eBay Best Offer Tips to Help You Sell More!

Slow sales on eBay? Before you spend more on advertising, try these Best Offer tips to help you sell more.

I love getting more sales. And I also want to keep more of the money from those sales.  I know you do, too!

When eBay sales slow down, it’s easy to feel like you need to increase your Promoted Listings rate. But that extra advertising fee comes out of your profit. So before increasing it, take a look at a free selling tool that’s already available to you: Best Offer.

There’s no added fee to enable Best Offer, and you don’t need an eBay Store. (The usual selling fees still apply.)

Let’s dig into eBay Best Offer tips!

How Does Best Offer Work?

Best Offer lets buyers send you an offer suggesting a price they’re willing to pay. You can accept, decline, or counteroffer.

To add Best Offer to an eligible fixed price listing, look in the pricing section of the Sell Your Item form for the option to allow offers. Toggle that on, and it serves as an invitation to shoppers to start a conversation about price.

Everybody loves a deal — so giving people a chance to haggle may help turn an interested shopper into your next buyer.

But before you start accepting offers, let’s make sure that your pricing works for your business.

eBay Best Offer Tips: Price with Room to Negotiate

One of my favorite Best Offer tips is to build a little wiggle room into your asking price.

I typically recommend pricing an item about 15% to 20% above what you’re willing to accept, as long as that price still makes sense for the market.

For example, if you’re OK with selling something for $30, you might list it at $35 with Best Offer.

Before deciding upon your acceptable minimum price point, account for your inventory cost, eBay fees, and any shipping expenses you have to cover. We want to make sales that make you money!

Think about department stores. They set their prices knowing that they’ll offer sales and discounts. You can plan ahead for negotiation as well.

Does Best Offer Mean Every Buyer Gets a Discount?

No! Some shoppers will still pay full price.

In my own selling, roughly 20% to 30% of my Best Offer items sell for their asking price. That’s my experience, although your results may differ.

Some buyers enjoy haggling; others find exactly what they want and click Buy It Now.

So don’t assume that adding Best Offer means you’ll have to discount every sale. It doesn’t. You’re just giving buyers another way to purchase while keeping the full price option available.

What About eBay’s Best Match Search?

If you want to rank better in eBay search results, pay attention to eBay’s default search order, Best Match.

Why do you care? Because visibility gives shoppers more opportunities to find your items! Many buyers only browse the first search results instead of scrolling through page after page.

In my YouTube video How to Sell More with eBay’s Best Offer!, I search for vintage oval mirrors. Several listings near the top of search results include Best Offer, including an organic result that appears alongside sponsored listings.

That’s an interesting pattern, and it’s one reason I encourage sellers to test Best Offer.

Please note: This example alone doesn’t establish that Best Offer caused those search rankings. Best Match considers several factors, including relevance, price, listing quality, and your seller history.

Combine eBay’s Best Offer option with accurate titles, complete item specifics, clear photos, and competitive pricing. Help buyers find your listing and feel comfortable purchasing your item!

Watch my YouTube, How To Sell More With eBay’s Best Offer!

How Should You Handle Lowball Offers?

You’ve listed an item for $50, and someone offers $10. Oh dear! Before that offer ruins your day, take a deep breath and counter it.

My preference is always to counter rather than decline. This is why I don’t recommend setting up an automatic decline. A buyer’s opening offer doesn’t necessarily tell you what they’ll ultimately be willing to pay.

If you’re good with accepting $40, send a counteroffer for $40 and see what happens. Include a message with your counteroffer noting the percentage of that discount and/or extolling the virtues of your item. The would-be buyer may come up. They may counter your counteroffer. Or they just may walk away. In any case, you’ve given the conversation a chance to turn into a sale.

And remember, you’re in control. You don’t have to accept a price that doesn’t work for your business!

More Offers = More Opportunities to Sell

Best Offer gives interested shoppers another way to buy. There’s no additional fee to use this tool. It’s free with every Fixed Price listing. 

So price your items with room to negotiate, protect your profit, and give counteroffers a chance. Pair these steps with optimized listings to help turn more shoppers into buyers.

Watch How to Sell More With eBay’s Best Offer on YouTube for my pricing tips, search examples, and advice for handling lowball offers.

Then pick a few eBay listings, and put Best Offer to work for you. You’ve got interested shoppers. Let’s give them another incentive to buy!