picks, packs and ships, and handles customer service and returns, with all shipping costs included in the fulfilment fee. FBA has no subscription fee, carrier contract or minimum inventory requirement. Amazon says using FBA is the easiest way to get Prime badge eligibility for most offers. FBA centres are in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane, and Amazon does not serve postcodes 2898, 2899, 4875, 6798 and 6799.

eBay's fee pages describe no fulfilment service, so assume you ship orders yourself or use a third-party provider. Confirm what eBay currently offers on ebay.com.au.

Amazon's seller-fulfilled route is covered in FBM with Australia Post and the choice in FBA vs FBM. Note Amazon's rule against drop shipping unless you are the seller of record: dropshipping policy.

How do the two compare on brand building and advertising?

Amazon gives brand owners tools through Brand Registry: A+ Content, Brand Stores, Brand Analytics and Project Zero. Registry itself is free but needs a trade mark. See Amazon Brand Registry in Australia.

On advertising, Amazon runs Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display, paid per click for the first two, and sellers need an active Professional account. Read Amazon Ads in Australia for how it works. eBay's promoted-listing options and rates are not covered here, so check ebay.com.au.

A catalogue marketplace also shapes competition: on Amazon, many sellers can share one product page, and the Buy Box decides which offer is shown first. If you sell your own branded product, that gives you more control through Brand Registry. If you resell others' brands, you compete on price and seller performance.

What are the rules and risks on Amazon that you should weigh?

Amazon holds sellers to performance targets: order defect rate under 1%, pre-fulfilment cancel rate under 2.5% and late shipment rate under 4%. Missing them can put your account at risk; see account health rating. Products must be new unless sold through Amazon Renewed, handmade is not currently possible on Amazon.com.au, and digital products are not allowed. If you sell used, vintage or handmade goods, Amazon.com.au is not available for them, and eBay's rules should be checked on its own site.

How much work does each one take?

Workload is the cost sellers forget. On Amazon, the set-up is heavier: identity verification takes four business days or less according to Amazon, and you need a GTIN for most products. Once stock is in FBA, daily work shrinks to replenishment, ads and account health. If you ship yourself, packing and dispatch deadlines are your daily work on any marketplace. Put an hourly value on that time before you compare fees, because an extra hour of packing a day can outweigh a few dollars of commission.

Which should you choose?

If you list on both, keep stock counts in sync to avoid cancelling orders. Amazon's cancel-rate target is under 2.5%.

FAQ

Is it cheaper to sell on eBay or Amazon in Australia? It depends on volume, category and fulfilment. eBay's Pro Starter has no monthly fee and an A$0.30 order fee. Amazon Professional costs A$49.95 a month excluding GST plus referral fees. Compare your own per-unit profit.

Can I sell on both Amazon and eBay? Nothing on Amazon's seller pages stops you selling elsewhere, but you must honour Amazon's order, cancel and shipping targets. Keep inventory synced so you do not oversell. Blooprint manages Amazon only.

Which is easier for beginners? eBay's free selling for sellers under A$25,000 in annual sales is a low-commitment start. Amazon has more steps, including identity verification and category rules, but offers FBA. See how to sell on Amazon Australia.

Does Amazon charge GST on its fees? Amazon quotes plan and fulfilment fees excluding GST. Amazon's registration guide states the A$49.95 fee as plus GST. Whether you can claim it back depends on your GST registration; ask a registered tax agent.

Where can I sell used goods? Amazon.com.au requires new products unless sold through Amazon Renewed by an approved supplier. Check eBay's current rules on ebay.com.au for used goods.

What does Amazon FBA give me that I would not get by shipping myself? Amazon handles picking, packing, shipping, customer service and returns, and FBA offers are eligible for the Prime badge. You pay fulfilment and storage fees for that service.

Making the call

Price one product on both, count your shipping time, and pick the channel that leaves the best profit per hour. If Amazon is the one you want to pursue, Blooprint, an Amazon SPN verified partner, can help through Amazon account management in Australia; it does not manage eBay. The Australia hub has the Amazon set-up guides.