EBay adjusts rules for avoiding 'listing' fees

EBay Inc. has tweaked the requirements for avoiding "listing" fees when auctioning items on its site, letting users list up to 50 items each month at any starting price and allowing them to add the "Buy it Now" option to listings for free.

EBay has tinkered with its fee structure in recent years in hopes of improving the experience people have on its site and reinvigorating its growth. Changes like the ones announced on Tuesday are meant to encourage more people to list items for sale.

The latest changes will be effective April 19.

Last year, the San Jose, Calif., company essentially did away with listing fees for people who occasionally auction items on its site, allowing users to auction up to 100items each month without paying listing fees. The items had to have a starting bid of less than $1, though, and when they sold eBay would take 9 percent of the final price or $50, whichever was less.

EBay said Tuesday that as part of the changes it will charge sellers a fee of 9 percent of an item's selling price plus the amount the seller charges the buyer for shipping. This fee, which is now capped at $100, is meant to encourage sellers to offer free shipping.